ST ARNAUD marked its first win of the Goldacres North Central Football League’s senior footy action in Saturday’s match at Charlton Park.
The Saints and Navies were desperate to break their winless run.
St Arnaud led 22-18 at quarter-time and 34-28 by the main break.
The Torin Petrie-coached Saints then charged clear in the vital term to add 4.2 to 1.4.
Charlton hit back to win the last quarter, 16-7, but it was the Saints who marched to a 67-54 victory.
Jacob Tillig led the attack on three goals and was among St Arnaud’s best with Kurtis Torney, Daniel Gifford, Mitch Egan and Thomas Bertalli.
Charlton’s leading goalkicker was Ricky Welch on three.
Best for the Navies’ were Kade Blow, Sean O’Connor, Cobi Fitzpatrick, Rhys and Nick Thompson, and Daniel Thiesz.
Donald won all quarters in a 107-39 victory at home against Wedderburn.
The Royals surged to a 28-3 lead by quarter-time and scored 3.2 to 2.0 in the second.
Defences were on top in the third quarter as Donald scored 2.4 and kept the Redbacks to 2.2.
Led by a best afield performance by on-baller Brody Haddow, Donald slammed on 7.1 to 1.4 in the last term.
A great sign for Donald was its ability to hold Wedderburn to a tally of five goals in this contest.
Multiple goalkickers for the Royals were Will Burke and Brody Haddow, four; Josh Potter and Seamus Young, two.
Wedderburn’s attack was led by Luke Holt on two.
The Royals’ best were Brody Haddow, Ryley Barrack, Sam Griffiths, Will Burke, Dyson Bell-Warren and Ryan Hards.
Best for Wedderburn were Jaran McKay, Luke Holt, Corey Lowry, Sam Lockhart, Mitch McEwen and Tyson Webster.
Birchip-Watchem beat Wycheproof-Narraport by five goals in the battle of the hyphens at Birchip’s George Cartwright Oval.
The Bulldogs led 25-19 at quarter-time and won a free-flowing second term, 35-27, to lead 60-46 by the main break.
Led by the play of ruckman Lochy Sirett, Kyle Stevens and Clayton Hinkley, Birchip-Watchem scored 6.1 to 2.1 in the third term.
The Boe Bish-coached Demons worked hard to win the final term, 13-5.
Leading goalkickers for the Trevor Ryan-coached Bulls in a 102-72 victory were Daniel Ratcliffe and Will Sheahan on three apiece.
The Demons’ attack was led by Gedd Hommelhoff on four.
Best for Birchip-Watchem included Marshall Rippon, Daniel Ratcliffe and Elliot Jaeschke.
The Demons’ best were Gedd Hommelhoff, Jack McHutchison, Cody Green, Rowan Jones, Lachlan Van Schaik and Damien Horbury.
Boort faced the formidable Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers at Boort Park.
The Andy Hawker-coached Boort scored two goals in the opening term, but added just one more as a rampant Tigers went on to win 24.19 (163) to 3.4 (22).
An eight-goal haul by Tigers’ star Billy McInnes lifted his season tally to 36.
Other multiple goalkickers for Sea Lake Nandaly were Will Simpson, four; Wade Donnan, three; Austin Mertz and Zac Wemyss, two.
Brodie Leonard-Shannon kicked two goals for the Magpies.
Best for the Tigers were Austin Mertz, Billy McInnes, Wade Donnan, Matt Elliott, Will Simpson and Trent Donnan.
A list of Boort’s best was not supplied.
North Central FL senior footy ladder:
Donald 319 per cent, 24 points; Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers 469, 20; Birchip-Watchem 200, 20; Wedderburn 131, 16; Wycheproof-Narraport 61, 8; Boort 40, 4; St Arnaud 35, 4; Charlton 33, 0.
Leading goalkickers:
36 Billy McInnes, SLN.
21 William Sheahan, BW.
16 Daniel Castellano, BW.
15 Tom Campbell, W’burn; Jordan Rosengren, W’burn.
14 Danny Benaim, W’burn.
13 Justin Ellis, SLN; Blake Grant, D.
12 Cody Green, WN; Will Simpson, SLN.
11 Brody Haddow, D.
10 Leigh Burke, D; Will Burke, D; Josh Potter, D.
9 Ben DeAraugo, W’burn; Joshua Hicks, SA; Elliot Jaeschke, BW; Riely Thiesz, C.
8 Dylan Adkins, BW; Gedd Hommelhoff, WN; Brodie Leonard-Shannon, B; Jaran McKay, W’burn.
Highlight of next Saturday’s seventh round will be the clash between the first and second-placed Donald and Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers at Sea Lake.
The Tigers will be striving to break the Royals’ unbeaten run.
Wedderburn tackles Birchip Watchem at Wedderburn’s Donaldson Park.
Wycheproof-Narraport takes on Charlton in the Demons’ den at Wycheproof.
St Arnaud and Boort clash at St Arnaud’s Lord Nelson Park.
Written by Nathan Dole.