Square faces Thunder under Fur Life Oval lights

GOLDEN Square and Bendigo Thunder will fight to maintain their unbeaten run in Friday night’s start to round five in the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s football competition.

The Bulldogs will have home-ground advantage for the clash with the ladder-leading Thunder at Fur Life Oval in Wade Street.

Action kicks off at 6.30pm in what’s likely to be a spirited contest.

Both teams have plenty of goalscoring power.

Golden Square has played just two matches.

The blue and gold kicked off the season with a 175-1 win on North Bendigo’s turf and then played well in the wet and heavy conditions to score a 31-9 victory at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park last Friday night.

Key players for the blue and gold include Andrea Wilson, Liz Watkins, Carly Geary, Michelle McCready, Amanda Carrod and Charlotte Beavan.

Major challenge for Golden Square will be in defence as it tries to stop Thunder stars Britney Mueck and Georgia Gordon.

Thunder was on a roll before last round’s bye.

Winning margins for Thunder have been 146, 104 and 155 points.

The Thunder onballers, midfield and defence will be under much greater pressure in this match.

Players to watch for Thunder include Jessica Kennedy, captian Phoebe Cuttriss, Hannah Perry, Shae-Lee Murphy-Burke and Katelyn Hazlett.

The round will be completed on Sunday when matches are played at HIbo Hotel Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street, and at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane from 2.30pm.

North Bendigo takes on the in-form Castlemaine.

It’s been a tough run for the red, white and blue who played at Kyneton Showgrounds last round.

Leonie Schulz, Mikala Creely, Quetta Holloway-Jinks and Sophie Perkins were North Bendigo’s best at Tigerland.

Castlemaine scored a 144-point win on home turf at Camp Reserve against Strathfieldsaye.

A powerful Castlemaine attack includes Shelby Knoll, Meg Ginnivan, Lily McNair and Tia Davidge.

The Magpies’ best against Storm were Davidge, Michelle Barkla, Meg Tong and Jemma Finning.

Strathfieldsaye or Kerang will chalk up their first premiership points of the season when they meet in Storm territory in Tannery Lane.

Storm’s best in the clash at Castlemaine included Lucy Gorrie, Chelsea Reeves, Britt Tangey, Keisha Tonzing and Lana Westaway.

Kerang is back from a bye.

The previous round the Blues were outgunned by Castlemaine at Kerang’s Riverside Park.

Key players for Kerang include Kendall Ash, Emma and Sophie Peacock, Sarah Ride and Jessica Searle.

Eaglehawk and Kyneton have the bye.

 

Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s footy ladder:

Bendigo Thunder 13,500 per cent, 12 points; Castlemaine 2437, 12; Kyneton 322, 12; Golden Square 2060, 8; Eaglehawk 705, 8; Strathfieldsaye 1.9, 0; North Bendigo 0.8, 0; Kerang 0, 0.

 

Leading goalkickers:

22 Britney Mueck, BT.

17 Shelby Knoll, Cm.

9 Meg Ginnivan, Cm; Shannon Prendergast, Kyn.

8 Freyja Pearce, Eh.

7 Georgia Gordon, BT; Samantha Heron, Eh; Lily McNair, Cm.; Taylah Moore, Kyn.

5 Jasmine Burzacott, Eh; Emily Collins, GS; Tia Davidge, Cm; Jemma Finning, Cm; Michelle McCready, GS.

4 Sharni Barker, BT; Ella Cochrane, Cm; Phoebe Cuttriss, BT; Lily den Houting, Eh; Heidi Erasmus, Kyn.; Jessica Kennedy, BT; Shea-Lee Murphy-Burke, BT; Emma Williams, Kyn.

 

Written by Nathan Dole.