KANGAROO Flat’s players, officials and supporters celebrated a long-awaited victory in Saturday’s completion to the split fourth round in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy season.
It was the clash of two mobs as Kangaroo Flat took on Broadford in the marquee match for Pat Cronin Foundation Round at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park.
Kangaroo Flat was determined to mark its first since since late June in 2024 against Maryborough.
The Tyrone Downie-coached Kangaroo Flat went in as favourite as Broadford played its third match in the Bendigo FNL.
Kangaroo Flat led by 38 points at quarter-time and ws up by 50 and 62 at the next two breaks.
A six-goal final quarter capped a 151-58 victory.
Nick Keogh led the attack on five goals as Jarrell Ratcliffe kicked three and Mitch Collins and Max Johnson added two each.
Nine team-mates also featured on Kangaroo Flat’s goalkicking list.
Broadford’s leading goalkickers were Isaac Smithwick on three and Jaiden Magor with two.
A strong game in defence earnt Tyran Farmer the Pat Cronin Medal as Kangaroo Flat’s best.
Jay Newman, Nick Keogh, Aaron Nevins, Mitch Rovers and Angus Macpherson also played well for Kangaroo Flat.
Jaiden Magor earnt the Pat Cronin Medal for Broadford as Louis Thompson, Isaac Smithwick, Riley Edwards, Charles Neilson and Brodie Stray also played well for the Nathan Thompson-coached team.
Sandhurst won a hard-fought contest with Golden Square at Queen Elizabeth Oval by 28 points.
The Dragons raced to a 26-9 lead by quarter-time.
Although Golden Square dominated a lot of the play in the second it would rue inaccuracy as the Bulldogs scored 1.7 and kept the Dragons to a tally of four behind.s
Just eight points separated the fierce rivals at the long break.
Sandhurst started the third term with a goal by Matt Wilkinson before Isaac Corvo was on target for the blue and gold.
Another major by the skilful Ollie Eaton put the Bulldogs within two points.
Sandhurst replied through Jaxon Howard but the Dogs kept the heat on with a Tom Strauch major.
When Archie Eaton slotted a goal the Bulldogs were up 47-44.
Sandhurst answered with the last two goals of the quarter off the boot of Nick Stagg and Jack Keating.
Playing into the breeze in the last a Dragons’ line-up jointly coached by Bryce Curnow, non-playing, and Fergus Greene, playing, controlled a lot of the tempo.
Goals by Keating, Greene and Howard and a strong defensive effort to keep the Bulldogs scoreless meant the Dragons ran out 77-49 victors.
Sandhurst’s attack was led by Tom Campbell, Fergus Greene, Jaxon Howard and Jack Keating on two goals each.
Archie Eaton was the Bulldogs’ leading goalkicker on two.
Best for the Dragons were Matt Wilkinson, Jack Keating, Jaxon Howard, Lachlan Wright, Fergus Greene and Lachie Hood.
Co-coach Liam Barrett, co-captain Jayden Burke, Noah Warfe, Harrison Burke, Josh Kelly and Jack Stewart were Golden Square’s best.
The Bulldogs have Brad Eaton as non-playing co-coach.
A seven-goal blitz in the third quarter set up Strathfieldsaye’s win against Castlemaine at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
The Bailey Henderson-coached Castlemaine led 22-12 at quarte-time, but Storm surged back to win the second term, 26-15.
Storm held a one-point lead at the long break and then slammed on seven goals in the vital third term to gain a 40-point buffer.
The Jeff Andrews-coached Storm kicked on for a 105-50 victory in which Pat Blake capitalised on chances with four goals as Tyce Griffin, Tyson McKenzie, Riley Mulquiny and James Schischka added two each.
Castlemaine’s only multiple goalkicker was Hunter Staples on two.
Best for Storm were Cooper Jones, Darcy Mulquiny, Pat Blandford, Pat Blake, Ethan Featherby and George Simpson.
Callum McConachy, key forward Zack Derksen, Zavier Murley, Darby Semmens, Hunter Staples and Rhys Jenkins were best for the Magpies.
Gisborne had the bye.
The split fourth round began with the stand-alone match on Anzac Day between South Bendigo and Eaglehawk.
The Bloods won a great match under the lights at Queen Elizabeth Oval by 17 points.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
South Bendigo 168 per cent, 16 points; Sandhurst 263, 12; Gisborne 170, 8; Strathfieldsaye 109, 8; Eaglehawk 103, 8; Castlemaine 101, 8; Golden Square 120, 4; Kangaroo Flat 68, 4; Broadford 17, 0.
In next Saturday’s fifth round, Eaglehawk will be on home turf at C & M Oval in Canterbury Park to take on Strathfieldsaye Storm from 2.20pm.
Castlemaine tackles Gisborne at The Railway Hotel Oval in Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.
Sandhurst faces Kangaroo Flat at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Golden Square has the bye.
It’s also a rest for Broadford and South Bendigo.
The Kangaroos and Bloods played the stand-alone season launch match on March 28 at Harley Hammond Reserve where South Bendigo marked a 218-13 victory.
Leaders in the goalkicking race for the Ron Best Medal:
15 Brock Harvey, SB.
11 Kaiden Antonowicz, SB; Nick Keogh, KF; Pat McKenna, Gis.; Alex Smith, SB.
10 Michael Hartley, Cm; Harry Luxmoore, Gis.
8 Archie Eaton, GS; Brody Haddow, SB; Tyson McKenzie, S’saye; Archie Rixon, Cm; Ben Thompson, Eh.
7 Zac Denahy, Gis.; James Frawley, SB; Cobi Maxted, Sh; Harrison Sheahan, Cm.
6 Pat Blake, S’saye; Tom Campbell, Sh; Coen Harker, SB; James Schischka, S’saye; Jack Stewart, GS; Jack Thompson, Eh.
In the netball……….STRATHFIELDSAYE clinched its first A-grade netball win of the season in Saturday’s play on day two of the split fourth round in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL season.
The Jess Mangan-coached Storm took on Castlemaine at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane in Pat Cronin Foundation Round.
Both teams were desperate to record their first win of the season.
It was Storm which controlled a lot of the play on its way to a 61-25 victory against the Vanessa Saunders-coached Castlemaine.
At Queen Elizabeth Oval it was Sandhurst which was too strong for Golden Square.
It was Sandhurst’s first hit-out since a 71-goal win against Broadford at the QEO on May 11.
The Tamara Gilchrist-coached Sandhurst passed the 70-goal mark and worked hard to hold Golden Square to a tally of 46 goals.
At the final whistle Sandhurst led 72-46 against the Teigan Redwood-coached Golden Square team.
The Kangaroo Flat and Broadford match will be played on Tuesday from 7pm at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park.
It’s the clash of two mobs of Kangaroos as reigning premier, Kangaroo Flat chases its fourth consecutive victory and a chance to jump back to top of the ladder.
Huge test for the Jamie Hooper-coached Broadford against the Jayden Cowling-coached Kangaroo Flat.
The split fourth round began with the Anzac Day match in which the Lauren Bowles-coached South Bendigo defeated Eaglehawk by six goals.
The Jannelle Hobbs-coached Hawks are sixth on a one-three record rolling into the May 9 match at home against Strathfieldsaye.
Gisborne had the bye.
Standings in the Bendigo FNL A-grade netball competition, pending Kangaroo Flat v Broadford result:
South Bendigo 157 per cent, 16 points; Kangaroo Flat 226, 12; Sandhurst 208, 12; Gisborne 125, 8; Golden Square 108, 8; Strathfieldsaye 109, 4; Eaglehawk 87, 4; Broadford 34, 0; Castlemaine 33, 0.
A rematch of ’25 grand finalists Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat highlights next Saturday’s fifth round.
The Dragons and Kangaroos will play at Queen Elizabeth Oval from 2.30pm.
Eaglehawk faces Strathfieldsaye on the Borough’s court at C & M Oval in Canterbury Park from 2.30pm.
Castlemaine will play Gisborne in the Magpies’ next at The Railway Hotel Oval in Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve from 3.20pm.
Golden Square has the bye.
It’s a rest for Broadford and South Bendigo.
The Kangaroos and Bloods played in the season opener on March 28 at Harley Hammond Reserve.
The Lauren Bowles-coached South Bendigo scored an 87-25 victory.
Bendigo FNL netball, split fourth round, day two scoreboard:
A-reserve:
Strathfieldsaye 43 d Castlemaine 42, Sandhurst 51 d Golden Square 28, Kangaroo Flat bye, Gisborne bye.
B-grade:
Strathfieldsaye 62 d Castlemaine 25, Sandhurst 55 d Golden Square 40, Kangaroo Flat v Broadford not supplied, Gisborne bye.
B-reserve:
Strathfieldsaye 54 d Castlemaine 23, Sandhurst 37 d Golden Square 28, Kangaroo Flat 92 d Broadford 18, Gisborne bye.
17-and-under:
Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine not supplied, Sandhurst 27 lt Golden Square 32, Kangaroo Flat 65 d Broadford 17, Gisborne bye.
15-and-under:
Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine not supplied, Sandhurst 51 d Golden Square 29, Kangaroo Flat bye.
Bendigo FNL netball ladders:
A-reserve:
South Bendigo 132 per cent, 16 points; Kangaroo Flat 162, 8; Sandhurst 148, 8; Gisborne 131, 8; Eaglehawk 81, 4; Golden Square 79, 4; Strathfieldsaye 62, 4; Castlemaine 68, 0.
B-grade, pending Kangaroo Flat v Broadford result:
South Bendigo 163 per cent, 16 points; Sandhurst 188, 12; Golden Square 147, 12; Gisborne 134, 12; Kangaroo Flat 166, 8; Eaglehawk 66, 0; Strathfieldsaye 62, 0; Castlemaine 37, 0; Broadford 33, 0.
B-reserve:
Kangaroo Flat 235 per cent, 16 points; South Bendigo 187, 16; Sandhurst 183, 12; Golden Square 138, 8; Gisborne 115, 8; Strathfieldsaye 104, 4; Eaglehawk 74, 4; Castlemaine 43, 0; Broadford 22, 0.
17-and-under, pending Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine result:
Golden Square 311 per cent, 16 points; South Bendigo 100, 12; Strathfieldsaye 210, 8; Sandhurst 201, 8; Kangaroo Flat 137, 8; Eaglehawk 81, 8; Gisborne 100, 4; Castlemaine 44, 0; Broadford 20, 0.
15-and-under, pending Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine result:
South Bendigo 160 per cent, 12 points; Sandhurst 230, 8; Golden Square 167, 8; Kangaroo Flat 81, 4; Eaglehawk 64, 4; Castlemaine 55, 0; Strathfieldsaye 51, 0.