BY NATHAN DOLE
Bombers tackle Bulldogs at Leitchville
THE clash between Leitchville Gunbower and North Bendigo highlights this Saturday’s 10th round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
The LG Bombers will play at Leitchville for the first time in ’24 as the second half of the home and away series kicks off after a general bye on King’s Birthday holiday weekend.
It’s a crucial match between fourth and second which begins at 2.15pm.
A five-three record has the Shannon Keam-coached Leitchville Gunbower in fourth place and a strong contender for a top three berth and double chance in the finals series.
The Bombers also fought back from a one-two start to the season.
Leitchville Gunbower was humbled in a 54-143 loss to the Rob Bennett-coached North Bendigo at Bendigo Club Oval in Atkins Street in round three.
Latest hit-out for Leitchville Gunbower ended in an 82-32 victory against Mount Pleasant at Gunbower.
Best for the red, yellow and black included Brad Green, Brady Hore and Mitch Candy.
Massive task for the Bombers defence this round against one of the league’s best forward lines.
An LG defence which includes James and Will Brereton, Hoby Bussey and Jye Keath is up against Dylan Klemm, Jordan Ford, Jake Dean and Aarryn Craig.
In midfield the Bombers will look to Austin Windridge, Charles Hancock and Caleb Hislop to win plenty of contests against Nic Waterson, Ryan Hartley and Riley Paetow.
Key targets in LG’s attack include Chris Horman, Fraser Buchanan and Clay McGregor.
They will be opposed by a Bulldogs defence that includes Matt Gray, Hamish McCartney, Ryan Alford and Jordan Quirk.
In the ruck the Bombers have the talented Jobee Warde whose likely opponents are Aidan Brohm and Will Gilmore.
Heathcote is back on home turf at Pigeon Park in Barrack Reserve to take on Colbinabbin.
Fans can expect a much closer margin than the 101 points that Heathcote won by at Colbinabbin’s M. J. Morgan Oval in round three.
The Jed Brain-coached Colbinabbin has improved markedly since then.
The Grasshoppers won the round seven clash with Lockington Bamawm United by 61 points as Charles Ryan, former coach Julian Bull, Jude Ryan and captain Will Lowe led the way.
Massive test for Colbinabbin’s midfield and defence in this Saturday’s contest.
The green and gold are up against Saints’ in-form ruckman James Orr, gun forward Corey Grindlay, Cheatley medallist and on-baller Liam Jacques, Mitch McLean, and Callum and Liam Birch.
Heathcote also regains key defender Bill Direen, the hard-running Rhys Bolton at half-back and the versatile Braden Padmore.
The Saints also have Billy and Codie Price capable of winning plenty of the footy.
Key players for Colbinabbin include Jai Carn and Alex Carr in attack, Logan Fitzgerald at half-forward, Jordan Wilson, Geordie and Hugh McMurtrie.
The Grasshoppers also have the experience of Will Lowe, Alex Van Ruiswyk and Nick Knight.
The ladder-leading Winslow White Hills Demons are home at Winslow Constructors Oval in Scott Street to take on Lockington Bamawm United.
While the Demons are in hot form the same cannot be said for LBU whose three game losing streak included an 83-102 loss at Elmore in the ninth round.
It’s been an extended break for the Jack Fallon and Kaiden Antonowicz-coached Demons who had a bye in round nine.
Key players for White Hills include Alex Davis at centre half-back, ruckman Callum Crisp, Jake Pallpratt and Tom Brereton from the half-back flanks, Liam Bartels and Cohen Kekich in attack.
The red and black alos has Jake Pallpratt at half-back, the height of Jack Lawton, and the creativity of Mitch Dole.
Chances of a massive upset by the Stacy Fiske-coached LBU will rely a lot on the play of ruckman Tyler Phillips, Matt Hore, Thomas Leech, Brodie Collins, Anthony McMahon and captain Joseph Wolfe.
The Cats will need big games from the likes of Elijah Bruns, Lachlan Tenace and Jeremy Mundie to beat the Demons on their ground.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks could soar to the fifth rung or Mount Pleasant strengthen its fifth place when they meet at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
The Hamish Morcom-coached Huntly stunned North Bendigo and Lockington Bamawm United in the nest.
Huntly is on the rebound from a 52-point loss at Heathcote, while Mounts went down at Gunbower by 50 points.
When the Hawks and Blues met in round three at Toolleen it was the Ben Bisset and Jack Hickman-coached Mount Pleasant which won by 104 points.
Huntly will be determined to show it learnt a lot from that defeat.
The Hawks’ squad to face the Blues this time includes Brodie Butt, Ben Daley, Jacob Greenwood, Steve Kairn, Dale Lowry, Harry Whittle and Lachy Wilson.
Abe Sladden, Flynn Campbell, Jackson Fry and Darby Walsh could all play significant roles for the brown and gold.
Last year’s premier, Mount Pleasant still has gun ruckman Chris Down, midfielder Zebb Murrell, Caelan Smith, Bailey and Fletcher White, Daniel and Michael Whiting.
The Blues will be without on-baller/forward Mitch Rovers for this match.
Elmore has the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
White Hills 229 per cent, 28 points; North Bendigo 167, 28; Heathcote 126, 20; Leitchville Gunbower 96, 20; Mount Pleasant 123, 12; Colbinabbin 77, 12; Huntly 64, 12; Lockington Bamawm United 64, 8; Elmore 49, 4.
Leaders in the goalkicking race:
36 Corey Grindlay, Heathcote.
33 Kaiden Antonowicz, White Hills.
31 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
30 James Harney, Elmore.
22 Liam Bartels, White Hills.
22 Alex Carr, Colbinabbin.
20 Ben Bisset, Mount Pleasant.
19 Anthony McMahon, Lockington Bamawm United.
18 Jake Dean, North Bendigo.
17 James Davies, White Hills.
14 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
13 Jordan Ford, North Bendigo.
13 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
13 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.
12 Sam Barnes, North Bendigo.
12 Mitch Rovers, Mount Pleasant.
11 Fraser Buchanan, Leitchville Gunbower.
11 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
10 Liam Birch, Heathcote.
10 Mitch Dole, White Hills.
10 Hakeem Johnson, North Bendigo.
10 Jaxson Nihill, Mount Pleasant.
10 Zak Saad, Heathcote.
10 Cooper Webber-Mirkin, Heathcote.