BY NATHAN DOLE
Top teams clash on Bulls turf at Birchip
TOP teams Sea Lake Nandaly and Birchip-Watchem do battle in Saturday’s fourth round of the Goldacres-backed senior footy in the North Central FNL.
The Birchip-Watchem Bulls will have home-ground advantage when the match starts at 2.30pm on Birchip’s George Cartwright Oval.
Latest hit-out for the Trevor Ryan-coached Bulls was at St Arnaud where they won by 71 points.
Best in that contest were Nicholas Rippon, Daniel Bell, Lachlan Ryan and Marshall Rippon.
Brilliant forward Ben Edwards continued his superb start to the season by kicking eight goals.
Massive test for a Birchip-Watchem defence against a powerful Sea Lake Nandaly attack.
Best for the SLN team jointly coached by Bryce Delmenico and Billy McInnes in the win against Wycheproof-Narraport were Thomas Cox, Wade Donnan, Jack Poulton and Brody Weir.
Other key players for the Tigers include captain Ryan O’Sullivan, Kane Donnan, Jordan Bath and Will Simpson.
Wycheproof-Narraport is on home turf at Wycheproof to take on Charlton.
Both teams are on the rebound from defeat.
The Wayne Mitrovic-coached Wycheproof-Narraport was held to a goal in last Saturday’s match at Sea Lake.
A Demons line-up led by Spencer Allan, Boe Bish, Maysen Murgov, Joel Turner and Josh Walsh will be fired up for this clash with the Navies.
Charlton went down to Wedderburn by 56 points at Charlton Park.
The Mitch Collins-coached Charlton to face the Demons includes captain Jed Thompson, Bailey Kemp, Jackson and Ned Zagame, Patrick Soulsby and Tyler Fehsler.
Boort and Wedderburn meet at Boort Park.
It’s a one-one start for Boort which played Sea Lake Nandaly in round one, beat Charlton and then had the bye.
Boort’s team this round includes Ethan, Jacob and Malachi Coleman; Jarrod Fitzpatrick, Natnael McLaren, Keiren Wilson, and Jarrod Starr.
A 2-1 record has the Tom Metherell-coached Wedderburn in third place.
The run to a 56-point win by the Redbacks at Charlton was led by Jayden Jones, Jackson McEwen, Oscar Holt and Darcy Jackson.
Wedderburn’s team bound for Boort includes Danny Benaim, Tom Campbell, Jordan Hargreaves, captain Joe Lockhart, and Adam Postle.
It will be Nullawil or St Arnaud who mark their first win of the season.
Beaten by Birchip-Watchem in round one, Nullawil had a bye and then endured a 39-point loss at Donald last round.
Best for Nullawil against the Royals were Jordan Humphreys, Matt Quigley, Mitch Farmer and Matthew Wade.
In his first year as Maroons’ coach, Darryl Wilson will look for big games from the likes of Jack Exell, Zac Caccaviello, Dean Smith and Dean Putt.
Was a tough hit-out for St Arnaud on its turf at Lord Nelson Park against Birchip-Watchem.
The Scott Driscoll-coached Saints worked incredibly hard to be just seven points down at half-time.
In the final hour the Bulls charged clear to score 11.8 to 1.4.
Best for St Arnaud were Harley Durward, Zac Phillips, Scott Driscoll and Ryan Lempa.
The Saints’ squad includes Josh Caddy, Torin Petrie, Mitch Egan, Kurtis Torney and Thomas Bertalli.
Donald has the bye.
North Central senior footy ladder:
Sea Lake Nandaly 213 per cent, 12 points; Birchip-Watchem 212, 12; Wedderburn 180, 8; Donald 96, 8; Boort 102, 4; Wycheproof-Narraport 64, 4; Nullawil 70, 0; Charlton 43, 0; St Arnaud 38, 0.
Leading goalkickers:
23 Ben Edwards, Birchip-Watchem.
10 Anthony Zelencich, Wedderburn.
9 Trent Grant, Donald.
8 Tom Campbell, Wedderburn.
8 Mitch Farmer, Nullawil.
8 Josh Jenkins, Sea Lake Nandaly.
8 Corey Jones, Wycheproof-Narraport.
8 Billy McInnes, Sea Lake Nandaly.
7 Oscar Holt, Wedderburn.
7 Nicholas Rippon, Birchip-Watchem.
6 Ethan Coleman, Boort.
6 Torin Petrie, St Arnaud.