BY NATHAN DOLE
NORTH Bendigo overcame a red-hot start by White Hills to win the senior footy clash in Saturday’s 16th round of the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
On the rebound from defeat at Gunbower the previous round, North Bendigo was under early fire from the Demons at Hibo Hotel Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street.
The Demons scored 7.3 to 3.1 in a brilliant opening term of the match between second and third in the premiership race.
North Bendigo hit back to win the second term, 38-8.
A four-point buffer for the Bulldogs at the start of the second half was eight at a quarter to go after they scored 2.4 to 1.6 in the third term.
Bulldogs’ defenders Shane Harris and Matt Gray were outstanding across the last three quarters of the contest as the Demons were held to a tally of 3.9.
The Rob Bennett-coached North Bendigo scored 11.8 in the final three terms to clinch a 93-72 victory.
The Bulldogs’ attack was led by Dylan Klemm and Cody Riddick on three goals as Jordan Ford and Lachlan Furness chipped in with two.
Kaiden Antonowicz booted three goals for the Demons as Cohen Kekich added two.
Bulldogs’ ruckman Jeremy Lambden marked his best match of the season to be best afield as Harris, Nic Waterson, Gray, Klemm and Riddick also starred for the red, white and blue.
Ben Taylor, Nic Warnock, Cohen Kekich, Patrick Crawford, Liam Bartels and Jake Allport were best for the Jack Fallon and Jake Pallpratt-coached Demons.
Heathcote’s ability to lift in the final term was to the fore in the clash with Lockington Bamawm United at Lockington’s Nichol Trading Oval.
It was always going to be a huge test for the ladder-leading Saints as LBU fought to hold its place in the top five.
The Stacy Fiske-coached LBU led 15-10 at quarter-time before the Saints controlled most of the second term to score 5.1 to 2.2.
With so much at stake the Cats responded to cut a two-goal deficit at half-time into just two points at a quarter to go.
Just as it had done when challenged the previous round by Mount Pleasant, Heathcote lifted its intensity in the final 30 minutes.
The Saints scored 4.4 to just three behinds in the last quarter to complete a 79-52 victory.
Corey Grindlay led the Saints’ attack on three goals as Braden Padmore added two on a list of eight to nail a major.
LBU’s leading goalkickers were Anthony McMahon, three; and Brock Kennedy, two.
Best for the Andrew Saladino-coached Heathcote were Braden Padmore, Liam Jacques, Connor Hamilton, Codie and Billy Price, and Joseph Beedle.
Brock Kennedy, Ben Holman, Mitch Jones, Brodie Collins, Charlie Hinks and Thomas Eade played well for the Cats.
Seven goals by co-coach Ben Weightman was a highlight of Mount Pleasant’s victory against Elmore at Toolleen.
After a hat-trick of defeats, Mounts was back on the winners’ list.
The Blues slammed on 8.5 to 1.1 in the first quarter.
In the second the Mick Woolhouse-coached Elmore played one of its best quarters of the season to score five goals as Mounts added 3.3.
After half-time a Blues’ line-up which had Weightman and co-coach Adam Baird to the fore scored 7.6 in the third and 8.2 in the last.
At the final siren, Mount Pleasant led 26.16 (172) to 11.2 (68).
Weightman capped off many attacking moves for the Blues, while Adam Baird and Jack McKenzie chipped in with three each.
Other multiple goalkickers for Mounts were Jack Craig, Riley McNamara, Mitch Rovers and Caelan Smith on two.
Nathan Kay starred in Elmore’s attack to kick five goals as Sam Lees added two.
Best for the Blues were William Wallace, Adam Baird, Fletcher White, Jack Mackenzie, Ben Weightman and Tyler McNamara.
Ruckman Daniel Russell, Nathan Kay, Rhys Holmberg, Nic Kellow, Sam Lees and Zac Laffy worked hard for the Bloods.
A 25-point victory at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve meant Leitchville Gunbower climbed to the fifth rung at LBU’s expense.
The Shannon Keam-coached Leitchville Gunbower gained a 20-point lead by half-time after scoring 8.3 to 5.1 in the first hour of the clash with the Harlowe Huntly Hawks.
The Bombers then blitzed in the third.
A tally of 7.2 to 3.0 gave LG a 46-point lead going into the final term.
Huntly hit back to win the last, 29-8, but it was the Bombers who marked a 103-78 victory.
The in-form Chris Horman kicked five goals for Leitchville Gunbower as Hoby Bussey and Billy Hawken booted three and Tom Brereton two.
Lachy Wilson kicked a match-high six goals for the Hawks as Koby Gibson and Abe Sladden chipped in with two each.
Best for the Bombers were James Brereton, Jobee Warde, Zac Hislop, Clay McGregor, Josh Hawken and Tom Brereton.
Steve Kairn, Kyle Forster, co-coach Harry Whittle, Lachy Wilson, Mitch Billings and Josh Trotter were best for a Huntly team jointly coached by Jayden Cordy.
Colbinabbin had the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
Heathcote 146 per cent, 48 points; North Bendigo 134, 44; White Hills 139, 40; Mount Pleasant 156, 36; Leitchville Gunbower 92, 32; Lockington Bamawm United 103, 28; Colbinabbin 84, 14; Elmore 61, 10; Huntly 44, 4.
Top teams Heathcote and North Bendigo meet in next Saturday’s round 17 action at Pigeon Park in Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve at 2.30pm.
Elmore is at home to face Lockington Bamawm United.
White Hills plays Huntly at Winslow Constructors Oval in Scott Street.
Leitchville Gunbower tackles Colbinabbin at Gunbower.
Mount Pleasant has the bye.
Leaders in the goalkicking race:
66 Ben Weightman, Mount Pleasant.
56 Kaiden Antonowicz, White Hills.
52 Corey Grindlay, Heathcote.
46 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.
45 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
40 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
33 Mitch Rovers, Mount Pleasant.
32 Antony McMahon, Lockington Bamawm United.
30 Jordan Ford, North Bendigo.
28 Liam Bartels, White Hills.
26 Braden Padmore, Heathcote.
23 Billy Hawken, Leitchville Gunbower.
23 Cody Riddick, North Bendigo.
20 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
19 Laine Fitzgerald, Colbinabbin.
19 Lachlan Sverns, Leitchville Gunbower.
18 Adam Baird, Mount Pleasant.
18 Darcy Laffy, Elmore.
17 Jed Brain, Colbinabbin.
17 Victor Butler, Heathcote.
17 Brodie Collins, Lockington Bamawm United.
17 Aarryn Craig, North Bendigo.
16 Liam Birch, Heathcote.
16 Jai Carn, Colbinabbin.
16 James Davies, White Hills.
16 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
16 Tyler Phillips, Lockington Bamawm United.
15 Abe Sladden, Huntly.
14 Hakeem Johnson, North Bendigo.
14 Nathan Kay, Elmore.
14 Riley McIvor, Lockington Bamawm United.
14 Riley McNamara, Mount Pleasant.
14 Jacob Styles, Elmore.
13 Mitch Bennett, Mount Pleasant.
13 Clint Shields, Colbinabbin.
12 Liam Jacques, Heathcote.
11 Nic Warnock, White Hills.