IT WAS an emotional roller-coaster for coaches, players and spectators across the Bendigo Junior Football League’s preliminary finals weekend.
Five matches were decided by 10 points or less.
It was a one-point thriller in the under-12D match between Kangaroo Flat and Maiden Gully YCW Eagles played on Sunday at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
The Kangaroos led 12-9 at half-time and it was 12-all going into the final term.
As the Roos scored 2.1 the Eagles added two goals.
At the final siren Kangaroo Flat led 25-24.
Roman Grinter capped a great match for Kangaroo Flat by kicking three goals as Roary Pearson added the other.
Goalkickers for St Monica’s were Memphis Harrison and Wyatt Membery.
Kangaroo Flat’s best were Eli Vance, Lucas Bish, Roman Grinter, Seb Hetherton, Henry John French and Roary Pearson.
St Monica’s best were Sullivan Bracey, Wyatt Membery, Ed Duggan, Tennyson Barnett, Will Isaacs and Lawson Burke.
First of the preliminary finals was Friday night’s under-12 Girls match between St Francis Green and Golden Square at Scott Street in White Hills.
The St Francis team led 13-6 at quarter-time and 13-7 by half-time.
Heat was on as Golden Square hit back to win the third quarter, 6-1.
Both teams kicked a goal in the last as St Francis Green held on for a 21-19 victory.
Molly Cail led the St Francis attack on two goals as Layla Hand booted the other.
Molly Dang kicked a match-high three goals for Golden Square.
Best for St Francis Green were Ivy Pinner, Layla Hand, Isabel Baker, Albie Tyler, Eden Rogers and Pippa Fishley.
Golden Square’s best were Makayla Soko, Matilda Sobey, Annemarie Smith, Stella Tully, Abigail Potter and Molly Dang.
Golden Square won its way to the under-16 seniors grand final after a 44-42 result against Strathfieldsaye at Canterbury Park.
The Bulldogs led 29-22 at half-time and 37-35 by the last change.
Both teams scored 1.1 in a dramatic final quarter.
The Bulldogs’ attack was led by Will Hargreaves and Jake Rosa on two goals as Jack Allen and Wally Minne added one each.
Storm’s goalkickers were Charlie Elliott on three, along with Ben Jorgensen, Keelan McInerney and Lucas Sharam.
Best for Golden Square were Xavier Stone, Will Donnelly, Tyler Wescott, Seth Ahearn, Jake Rosa and Francis Walls.
Strathfieldsaye’s best were Charlie Elliott, Aydan Hand, Angus White, Sam O’Bree, Bentley Geary and Nicholas Loorham.
It was a five-point margin at the end of the under-14 seniors clash between South Bendigo and Sandhurst at Canterbury Park.
The Sandhurst line-up led 22-16 at half-time, but the Bloods fought back to win the third quarter, 11-6.
As the Bloods added 1.2 in the last they kept the Dragons to just two behinds.
As the siren sounded South Bendigo was up 35-30.
Goalkickers for the Bloods were Rocky Bergin, Callan McCarthy, Hser Yu Say Wah and Kyah Weeks.
The Dragons’ goalkickers were Xavier Mulqueen, Zion Uerata, Knox Westley and Elijah Willits.
South Bendigo’s best were Callan McCarthy, Wesley Scholtes, Archie Coburn, Callum Fyffe, Tyson Floreani and Taite Doyle.
Best for Sandhurst were Liam Hubble, Ted Cowan, Knox Westley, Quinn Casey, James Clark and Cathal Whelan.
Strathfieldsaye fought on for a 25-15 win against Rochester in the under-15 Girls, reserves match at White Hills.
Storm surged to a 12-nil lead by quarter-time, but Rochester hit back to win the second term, 8-1.
As Strathfieldsaye added two goals in the third it kept the Tigers scoreless.
Rochester scored 1.1 in the last, but it was Strathfieldsaye which held a 10-point lead at the siren.
Scarlett Woodmore kicked two goals for Strathfieldsaye as Eva Bath and Greta Pollock were also on target.
Goalkickers for the Tigers were Mila Cottam and Maya Riordan.
Strathfieldsaye Storm’s best were Cammie Fitzgerald, Ayla Lowndes, Scarlett Woodmore, Colbie O’Bree, Greta and Lucy Pollock.
Alida Beer, Aaliyah Pump, Mila Cottam, Macey Ryan, Ella Treacy and Evie Riordan played well for the yellow and black.
In the under-12A clash, Golden Square marked a nine-goal win against South Bendigo at Canterbury Park.
The Bulldogs raced to a 27-6 lead by quarter-time and then won the second half, 39-6.
Jacob McKenzie kicked two goals as Caleb Heath, Archer Keighran, Henry Morton, Patrick Roberts, Cooper Smith, Isaac Taylor and Ryder Whittle all goaled in the 66-12 victory.
The Bloods’ attack was led by Mitchell Manley on two goals.
Best for Golden Square were Cooper Smith, Logan Shatwell, Jack Everett, Isaac Taylor, Jacob McKenzie and Henry Morton.
The Bloods’ best were Max Harper, Mitch Manley, Percy Waterman and Zane Cini.
The Huntly Hawks kicked on for a 49-27 win against Heathcote in the under-12B match in White Hills.
The Hawks were down 7-21 at half-time.
Huntly dominated most of the second half as it scored seven straight goals and kept the Saints to a goal.
Rex Edwards kicked three goals for Huntly as Kyan Manson slotted two and Mitch Fahy and Flynn O’Connell added one each.
Heathcote’s attack was led by Jack Brooke on two as Hunter Harvey and Josh Vanzin added one each.
Best for Huntly were Mitch Fahy, Jed Hargadon, Rex Edwards, Austin Mountjoy, Saxon Augustynowicz, and Kyan Manson.
Heathcote’s best were Harry Dellar, Cailen Ruck, Noah Burton, Noah and Taj Barrett, and Jack Brooke.
St Kilian’s-St Peter’s won the under-12C match with South Bendigo by 37 points.
The SKSP team raced to a 23-9 lead by half-time and then won the next two quarters, 13-1 and 13-2.
By the final siren St Kilian’s-St Peter’s led 49-12.
Ethan Schoder led the St Kilian’s-St Peter’s attack on four goals as Hunter Horby kicked two and Angus Mitchell the other.
Max McClure was on target for South Bendigo.
Best for St Kilian’s-St Peter’s were Angus Mitchell, Oliver Robinson, Ethan Schoder, George Basha and George Kornmann.
Navarre Blake, Noah John, Jaxson Brown, Kale King, Ed White and Felix Pollock played well for the young Bloods.
Rochester marked a 56-30 win against White Hills Black in the under-14 reserves, division one match played in the Demons’ den in White Hills.
The Tigers led 24-14 at half-time.
White Hills fought back to add 1.3 in the third as it kept Rochester scoreless.
The Tigers broke clear in the final quarter to score five goals.
At the final siren Rochester led 56-30.
Judd Cuttriss, Makore Dickinson and George Mcfadzean kicked two goals for Rochester as Hugh Acocks and Mason Mundie added one.
The Demons’ attack was led by Darcy Mullen on two as Tasman Bell and Joseph Conlan were also on target.
Rochester’s best were Asher and Harry Rasmussen, Hugh Acocks, Mason Mundie, Judd Cuttriss and Makore Dickinson.
Lon Schelfhout, Roman Middleton, Preston Anfuso, Cooper Boyd, Jensen Sawyer and Jack Yates played well for the red and black.
Kangaroo Flat took on North Bendigo in the under-14 reserves, division two match in White Hills.
The Roos skipped away to a 27-7 lead by quarter-time and was up 27-14 at the long break.
North Bendigo fought back to win the third term, 13-8.
As the Roos added 1.2 in the last they kept the Dogs scoreless.
A 43-27 victory put Kangaroo Flat into the grand final.
Nate Hargreaves and Ben Wilson kicked two goals for the Roos as Chase Brown and Levi Cole booted one.
Sam Tavage Dee kicked a match-high three goals for the Bulldogs as Baiiden Benbow booted one.
Best for the Kangaroos were Cian Colbert, Darby Lamb, Korbin Hull, Spencer Salathiel, Dustan Hetherton and Jett Lower.
Jaxon Kerr, Ashton Joyce, Liam Kerr, Sam Tavage Dee, Rhiley Carter and Jordan Rainsbury played well for the red, white and blue.
Sandhurst B scored a 13-point win against Marong in the under-15 Girls, seniors match in Toolleen.
The Marong line-up led 7-6 at quarter-time, but it was Sandhurst which was in front, 20-13 by the long break.
Scores were locked on 20-all at the start of the final quarter.
As the Dragons added 2.1 they kept Marong scoreless to complete a 33-20 victory.
Stella Rooke slotted two goals for Sandhurst as Mila Chapman, Matilda Compston and Sienna Raco added one each.
Goalkickers for the Marong Panthers were Allie Grant, Tianna Shay and Frankie Stevens.
Sandhurst’s best were Ahlyssa Moefaauo, Sienna Raco, Elle Gilchrist, Stella and Eden Rooke, and Alana Borchard.
Emma O’Toole, Phoebe England, Molly Austin, Alyssa Wardell, El Taylor and Sophie Bourke were best for the Panthers.
The Maiden Gully YCW Eagles flew into the under-16 reserves, division one grand final as it won the clash with Strathfieldsaye in Toolleen by 13 points.
The Eagles led 15-8 at quarter-time before teams scored 1.1 in the second term.
Maiden Gully YCW was up 36-27 at three quarter-time and then kicked on to a 50-37 victory.
Joel Wittingslow kicked three goals for the Eagles as Josh Bellenger, Cruz Dowler, Rhiley Grinham-Reid and Slater Piazza added one each.
Storm’s goalkickers were Kobi Read on two, along with Ned Browell, Kaleb Hodgskiss and Alistair Hughes.
Best for the Eagles were Drew Warren, Jack Moresi, Leo Wilson, Slater Piazza, Tyson Attard and Lucas Hoctor.
Storm’s best were Van Bortlotto, Sam Whitford, Eli Fennell, Dominic Gormly, Oden Dean and Nicholas Hietbrink.
Golden Square scored a big win against Leitchville Gunbower in the under-16 reserves, division two match in Toolleen.
The Bulldogs raced to a 36-1 lead by quarter-time and was up 50-1 by half-time.
The blue and gold then scored five goals in the third.
The Leitchville Gunbower Bombers goaled through Nate Fountain and Jasper Hare in the last as Golden Square kicked on to a 97-16 victory.
The Bulldogs’ attack was led by Jack Frankel on six goals as Cliff Fitzgerald booted three and Kirk Garley kicked two.
Romulus Milsom, Will Stedman and Tyler Worbs were also on target for the blue and gold.
Best for Golden Square were Ethan Tonna-Dorling, Kirk Garley, Cliff Fitzgerald, Jack Norris, Jack Frankel and Tynan Thomas.
Jax Hare, Bailey James Roderick McInnes, Jasper Hare and Thomas Gretgrix played well for the Bombers.
Bendigo Junior Football League preliminary final scoreboard:
Under-12 Girls
St Francis Green 3.3 (21) d Golden Square 3.1 (19).
Under-12A
Golden Square 9.12 (66) d South Bendigo 2.0 (12).
Under-12B
Huntly 8.1 (49) d Heathcote 4.3 (27).
Under-12C
St Kilian’s-St Peter’s 7.7 (49) d South Bendigo 1.6 (12).
Under-12D
Kangaroo Flat 4.1 (25) d Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 3.6 (24).
Under-14 seniors
South Bendigo 4.11 (35) d Sandhurst 4.6 (30).
Under-14 reserves, division one
Rochester 8.8 (56) d White Hills Black 4.6 (30).
Under-14 reserves, division two
Kangaroo Flat 6.7 (43) d North Bendigo 4.3 (27).
Under-15 Girls, seniors
Sandhurst B 5.3 (33) d Marong 3.2 (20).
Under-15 Girls, reserves
Strathfieldsaye 4.1 (25) d Rochester 2.3 (15).
Under-16 seniors
Golden Square 6.8 (44) d Strathfieldsaye 6.6 (42).
Under-16 reserves, division one
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 7.8 (50) d Strathfieldsaye 5.7 (37).
Under-16 reserves, division two
Golden Square 14.13 (97) d Leitchville Gunbower 2.4 (16).
Schedule for this weekend’s grand finals:
Friday
Under-12 Girls
St Therese’s v St Francis Green, 5.15pm at Harry Trott Oval, Neale Street, Kennington.
Saturday
Under-16 seniors
Sandhurst v Golden Square, 8.45am at Queen Elizabeth Oval, View Street, Bendigo.
Under-12D
St Monica’s v Kangaroo Flat, 10am at Harry Trott Oval, Kennington
Under-12C
White Hills Black v St Kilian’s-St Peter’s, 11.20am at Harry Trott Oval, Kennington
Under-12B
Castlemaine v Huntly, 12.40pm at Harry Trott Oval, Kennington.
Under-12A
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles v Golden Square, 2pm at Harry Trott Oval, Kennington.
Sunday
Under-14 seniors
Strathfieldsaye v South Bendigo, 9am at Triple M Park, Strathfieldsaye.
Under-14 reserves, division two
White Hills Red v Kangaroo Flat, 9.30am at Enterprise Oval, Tannery Lane, Strathfieldsaye.
Under-15 Girls, seniors
Sandhurst A v Sandhurst B, 10.45am at Triple M Park, Strathfieldsaye.
Under-14 reserves, division one
Castlemaine v Rochester, 11.15am at Enterprise Oval, Tannery Lane, Strathfieldsaye.
Under-16 reserves, division two
Lockington Bamawm United Cats v Golden Square, 12.05pm at Triple M Park, Strathfieldsaye.
Under-15 Girls, reserves
White Hills v Strathfieldsaye, 1pm at Enterprise Oval, Tannery Lane, Strathfieldsaye.
Under-16 reserves, division one
Huntly v Maiden Gully YCW Eagles, 1.50pm at Triple M Park, Strathfieldsaye.