BY NATHAN DOLE
Bulldogs bounce back to beat Mount Pleasant
NORTH Bendigo bounced back on to the winners’ list in Saturday’s hard-fought round seven clash with Mount Pleasant in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
The Bulldogs were back at Bendigo Club Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street to take on the Blues.
Because senior coach Rob Bennett was away, assistant coach Daniel Francis stepped up to coach North Bendigo.
As it has done in most matches this season, North Bendigo won the first quarter, 17-2.
In the second it was Mount Pleasant which had a lot of the play and scored 6.3 to 4.2.
By half-time the Dogs were up 43-41.
Inspired by the play of Jordan Quirk in defence, youngster Will Gilmore, and midfielder Nic Waterson, North Bendigo surged clear in the vital third quarter.
The Dogs added 5.2 to 1.1.
In the last it was the Cameron Carter-coached Mount Pleasant which did plenty of attacking.
Mounts scored 2.4 as the Dogs added a point.
A top contest went North Bendigo’s way, 76-64.
Jordan Ford, Hakeem Johnson and Dylan Klemm led the Bulldogs’ attack on two goals each.
The pacy and skilful Mitch Rovers kicked a match-high four goals for the Blues as Ben Bisset and Jaxson Nihill added two.
Best for North Bendigo included key defender Hamish McCartney, Ryan Hartley and Tyson Findlay.
Mount Pleasant’s best were Jack Hickman, Daniel Whiting, ruckman Chris Down, Caelan Smith, Daniel Frame and Mitch Rovers.
A week after it beat North Bendigo the Harlowe Huntly Hawks were almost upset by Elmore.
It was a brilliant match between the Bloods and Hawks at Elmore Recreation Reserve.
Huntly led 28-13 at quarter-time, but the Bloods fired up to score 4.2 to 2.1 in the second.
A two-point buffer for the Hamish Morcom-coached Huntly at half-time became five points going into the last quarter.
In a dramatic finish the Mick Woolhouse-coached Elmore scored 3.4.
Huntly’s tally of three straight goals was enough to clinch a 77-76 victory.
The Hawks’ attack was led by Flynn Campbell and Jacob Greenwood on two goals apiece.
Bloods’ vice-captain James Harney kicked a match-high three goals as Jake Dick-O’Flaherty and Luke Price added two.
Best for Huntly were Ben Daley, Harry Whittle, Harrison Campbell, Darby Walsh, Brodie Fry and Hamish Morcom.
Bloods’ co-captain Rhys Holmberg was best along with Nathan Kay, co-captain and ruckman Daniel Russell, Kynan Sharpe, Jake Dick-O’Flaherty and Jarrad Kyne.
The Winslow White Hills Demons were in hot form against Leitchville Gunbower at Gunbower.
Demons’ co-coaches Jack Fallon and Kaiden Antonowicz would have been rapt with limiting the Bombers to a tally of two goals in a 55-point victory.
White Hills led 21-1 by quarter-time.
The second was the most evenly fought as the Demons added 3.1 and the Bombers scored 1.4.
White Hills led 53-18 going into the final quarter and then scored 4.1 as LG added five behinds.
At the final siren the red and black led 78-23 against the Shannon Keam-coached Bombers.
Leading goalkickers for the Demons were Kaiden Antonowicz, three; Liam Bartels, James Davies, Mitch Dole and Jake Miller on two.
Joel Donehue and Max Hagan were on target for Leitchville Gunbower.
Best for White Hills were Thomas Brereton, Kaiden Antonowicz, Alex Davis, Mitch Dole, Cameron Taggert and James Davies.
Jye Keath, Will Brereton, Austin Windridge, Brad Green, Caleb Hislop and Xavier Colvin played well for the Bombers.
Colbinabbin marked a 10-goal win against Lockington Bamawm United at Colbinabbin’s M.J. Morgan Oval.
The Jed Brain-coached Colbinabbin led 20-13 at quarter-time.
LBU fought back to win the second term, 22-19.
In the second half it was the Grasshoppers whose run, pressure and marking power in attack overwhelmed the Cats.
Colbinabbin slammed on 7.6 to 1.2 in the third quarter, and 5.2 to 2.3 in the last.
Alex Carr kicked four goals and Jordan Wilson added three as Colbinabbin enjoyed a 119-58 victory.
Other multiple goalkickers for the green and gold were Nick Knight, captain Will Lowe and Angus Martin on two.
The Cats’ attack was led by Taylor Butler and Anthony McMahon, two each.
Best for Colbinabbin were Charles Ryan, Julian Bull, Jude Ryan, Will Lowe, Geordie McMurtrie and Nick Knight.
Was a bitterly disappointing result for the Stacy Fiske-coached LBU which beat Mount Pleasant by six goals in round five and then had the bye.
Best for the Cats at Colbinabbin were Thomas Leech, Taylor Butler, Bowden Stone, Kyle Baker, Elijah Bruns and Bailey Coutts.
Heathcote had the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
White Hills 216 per cent, 24 points; North Bendigo 157, 20; Heathcote 149, 16; Colbinabbin 83, 12; Leitchville Gunbower 74, 12; Huntly 71, 12; Mount Pleasant 115, 8; Lockington Bamawm United 65, 8; Elmore 46, 0.
In next Saturday’s round eight action, Winslow White Hills Demons are home at Winslow Constructors Oval in Scott Street to take on Heathcote.
Lockington Bamawm United meets North Bendigo in the clash of the Cats and Bulldogs at Lockington’s Nichol Trading Oval.
Mount Pleasant tackles Elmore at Toolleen.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks are home at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve to play Leitchville Gunbower.
Colbinabbin has the bye.
Leading goalkickers:
28 Corey Grindlay, Heathcote.
27 Kaiden Antonowicz, White Hills.
19 Liam Bartels, White Hills.
19 Alex Carr, Colbinabbin.
19 James Harney, Elmore.
19 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
17 Ben Bisset, Mount Pleasant.
17 James Davies, White Hills.
16 Anthony McMahon, Lockington Bamawm United.
13 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
12 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.
10 Jake Dean, North Bendigo.
10 Jordan Ford, North Bendigo.
10 Hakeem Johnson, North Bendigo.
10 Zak Saad, Heathcote.
9 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
9 Cooper Webber-Mirkin, Heathcote.
8 Liam Birch, Heathcote.
8 Clint Shields, Colbinabbin.
7 Sam Barnes, North Bendigo.
7 Fraser Buchanan, Leitchville Gunbower.
9 Mitch Dole, White Hills.
8 Hamish Morcom, Huntly.
8 Mitch Rovers, Mount Pleasant.
7 Christian Hatzis, Mount Pleasant.
7 Nathan Kay, Elmore.
7 Jake Miller, White Hills.