BY NATHAN DOLE
Dragons raise heat against in-form Gisborne
THE Sandhurst Dragons will turn up the heat in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL’s senior footy second semi-final against Gisborne on Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
A showdown between the league’s top two teams across the home-and-away series starts at 2.20pm on the View Street ground.
At stake is being first into the September 21 grand final to play for the Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup.
It’s game 250 for Sandhurst’s Nick Stagg who played in the 2016 grand final.
Whether he’s playing on-ball or in the forward 50m arc, Stagg’s ferocity at the contest and tackling have earned high praise from all coaches and team-mates across his career.
It’s one-all in this season’s meetings between the Dragons and Bulldogs who had identical 14-2 records in the run to the finals.
They first met in round two where the Ash Connick and Bryce Curnow-coached Sandhurst won 88-73 on the QEO.
It was a one-goal thriller at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve in the 11th round as the Bulldogs held on for a 73-67 victory.
The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne was in control for most of last Saturday’s qualifying final against Strathfieldsaye.
Five-goal hauls by gun forward Pat McKenna and wingman Dylan Johnstone played a big part in a 125-70 win by the red, white and blue.
A highlight of this Saturday’s clash will be the on-ball contests.
Sandhurst has Connor Sexton, Lachlan Tardrew and Lachie Hood to take on Braidon Blake, Flynn Lakey and Jackson Cardillo.
A huge role will be played in the centre by Dragons’ young gun Noah Walsh against the in-form Brad Bernacki.
A tally of 80 goals in 16 matches by Sandhurst’s Fergus Greene meant he was a runaway winner of the Ron Best Medal.
Back in the den after stints at AFL level with Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn, Greene is a key cog in a Sandhurst attack that includes Cobi Maxted, Lachlan Wright and Joel Wharton.
They take on Gisborne captain and full-back Jack Reaper, Jed Denahy, Jake Normington and Zach Vescovi.
At the other end of the big ground, Sandhurst’s defence led by Liam Ireland, Bryce Curnow, Isaac Carracher and James Coghlan has a huge role to play.
They are up against a strong Bulldogs’ attack that includes Zac Denahy, Harry Luxmoore, Pat McKenna and Matt Merrett.
The Dragons also brought in Bendigo Pioneers captain Dayten Uerata for his third senior game of the season.
A big year for Uerata included 13 matches in the Coates Talent with the Pioneers, two games for Victoria Country, and a game with Essendon in the VFL.
On Sunday it’s Strathfieldsaye against Golden Square in the first semi-final.
The Luke Freeman-coached Strathfieldsaye is on the rebound from a qualifying final defeat.
Golden Square marked a 31-point win against Eaglehawk to eliminate the Two Blues from the premiership race.
It’s two-nil in favour of Storm in this season’s showdowns with the Bulldogs.
Strathfieldsaye won 77-49 on Golden Square’s turf at Fur Life Oval in round two.
The round 11 match went Storm’s way, 63-40 at Triple M Park.
On-ball duels will be a highlight of this contest.
Storm ruckman Tim Hosking is up against Tanner Rayner and the athletic Kai Daniels who was best afield in the elimination final.
Strathfieldsaye co-captain Daniel Clohesy is capable of winning plenty of the footy, along with Lachlan Gill, Bode Stevens and Matt Harvey.
Since his return from a VFL stint with Essendon, Tom Toma has played a crucial role in Golden Square’s run.
The skill and workrate of Toma, Ricky Monti, Macey Eaton and Terence Reeves is a massive plus for the Bulldogs.
A Strathfieldsaye forward line which has the marking power of Cooper Jones and Malik Gordon, and skill of Zach Charles and Riley Wilson will test the Bulldogs.
Key players in Golden Square’s defence are Jon Coe, Harrison Burke and Jack Threlfall.
Storm defenders Lachlan Ratcliffe, Mitch Hallinan, Caleb Sheahan and Shannon Geary are up against Kai Daniels, Jayden Burke, Jack Stewart and Tom Strauch.
In the Drummond Golf reserves compeititon, Gisborne takes on Sandhurst in the second semi-final from 12.15pm.
The Dragons won the second round clash with the Bulldogs on the QEO by a goal.
Gisborne marked a 74-13 victory in round 11 at Gardiner Reserve.
The Dragons kicked off their finals campaign by scoring a 21-point win against Golden Square in the qualifying final.
On Sunday it will be Golden Square against Strathfieldsaye in the first semi-final.
The Bulldogs beat Storm by 11 points at Fur Life Oval in round two.
Strathfieldsaye won 30-16 in round 11 at Triple M Park.
The Storm line-up beat Eaglehawk by 16 points in the elimination final.
First-up in this weekend’s semi-finals will be Sandhurst and Golden Square in the Sportspower under-18s second semi at 10.15am on Saturday.
Both teams had 15-1 records in the home-and-away series.
The Dragons won 72-52 on Golden Square’s ground when the clubs met on Ron Best Memorial Shield day in the sixth round at Fur Life Oval.
Golden Square charged to a 64-38 win against the ‘Hurst in the 15th round on the QEO.
An all-Bulldogs showdown in the qualifying final ended in a 75-28 win for Golden Square against Gisborne.
It will be Gisborne against Castlemaine in the first semi-final on Sunday.
The Bulldogs will start favourite following 24 and 32-point wins against the Magpies in rounds eight and 17.
Castlemaine marked a dramatic return to footy finals as it won the elimination final against Kangaroo Flat by eight points.