-By Nathan Dole
A HAUL of 16 goals by Josh Mellington in Bears-Lagoon Serpentine’s latest senior footy victory has meant there are equal leaders in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL goalkicking race.
Mellington capped the Bears’ dominance through midfield and at stoppages in a 190-59 win on Newbridge’s turf at Deepcore Drilling Riverside Oval in the season’s eighth round.
The Bears star is now locked on 43 goals with Bridgewater coach Lachie Sharp on the goalkicking table.
The Newbridge defence could do little to stop the former Fremantle Dockers forward kicking a season-high 16 majors.
The Jake Wilkinson-coached Bears were incredibly accurate as they finished with 30.10.
Other multiple goalkickers for the BLS line-up were Harding medallist Justin Laird on five, and James Bailey and Aidan Brohm on two.
Newbridge’s attack was led by Billy Schilling on four goals.
Best for the Bears were Josh Mellington, Callum Draper, Harry Gadsden, Justin Laird, Aidan Brohm and Nathan Twigg.
Was a tough afternoon for the Matt McArthur-coached Newbridge in which Thomas Hobson, Andrew Padbury, Ricky Cathie, Jed Zimmer, Tyler Constable and Kobe Friswell were best.
Closest margin in senior footy was the 19 points Inglewood won by home turf at Centre State Scaffolding Oval against Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
The Eagles took it right up to the Blues as they led 15-14 at quarter-time, 47-46 at half-time, and 79-74 going into the final term.
The Fergus Payne-coached Inglewood lifted its intensity and run in the last.
As the Blues scored 4.2 they kept the Eagles to just two behinds.
Seb Erharter capped another great match for Inglewood with five goals as Kai Cavallaro kicked two in the 100-81 victory.
Leading goalkickers for Maiden Gully YCW Eagles were Tyler James and Mitch Hill on three and two.
Inglewood’s best were Liam Marciano, Harry Veitch, Daniel Polack, Kai Cavallaro, Bregon Cotchett and Lachlan Ford.
Best for the Eagles were Mitch Hill, Daniel Russell, Bryce Franzini, Lewis Pigdon, Nathan Murley and Ed Crisp.
Maiden Gully YCW has Shawn Filo as non-playing co-coach.
The Eagles’ playing co-coach, Angus Monfries did not play.
Top teams, Marong and Pyramid Hill marked big wins.
The Marong Panthers made their way to John Forbes Oval in Mitiamo.
After a closely-fought opening quarter which it won 19-12, Marong then clicked to another gear in the second term.
The Panthers scored 5.2 and kept the Superoos to a tally of 1.1.
A 32-point lead at the long break was 74 by the last change after Marong scored 9.2 in the third term.
Another eight goals as it kept Mitiamo scoreless in the final quarter capped a 157-33 win for a Marong team which has Kain Robins as playing co-coach, and Paul Thomson as non-playing co-coach.
Leading goalkickers for the Panthers were Shaun Knott on four as David Johnstone, Lachlan Lee, and Ryler Taylor kicked three each and Michael Bradbury added two.
Mitiamo’s goalkickers were Brayden Baines, Waylon Draper, Kobe Galvin, Anthony Huismann and Seth Wright.
Best for Marong were Lachlan Lee, Richard Tibbett, David Johnstone, Matt Willox, Ryley Taylor and Jimmy Gadsden.
Mitiamo’s best were Zach Morrison, Matt Gilmour, Tyler Rasmussen, Jackson Falls, coach Luke Lougoon, and Anthony Huisman.
An eight-goal opening term as it kept the opposition to a behind set up Pyramid Hill’s big victory on its turf at Mitchell Park against Calivil United.
The Bulldogs led 53-1 at the first break and 82-8 by half-time.
Quarter three was to be the Bulldogs’ best as they slammed on 10 goals.
A first-year player with Pyramid Hill after crossing from Mount Pleasant, Ben Bisset kicked 10 goals in the 178-21 victory.
Other multiple goalkickers for the red, white and blue were Ryan Semmel, four; Zach Alford and Ben Knight, three; Kai Daniels and Steven Gunther, two.
The Demons’ attack was led by Henry McCarthy on two.
After switching kennels from Golden Square to Pyramid Hill, athletic ruckman Kai Daniels continued his fine season by being best-on-ground.
Others to star the Nathan Fitzpatrick-coached Pyramid Hill were Ben Bisset, Bailey George, Ben Knight, Mitch Langan and Steven Gunther.
Henry McCarthy, Riley Walsh, Liam Stephens, coach Sam Maher, Rhys Lourie and Cody Thompson were Calivil United’s best.
Bridgewater had the bye.
Loddon Valley senior footy ladder:
Marong 212 per cent, 28 points; Pyramid Hill 190, 24; Bridgewater 131, 20; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 132, 16; Inglewood 131, 16; Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 76, 10; Newbridge 55, 8; Mitiamo 46, 4; Calivil United 38, 2.
The league hits the halfway mark of the home-and-away series next Saturday when round nine matches kick off at 2.15pm.
Maiden Gully YCW Eagles face a huge challenge in their nest at Marist College Oval against Pyramid Hill.
Bears-Lagoon Serpentine meets Calivil United in the clash of the Bears and Demons at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Reserve
Marong will be on home soil at Jackal Oval in Malone Park to play Newbridge.
Bridgewater faces Mitiamo in another chapter of one of the league’s fiercest rivalries.
Inglewood has the bye.
Leading goalkickers:
43 Josh Mellington, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
43 Lachie Sharp, Bridgewater.
42 Seb Erharter, Inglewood.
33 Ben Bisset, Pyramid Hill.
25 Ryley Taylor, Marong.
22 Billy Schilling, Newbridge.
19 Ryan Semmel, Pyramid Hill.
17 Oscar McKinley, Bridgewater.
15 Tyler James, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
13 Liam Marciano, Inglewood.
13 Kain Robins, Marong.
12 Brayden Baines, Inglewood.
12 Bregon Cotchett, Inglewood.
12 Tyler James, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
12 Oliver Watt, Bridgewater.
11 Daniel Polack, Inglewood.
10 Zach Alford, Pyamid Hill.
10 Nathan Devanny, Marong.