-By Nathan Dole
A PLACE in the top three is under threat when Colbinabbin and Mount Pleasant meet in Saturday’s ninth round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
It’s second against third on Colbinabbin’s turf at M.J. Morgan Oval from 2.30pm.
A loss will push the Grasshoppers or Blues outside the top three as fourth-placed Huntly will start favourite to take the points at Heathcote’s Pigeon Park.
The Linton Jacobs-coached Colbinabbin will be fired up after last Saturday’s one-point loss to the Harlowe Huntly Hawks at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
A key to this contest will be the conversion and play of the respective forward lines.
Colbinabbin’s attack includes Brandyn Grenfell, Alex Carr, Jude and Sam Ryan.
They will be up against a Blues defence led by William Wallace, Bryce Hinneberg, Bailey White and Coby Dunlop.
Key players in the green and gold include Isaac Carracher, Nathan Basile, Nick Knight and ruckman Julian Bull.
Colbinabbin’s defence faces a huge task against the marking power of Mitch Bennett and Brodie Leonard-Shannon.
The Blues also have the experience of co-coach Josh Hann, Brodie Montague, Mitch Rovers and Caelan Smith.
Mounts also has Cam Carter as director of coaching and Adam Baird as co-coach.
Preliminary finalists last September, Leitchville Gunbower and North Bendigo will clash at Leitchville.
The Shannon Keam-coached Bombers beat the Bulldogs by 19 points when they last met to advance to the grand final.
The Bombers have struggled for consistency this season, but a tally of three wins, three defeats and a draw has the team in fifth place.
Chris Horman kicked six goals in LG’s nine-goal win at Elmore to be among the best.
Other in-form players for the Bombers include Max Hagan at half-back, Zeb Ellwood, Charles Hancock and ruckman Jobee Warde.
The Bombers will look for big games from the likes of captain Josh Hawken, Austin Windridge, Tom Brereton, Joel Donehue and Brady Hore to break North Bendigo’s unbeaten run.
It’s a vastly different North Bendigo team to the one which played the Bombers in the preliminary final.
Newcomers for the Bulldogs include Jordan Hargreaves from Wedderburn, Harrison Jarvie from Yea, and Liam Dillon from Kyabram.
North Bendigo has also welcomed back Darcy Richards from Eaglehawk, and Callum Tardrew who had not played senior footy since 2022 and will contest the sixth senior game in his comeback.
Bulldogs’ co-coach Ryan Hartley, Nick Waterson and Aarryn Craig and Will Gilmore were among the best in a 12-goal win against Lockington Bamawm United at Bendigo Club Oval last round.
Having drawn just one match, Heathcote is still chasing its first victory of this season.
The Saints are back at Pigeon Park in Barrack Reserve to take on the Harlowe Huntly Hawks.
Will not be an easy task for Heathcote which has battled with injuries to several key players all season.
The Saints opened up a 16-point lead by half-time of last Saturday’s match at White Hills but were overrun as the Demons won 55-50.
Best for Heatcote in that match were Ibrahim Taha, Jye Formosa, Aaron Gundry and Rhys Bolton.
A squad jointly coached by Andrew Saladino and Liam Jacques includes Codie Price, Zak Saad, Will Tobin, Daniel and Dylan Johnstone.
The Hamish Morcom-coached Huntly will have gained plenty of confidence from its last quarter fightbacks in its past two hit-outs to beat Mount Pleasant and Colbinabbin.
A win-loss tally of five-two has the Hawks in fourth place and poised to jump into the top three.
Sam Dunstan has kicked 27 goals in seven matches and will test the Saints defence.
Huntly also has Abe Sladden, Lachy Wilson and Jacob Greenwood in its forward 50m arc.
A Harding medallist as Loddon Valley fairest and best in his time at Newbridge, Harry Whittle will play his third senior match for the Hawks this season.
Other players to watch in the brown and gold include Dale Lowry, Mitch Billings, ruckman Nathan Dunstan, Ben Daley and captain Steve Kairn.
It’s the Cats against the Demons as Lockington Bamawm United meets the Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons at Lockington’s Nichol Trading Oval.
A win for the Jayden Howe-coached LBU will keep the heat on the fifth and sixth-placed Leitchville Gunbower and Elmore.
The Cats were kept to a score of 30 points in a tough hit-out at North Bendigo last round.
Best for LBU were Brodie Collins, Bowden Stone, Jack Reiter and Joseph Wolfe.
The Cats have Tyler Phillips in the ruck, Stuart Taylor, Matt Hore, Charlie Hinks and Brock Kennedy in their line-up.
White Hills fought back strongly to mark its first victory of the season last round.
Ruckman Jack Lawton, Patrick Eefting, co-coach Ben Taylor and Nic Santas were best for the Demons in the 55-50 win against the Heathcote Saints.
The White Hills squad which has Brad McConnell as non-playing co-coach includes Seth Boyd, Mitch Dole, Harry Sheilds, Isaac Tzouroutis and Nic Wallace.
Elmore has the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
North Bendigo 256 per cent, 28 points; Colbinabbin 195, 20; Mount Pleasant 171, 20; Huntly 95, 20; Leitchville Gunbower 100, 14; Elmore 76, 12; Lockington Bamawm United 68, 8; White Hills 41, 4; Heathcote 57, 2.
Leading goalkickers:
29 Mitch Bennett, Mount Pleasant.
27 Sam Dunstan, Huntly.
25 Brandyn Grenfell, Colbinabbin.
24 Cody Riddick, North Bendigo.
20 Jake Dean, North Bendigo.
19 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
18 Alex Carr, Colbinabbin.
16 James Harney, Elmore.
16 Dylan Johnstone, Heathcote.
16 Brodie-Leonard-Shannon, Mount Pleasant.
16 Darcy Richards, North Bendigo.
14 Nick Knight, Colbinabbin.
12 Billy Hawken, Leitchville Gunbower.
12 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
12 Abe Sladden, Huntly.
11 Liam Dillon, North Bendigo.
11 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
11 Zak Saad, Heathcote.
10 Jack Hickman, Mount Pleasant.
10 Matt O’Dwyer, Elmore.
9 Jackson Jones, Heathcote.
9 Nathan Kay, Elmore.
9 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
9 Jack Reiter, Lockington Bamawm United.
9 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.