GOLDEN Square gun forwards Joel Brett and Jayden Burke fired as the Bulldogs beat Sandhurst in Saturday’s round 12 clash in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League’s senior footy action.
Brett and Burke kicked six and five goals respectively as the blue and gold won every quarter on the way to a 17.12 (114) to 11.12 (78) victory at Fur Life Vet Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
When these fierce rivals met in round three, Sandhurst won a thrilling contest for the Ron Best Memorial Shield by two points.
This time it was the Christian Carter-coached Golden Square which made a flying start to the game.
The Bulldogs led 38-21 at quarter-time and 48-30 by the long break.
In a high-scoring third term, Golden Square added 6.4 as the Dragons fought on to add 4.3.
A 31-point lead for the Bulldogs at the start of the final quarter became a 36-point margin by the siren.
It was the Brett-Burke show for a lot of the match as they lifted their season tallies to 42 and 35.
Talented youngster Alex Jenkyn kicked two goals for the Bulldogs.
The in-form Joel Wharton booted three majors for Sandhurst as Matt Thornton added two.
The skilful Hamish Morcom was best afield as key defender Jon Coe, Liam Duguid, Burke, Brett and Zack Shelton also starred for Golden Square.
Dragons’ co-captain Nick Stagg was best as James Mittell, Liam Ireland, Noah Walsh, Lachlan Ross and James Coghlan worked hard.
The victory strengthened Golden Square’s hold on the third rung, a win clear of Gisborne.
Defeated in two of its past three games, Sandhurst has fallen from top spot to second.
A 10-goal haul by the classy Kaiden Antonowicz capped a 38-point victory by South Bendigo against Kyneton at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Bloods led 35-13 at quarter-time, but the Paul Chapman-coached Tigers hit back to cut the deficit to 14 points by the long break.
South Bendigo scored six goals to three in the vital third term and added 2.1 to 2.4 in the last to complete a 104-66 victory.
The classy Angus Nolte kicked four goals for Kyneton as Ryan Pretty added two.
Antonowicz was best afield as Braydan Torpey, Cooper Leon, Joel Swatton, Brody Haddow and Oscar White were best for the Nathan Horbury-coached Bloods.
Tom O’Sullivan, James Gaff, Hamish Yunghanns, Notle, Josh Willmott and Louis Phillips were the Tigers’ best.
Eight goals by full-forward Lachlan Sharp was a highlight of Strathfieldsaye Storm’s win at Maryborough’s Barkers Oval in Princes Park.
It was the Justin Abrams-coached Maryborough which made a superb start to the match.
The Magpies led 28-21 at quarter-time, but Storm lifted to score 6.4 to nil in the second term.
Maryborough worked hard to limit Storm to 3.5 in the third term as it added 2.1 to be within 43 points at a quarter to go.
It was all Storm in the last as it slammed on 10.5 to a point to win 22.17 (149) to 6.6 (42).
Sharp was the star in attack, but had great support from Shannon Geary and Jake Hall, three goals; and Jye Formosa, two.
Maryborough had six goalkickers.
Storm’s best were Jake Moorhead, Lachlan Ratcliffe, Daniel Clohesy, Sharp, Hall and Lachlan Gill.
Brady Neill, Jayden Hooper, Jordan Fraser, Matt Bilton, Mitch Kennedy and Ashley Humphrey played well for Maryborough.
Eaglehawk scored 27 goals against Castlemaine at S & R Park in Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
The Hawks led 38-12 at quarter-time and 92-25 by the long break.
Strong defence kept the Magpies scoreless in the third as the Borough added 4.2.
In a high-scoring final term, Eaglehawk booted 9.2 to two goals.
At the final siren, Eaglehawk led 27.12 (174) to 6.1 (37).
Jack Dye kicked seven goals, Justin Bateson added four and Ben Thompson chipped in with three majors for the Travis Matheson-coached Hawks.
Castlemaine’s attack was led by Liam Wilkinson and captain David Stephens, two apiece.
Oscar Madden was best for the Borough as Riley McIvor, Sam Harper, Billy Evans, Lewin Davis and Gedd Hommelhoff won plenty of the ball.
Declan Slingo, Jack Chester, Riley Pedretti, Wilkinson, Callum McConachy and Sam Nettleton were best for the Don Moran-coached Magpies.
Gisborne bounced back from defeat to score a 15-goal win on Kangaroo Flat’s ground at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Dower Park.
The Bulldogs led 52-19 at quarter-time and 80-36 by the long break.
Led by the play of Trent Crosbie, Brad Bernacki and captain Pat McKenna, Gisborne kicked on to win the match, 23.20 (158) to 10.8 (68).
Goalless the previous round, McKenna hit back to kick a team-high four goals for Gisborne, a feat matched by Trent Crosbie.
Bernacki added three majors.
The Roos’ attack was led by Billy Fry on two.
Best for the Rob Waters-coached Gisborne included Ben Eales, Jack Reaper and Scott Walsh.
Kangaroo Flat captain Nick Lang was his team’s best as Jake Hywood, Kyle Symons, Jade Mayes, Lachlan Tranter and Mitch Trewhella worked hard against a strong opponent.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Strathfieldsaye 230 per cent, 36 points; Sandhurst 174, 36; Golden Square 171, 36; Gisborne 201, 32; South Bendigo 152, 32; Eaglehawk 196, 24; Kyneton 68, 12; Kangaroo Flat 41, 8; Maryborough 42, 4; Castlemaine 16, 0.
Ron Best Medal, senior goalkicking:
62 Lachlan Sharp, S’saye; 55 Kaiden Antonowicz, SB; 45 Patrick McKenna, Gis.; 42 Joel Brett, GS; 36 Jack Dye, Eh; 35 Jayden Burke, GS; 30 Joel Wharton, Sh; 26 Cooper Jones, S’saye; 24 Jack Scanlon, Gis.; 23 Darcy Richards, Eh; 22 Matt Thornton, Sh.
In next Saturday’s 13th round, Golden Square faces a huge challenge on Strathfieldsaye Storm’s turf at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane.
Gisborne and South Bendigo clash at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve.
Sandhurst tackles Kangaroo Flat at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Kyneton faces Castlemaine at Kyneton Showgrounds.
Eaglehawk and Maryborough meet at S & R Park in Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
Written by Nathan Dole.