GISBORNE ended Strathfieldsaye Storm’s run as Sandhurst capped a brilliant fightback in last weekend’s Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy semi-finals.
The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne ensured it would have at least one more hit-out at Queen Elizabeth Oval as it beat Strathfieldsaye in Sunday’s first semi by 38 points.
Gisborne won every quarter on its way to 107-69 victory.
The Bulldogs led 31-20 at quarter-time and then scored five goals as they kept Strathfieldaye to a tally of 2.2 in the second term.
A closely-fought third quarter went Gisborne’s way, 27-21.
When the final siren sounded it was the Bulldogs who were up, 107-69.
This season’s winner of the Ron Best Medal as the competition’s leading goalkicker, Pat McKenna slotted four goals for Gisborne.
Thomas Werner kicked three as Shane Clough, Lucas Hannon, Matt Merrett and Dominic Sullivan slotted two each and Ryan Bourke another.
Was always going to be difficult for the Jeff Andrews-coached Storm as leading goalkicker James Schishcka and Drew Lloyd had been suspended after the qualifying final loss to Eaglehawk.
On Sunday it was Tyson McKenzie who starred for Strathfieldsaye with a match-high six goals.
Pat Blake, Jed Brereton, Tyce Griffin and Riley Mulquiny were also on target for Storm.
Best for Gisborne were Shane Clough, Dylan Johnstone, Jed Denahy, James Gray, Pat McKenna and Will Elliott.
Strathfieldsaye’s best were Tyson McKenzie, Ben Lester, Tim Hosking, Riley Mulquiny, Ethan Featherby and Kya Lanfranchi.
On Saturday it was Sandhurst which surged into a fourth grand final in a row after a superb fightback to beat Eaglehawk in the second semi-final by four points.
The Dragons led 24-14 at quarter-time, but it was an Eaglehawk team coached by Travis Matheson, non-playing, and Clayton Holmes, playing, which dominated the second.
Five unanswered goals put the Hawks up, 45-24 at 12 minutes to play in the first half.
Sandhurst replied with back-to-back goals, but another major by the Borough meant it led 52-37 at the long break.
The Hawks had their injury concerns through Lewin Davis, hamstring, and Clayton Holmes who dislocated his shoulder, but did return to the field to assist with rotations from the interchange bench.
Sandhurst was first to goal in the third, but two unanswered goals by Eaglehawk gave the reigning premier a 21-point buffer.
A Dragons’ team coached by Bryce Curnow, non-playing, and Fergus Greene, playing, scored three of the last four goals of the quarter.
By the last change Sandhurst was within four points of the Two Blues, but was playing into the wind in the final quarter.
It took until nine minutes to play for Eamon Austin to goal and put Sandhurst in front, 78-75.
The Hawks set up a series of attacks, but Sandhurst held on for a 79-75 victory.
Eamon Austin, Fergus Greene, Dayten Uerata and Lachlan Wright led the Dragons’ attack with two goals each as Jacob Austin, Oliver Morris and Noah Willits were also on target.
Leading goalkickers for Eaglehawk was were Jacquin Mifsud and Nick Thompson with three each as Oscar White booted two and Lewin Davis, Jack Donat and captain Billy Evans added one each.
Best for Sandhurst were ruckman Connor Sexton, James Coghlan, Jaxon Howard, Matt Wilkinson, Jack Keating and Darcy Mills.
Eaglehawk’s best were Ben Thompson, Jacquin Mifsud, Oscar White, Dylan Hanley, Jonty Neaves and Joel Mullen.
Sandhurst has earnt a week’s rest and will now await to face Eaglehawk or Gisborne in the clash for the Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup on September 19.
In the Drummond Golf reserves competition it was Sandhurst which outpointed South Bendigo in Saturday’s second semi-final.
The Dragons proved their 17-point triumph against South Bendigo was no fluke as they charged to a four-goal victory.
Sandhurst’s win against the Bloods in the 15th round was South’s sole defeat in the run to the finals.
The Dragons turned a 10-point defict at quarter-time of the second semi into a 27-22 lead by the long break.
A closely-fought third term went the way of the Bloods, 13-12.
In the last it was Sandhurst which finished with plenty of run to score 3.3 as South Bendigo added a point.
Oscar Cail and Jonty Davis led Sandhurst’s attack on three and two goals as Hamish McNamara, Daniel Noden, Wil Pinniger and Declan Stevenson were on target in a 60-36 victory.
Goalkickers for South Bendigo were Wil McCaig, two; Toby Hardingham, Jasper Irwin and Will Purcell.
Lachlan Borchard, Louis Banfield, Darby Whatley, Hamish McNamara, Henry Edwards and Oscar Cail were best for the Lachlan Prest-coached Sandhurst.
Best for the Bloods were Wil McCaig, Cody Brooks, Bailey Waterman, Kyle Johnston, Jack Daglish and Toby Hardingham.
The Jack Nalder and Caleb Nitschke-coached South Bendigo will now meet Eaglehawk in the preliminary final.
The Hawks bounced back from a 29-point loss to Sandhurst in the qualifying final to win the first semi showdown with Strathfieldsaye by 55 points.
Eaglehawk led 21-7 at quarter-time and the pressure did not ease up.
As the Two Blues scored seven goals across the next three quarters, Storm added seven behinds.
When the final siren sounded an Eaglehawk team coached by Ryan Wellington and Rhys Foster was up 69-14.
Jack O’Shannessy led the Hawks’ attack with three goals as Isaiah Phillips-Adams and Ryan Wellington kicked two and Brody Brown, Zack Bulger and Sam Dean added a major.
Charles Dole kicked Storm’s only goal.
Best for Eaglehawk were Jordy Holland, Zack Bulger, Brody Brown, Ethan Hanley, Noah Eliades and Deacon Marsh.
Strathfieldsaye’s best were Jed Daniels, Charles Dole, Sam Heavyside, Jack Bell, Charlie Morrison and George Simpson.
The Storm line-up was coached by Ben Lester and Craig Simpson.
It was a thrilling finish to the second semi-final between Strathfieldaye and South Bendigo in the Sportspower under-18s competition.
Storm surged to a 28-6 lead by quarter-time after goals by Charlie Elliott, Will Mayes, Jesse Webster and Jordan Mathews.
The Bloods’ sole goal in the opening term was kicked by Max Kornmann.
South Bendigo was first to goal in the second through Campbell Wood, but Storm replied with a goal by Mack Elkington to lead 38-14 at half-time.
Arkie Rooke was on target for the red and white, but Storm replied shortly after off the boot of Ben Jorgensen.
Goals by Max Kornmann, Thomas Henderson and Kornmann again put the Bloods within seven points going into the final quarter.
Storm was up by 13 after Jordan Mathews was on target.
A Jacobi Kramer goal for South Bendigo at just over eight minutes to play cut the margin to five points.
When Kramer was on target again the Bloods were up 54-52 at 69 seconds to play.
Storm surged into attack once more from where Jordan Mathews goaled to clinch a 58-55 victory and place in the grand final.
Best for the Lachlan Ratcliffe-coached Strathfieldsaye were Jordan Mathews, Aydan Hand, Angus White, Jake Schubert, Will Mayes and Mack Elkington.
South Bendigo’s best were Jacobi Kramer, Campbell Wood, Riley Davey, Zavier Ralphs, Will de Vries and Rylan Newman.
The Travis Eddy and Mark Kramer-coached Bloods will tackle Sandhurst in the preliminary final.
Sandhurst hit back from a 15-point loss to South Bendigo in the qualifying to win Sunday’s first semi against Castlemaine by 31 points.
Quarters two and three were when Sandhurst took charge.
The Dragons scored 3.2 and kept the Magpies to a goal to be up 25-6 at half-time.
Sandhurst won the third term, 22-6.
Castlemaine fought on to outscore the maroon and blue in the last, 14-10, but it was the Darcy Mills-coched Dragons who marked a 57-26 victory.
Luke Cameron led Sandhurst’s attack with two goals as Miller Armstrong, Zane MacDonald, Jack Moresi, Carter Reid and Cooper Richardson added a goal each.
Harper Kneebone kicked two goals for Castlemaine as Oscar Giddings and Max Matheson were on target.
Sandhurst’s best were Tommy Byrne, Drew Warren, Miller Nihill, Thomas Smith, Luke Cameron and Duncan Strachan.
Oscar Giddings, Angus Fitzgerald, Josh Tull, Harper Kneebone, Flynn Culph and Zach Thompson played well for the Harrison Sheahan and Tyson Hickey-coached Magpies.
Schedule for Saturday’s preliminary finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval in View Street, Bendigo:
Sportspower under-18s at 10.45am: South Bendigo v Sandhurst.
Drummond Golf reserves at 12.45pm: South Bendigo v Eaglehawk.
Bendigo Bank seniors at 2.50pm: Eaglehawk v Gisborne.
In the netball…….SANDHURST ended South Bendigo’s run at the A-grade netball premiership in Sunday’s first semi-final on day four of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL finals series.
The Tamara Gilchrist-coached Sandhurst again proved too strong for the Bloods at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
On day one of the finals, Sandhurst was beaten by Gisborne in the qualifying final by three goals.
The Lauren Bowles-coached South Bendigo had eliminated Eaglehawk by scoring a 67-54 victory on day two of the finals campaign.
In the first semi-final it was Sandhurst which controlled a lot of the play.
An experienced team in the maroon and blue passed the 70-goal mark to record a 72-56 victory.
Sandhurst went in as favourite as it had beaten the Bloods by 13 and 11 goals in the home-and-away series.
Reigning premier Kangaroo Flat was first to qualify for the September 19 grand final as it scored a 14-goal win against Gisborne in last Saturday’s second semi-final.
The Jayden Cowling-coached Kangaroos had won both matches against Gisborne in the home-and-away series by three and 10 goals.
Kangaroo Flat took a 32 game winning streak into the second semi-final.
A highlight of the Kangaroos’ play was its defence which limited the Tarryn Rymer-coached Gisborne to a tally of 37 goals.
At the other end of the court the Roos poured in 51 goals.
The first semi-finals featured South Bendigo in all six matches.
The Bloods finished Sunday’s play on a three-three record.
South Bendigo surged to a 59-41 win against Sandhurst in A-reserve.
The Lauren Bowles and Amanda Walters-coached South Bendigo had beaten the Dragons by 24 goals in round six, and by 16 goals in the 15th round on the QEO court.
Tamara Gilchrist and Gabriella Greene teamed up to coach Sandhurst.
A closely-fought B-grade match went Kangaroo Flat’s way, 29-26 against the Bloods.
The Kangaroo Flat team is coached by Chelsea Sartori, a gun centre for the club’s A-grade team and dual winner of the Betty Thompson Medal as league fairest and best.
South Bendigo was coached by Marita Eddy and Shannyn Keely.
South Bendigo scored a 45-33 victory in the B-reserve clash with Strathfieldsaye Storm.
The Sarah Dennis and Katie Richmond-coached Bloods had won Storm’s court at Triple M Park in round one by 14 goals.
When they met in round 10 it was a 45-all draw at South Bendigo’s home in Kennington’s Harry Trott Oval.
Storm was coached by Jo Artavilla and Carlie Brennan.
It was thrilling finish to the 17-and-under match between Golden Square and South Bendigo.
A 41-40 result meant the Jody Richards-coached Golden Square stayed in the premiership race.
The Bulldogs had beaten the Bloods by 16 goals at Gourmet Pantry Oval in Wade Street in the seventh round.
South Bendigo bounced back to beat the blue and gold, 43-40 at Harry Trott Oval in the return clash.
Lauren Bowles and gun goalshooter Gabe Richards joined forces to coach South Bendigo’s 17-and-under squad.
South Bendigo began a big day by winning the 15-and-under match against Eaglehawk by 12 goals.
The young Bloods who are coached by Rox Hayes led 37-25 at the final siren.
In the run to the finals, South Bendigo won the Anzac Day match against the Hawks by six goals.
A great match in the 13th round at C and M Oval in Canterbury Park ended in a 31-30 win for the Bloods against an Eaglehawk team coached by Abbey McLean and Gracie Berryman.
Four clubs had success in the second semi-finals played on Saturday.
Kangaroo Flat netted a 45-40 victory against Gisborne in the A-reserve match.
The Kangaroos are coached by Ashley Ryan, the Betty Thompson medallist in ???, and Jayden Cowling.
Kangaroo Flat’s run in home-and-away series was 12 wins, one loss, one draw.
The Roos had not been beaten since a 56-51 result on Gisborne’s court at Melbourne North Truck Centre Oval at Gardiner Reserve in round one.
Gisborne is coached by Kayleen Elliott.
A 44-35 win by Gisborne against Strathfieldsaye put the red, white and blue into the B-grade grand final.
The Rylee Connell-coached Gisborne went in as favourite following a 56-33 win at home against Storm in round three, and 39-33 victory in Storm territory in the 12th round.
The Jo Artavilla and Carlie Brennan will now prepare to play Kangaroo Flat in the preliminary final.
Gisborne scored a 46-34 win against Kangaroo Flat in B-reserve.
The team in red, white and blue is coached by Shelley Farrugia.
In round one it was the Kangaroos who bound their way to a 42-35 victory on Gisborne’s court.
The Bulldogs bounced back for a 52-50 victory against a Kangaroo Flat team coached by league legend Nina Cass and Bonnie Roberts in the 10th round at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Dower Park.
A top match between Strathfieldsaye and Sandhurst in the 17-and-under competition went Storm’s way, 34-30.
The Fiona Schubert and Julie Fennell-coached Storm played well as Sandhurst had won the home-and-away matches by 12 and nine goals.
Sandhurst s coached by Carol Cathcart and Rose Gallagher.
It was a 39-25 win for Sandhurst against Golden Square in the 15-and-under match.
The Sandhurst team which is coached by Reese Gilchrist won the round four match with the Bulldogs at the QEO by by 22 goals.
When they met in round 13 the Dragons charged to a 64-43 win on Golden Square’s court in Wade Street.
A Golden Square team coached by Clare Hope and Sharni McPherson will meet South Bendigo in the clash to decide who goes into the grand final.
There will be six clubs represented across the preliminary finals to be played next Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Schedule for Saturday’s preliminary finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval in View Street, Bendigo:
15-and-under at 8.40am: Golden Square v South Bendigo.
17-and-under at 10am: Sandhurst v Golden Square.
B reserve at 11.20am: Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo.
B-grade at 12.40pm: Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat.
A-reserve at 2pm: Gisborne v South Bendigo.
A-grade at 3.30pm: Gisborne v Sandhurst.