BY NATHAN DOLE
REIGNING premier Lockington Bamawm United showed it’s far from a spent force as it beat Mount Pleasant in Saturday ninth’s round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
The LBU Cats were on home turf at Lockington as fifth took on second.
It was a brilliant start by the Stacy Fiske-coached LBU as it dominated centre breaks and clearances in the first quarter.
Plenty of play was in LBU’s attack, but shots at goal were astray as the Cats scored 3.9 to 0.2.
In the second it was Mounts which lifted to score 2.5 to three behinds.
Defences dominated most of the third term.
LBU added 1.3, while the Blues scored five behinds.
The Adam Baird and Ben Weightman-coached Blues lifted to win the final term, 21-14, but it was LBU’s players and fans who celebrated a hard-earned 6.17 (53) to 5.15 (45) victory.
Goalkickers for LBU were Joseph Wolfe, two; Baxter Anderson, Brodie Collins, Stacy Fiske and Anthony McMahon.
Mitch Rovers kicked two goals for Mounts as Adam Baird, Tyler McNamara and Ben Weightman added one each.
Best for LBU were Baxter Anderson, Fraser Monahan, Jesse Collins, Thomas Eade, Jeremy Mundie and Charlie Hinks.
Fletcher White, William Wallace, Zebb Murrell, Riley McNamara, Adam Baird and Reardon McIvor were best for the Blues.
North Bendigo had to work incredibly hard to keep its winning run intact when it played at Elmore.
The Bulldogs led 22-12 at quarter-time, but it was the Bloods who improved their goalkicking accuracy in the second to score 2.3 after a return of 1.6 in the first.
Elmore led 27-24 at half-time.
The Rob Bennett-coached Bulldogs fought back to win the crucial third quarter, 23-8.
Led by the play of wingman Nic Waterson, Matt Gray in defence and Riley Paetow from a wing, North Bendigo went on to mark a 79-53 victory.
The in-form Dylan Klemm kicked five goals as Pat Bogers and Nic Waterson added two each.
Nathan Kay kicked two goals for an Elmore team jointly coached by Dylan Friedberger and Mick Woolhouse.
Best for the Bulldogs included Jake Hall, Dylan Klemm and Bailey Wingrave.
Mitch Carson, Nathan Kay, ruckman Daniel Russell, Rhys Holmberg, Jack Trewick and Zac Laffy were the Bloods’ best.
A dominant second quarter set up White Hills win at home at Winslow Constructors Oval against Colbinabbin.
Scores were locked on 28-all at quarter-time before the Demons turned up the heat to score 5.4 to 1.3 in the second.
The Jed Brain-coached Colbinabbin fought well to win the third, 20-19, but it was White Hills which added 4.7 to 2.1 in the last for a 112-70 victory.
The Demons’ attack was led by Bayden Fallon, five goals; Kaiden Antonowicz and Liam Bartels, four.
Multiple goalkickers for the Grasshoppers were Jai Carn, Jimmy McMurtrie and Luke Moore on two.
Best for a Demons team jointly coached by Jack Fallon and Jake Pallpratt were Nic Warnock, Liam Bartels, Kaiden Antonowicz, Bayden Fallon, Jake Pallpratt and Blake Hogan.
Laine Fitzgerald, David Price, Luke Moore, Will Lowe, Jasper McArdle and Jai Carn played well for Colbinabbin.
An eight-goal blitz in the final term capped off an 80-point win by Heathcote on home turf at Barrack Reserve against Huntly.
The Saints scored 2.6 to 1.2 in the first term.
Heathcote’s accuracy improved markedly in the second as it added 6.2 to a goal.
Quarter three was to be the best by a Huntly team jointly coached by Harry Whittle and Jayden Cordy as the Hawks scored 4.1 to 4.3.
In the last it was the Andrew Saladino-coached Saints who dominated.
At the final siren Heathcote led 133 to 53.
Braden Padmore led the Saints’ attack on five goals as Liam Birch, Victor Butler and Corey Grindlay added three each.
Goalkickers for Huntly were not supplied.
Heathcote on-ballers Liam Jacques and Braden Padmore continued their great form to be best, along with Lachlan Inness, Liam Birch, Billy Price and Thomas Pain.
Harry McCormick, Tori Ferguson, Mitch Billings, Lachy Wilson, Harry Whittle and Kyle Forster were best for the brown and gold.
Leitchville Gunbower had the bye.
Heathcote DFNL senior footy ladder:
North Bendigo 145 per cent, 32 points; Heathcote 151, 24; White Hills 141, 24; Mount Pleasant 174, 20; Lockington Bamawm United 116, 16; Leitchville Gunbower 71, 12; Colbinabbin 79, 8; Elmore 66, 8; Huntly 36, 0.
The second half of the home-and-away series kicks off next Saturday.
Match of the day will be at Toolleen where Mount Pleasant takes on North Bendigo.
White Hills is on home turf at Winslow Constructors Oval in Scott Street to play Leitchville Gunbower.
Elmore takes on Huntly at Elmore Recreation Reserve.
Heathcote and Colbinabbin clash in the Saints’ home at Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve.
Lockington Bamawm United has the bye.
Leading goalkickers:
44 Corey Grindlay, Heathcote.
38 Ben Weightman, Mount Pleasant.
33 Kaiden Antonowicz, White Hills.
26 Jordan Ford, North Bendigo.
24 Dylan Klemm, North Bendigo.
22 Chris Horman, Leitchville Gunbower.
22 Mitch Rovers, Mount Pleasant.
20 Lachy Wilson, Huntly.
18 Anthony McMahon, Lockington Bamawm United.
15 Thomas Leech, Lockington Bamawm United.
12 Liam Bartels, White Hills.
12 Aarryn Craig, North Bendigo.
12 Laine Fitzgerald, Colbinabbin.
12 Hakeem Johnson, North Bendigo.
12 Darcy Laffy, Elmore.
12 Braden Padmore, Heathcote.
12 Cody Riddick, North Bendigo.
11 Liam Birch, Heathcote.
11 Jai Carn, Colbinabbin.
11 Tyler Phillips, Lockington Bamawm United.
10 Bayden Fallon, White Hills.
10 Liam Jacques, Heathcote.
10 Cohen Kekich, White Hills.
10 Riley McIvor, Lockington Bamawm United.
10 Riley McNamara, Mount Pleasant.
10 Nic Warnock, White Hills.