EIGHT goals in the first quarter set up Strathfieldsaye’s emphatic victory against Eaglehawk in Saturday’s resumption of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League’s senior footy action.
The Storm and Hawks clashed at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
Despite being no play for premiership points in a month, Strathfieldsaye made a flying start to the contest.
Storm led 52-8 at quarter-time and increased the buffer to 51 by the long break.
The ladder-leaders won every quarter on their way to a 129-52 victory.
A Michelsen medallist and multiple winner of the Ron Best Medal as the competition’s leading goalkicker, Lachlan Sharp led Storm’s attack on six goals.
James Schischka kicked four and Cooper Jones added three.
Eaglehawk’s only multiple goalkicker was Darcy Richards on three.
Best afield was Kallen Geary as Riley Wilson, Bailey Henderson, Daniel Clohesy, Callum McCarty and Patrick Blandford played well in Storm’s 10th win in a row.
Koby Hommelhoff, Oscar Madden, Dylan Hanley, Brodie Filo, Gedd Hommelhoff and Joel Mullen were the Hawks’ best.
Gisborne captain and gun forward Pat McKenna kicked eight goals in a 95-point victory on Maryborough’s turf at Barkers Oval in Princes Park.
The Bulldogs depth was put to the test as several Melbourne-based players were out.
Gisborne led 33-9 at quarter-time and then kicked way to lead by 44 points at half-time.
Maryborough lifted in the third term to score four goals, but the Dogs added six.
At the final, Gisborne led 25.11 (161) to 10.6 (66).
McKenna was the key target in attack, but the Bulldogs also had Brad Bernacki, four; and Seb Bell-Bartels, three, on target.
The classy Matt Bilton booted three goals for the Magpies and Jordan Fraser chipped in with two.
Gisborne’s best were Flynn Lakey, Ben Eales, Bell-Bartels, McKenna, Bernacki and Jake O’Brien.
Bilton, Fraser, Bailey Edwards, Kya Lanfranchi, Brady Neill and Jayden Hooper were the Magpies’ best.
South Bendigo full-forward Kaiden Antonowicz dominated in the Bloods win on Kangaroo Flat’s ground at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Dower Park.
A previous winner of the Ron Best Medal, Antonowicz took his season tally to 63 after an eight-goal haul in the Bloods victory.
South Bendigo won every quarter on its way to a 155 to 66 victory.
Brock Harvey booted four goals and Jesse Sheahan added three.
The Roos’ attack was led by Mitch Holt and Lachlan Wilson on two.
The run and teamwork of many of the Bloods’ younger players was a highlight.
South Bendigo’s best included rising stars such as Sam Maher, Braydan Torpey and Wil McCaig.
The experienced Brody Haddow, Joel Swatton and Antonowicz also won plenty of contests.
Best for the Kangaroos were Mitch Trewhella, Tom Gillespie, Jake Hywood, Nic Keogh, Nic Lang and Kyle Symons.
Golden Square gun forward Jayden Burke had a day out in the Bulldogs clash with Castlemaine at Fur Life Vet Oval in Wade Street.
Burke booted 10 goals in a best afield performance and the classy Joel Brett added five as the Bulldogs won 23.21 (159) to 4.3 (27).
The Dogs slammed on 8.6 in the first term to hold a seven-goal lead at quarter-time.
Led by the play of Burke in attack, Jon Coe in defence, captain Jack Geary and rising star Alex Jenkyn, Golden Square added five goals in the second term, four in the third and six in the last.
Goalkickers for Castlemaine were Zane Doherty, Klai Jermyn, Ben Moran and Liam Wilkinson.
The Bulldogs’ best included Brett and Tom Strauch, brother of Olympic swimmer, Jenna.
Castlemaine’s best were Wilkinson, Declan Slingo, Callum McConachy, John Watson, David Stephens and Ashton Keogh.
The Sandhurst Dragons picked up the four premiership points without taking the field at Queen Elizabeth Oval as Kyneton forfeited the seniors clash.
The same scenario occurred in the reserves as Kyneton battled for numbers in either grade because of the Covid lockdown across Melbourne.
Sandhurst will be back in action this Saturday for a huge game on Gisborne’s turf at Gardiner Reserve.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Strathfieldsaye 231 per cent, 40 points; Golden Square 186, 40; Sandhurst 174, 40; Gisborne 205, 36; South Bendigo 158, 36; Eaglehawk 169, 24; Kyneton 68, 12; Kangaroo Flat 41, 8; Maryborough 42, 4; Castlemaine 16, 0.
The final round in the home and away series will be played next Saturday.
Eaglehawk and Golden Square meet in another showdown of fierce rivals at S & R Park in Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
Gisborne and Sandhurst clash in the Bulldogs’ kennel at Gardiner Reserve.
Castlemaine takes on Kangaroo Flat in the Magpies’ nest at Camp Reserve.
Kyneton tackles Strathfieldsaye at Kyneton Showgrounds.
South Bendigo and Maryborough do battle at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Leaders in the Ron Best Medal, senior goalkicking award:
68 Lachlan Sharp, S’saye.
63 Kaiden Antonowicz, SB.
53 Pat McKenna, Gis.
47 Joel Brett, GS.
45 Jayden Burke, GS.
36 Jack Dye, Eh.
30 Joel Wharton, Sh.
29 Cooper Jones, S’saye.
26 Darcy Richards, Eh.
26 Jack Scanlon, Gis.
22 Matt Thornton, Sh.
21 Jake O’Brien, Gis.
20 Brad Bernacki, Gis.; Michael Herlihy, SB.
Written by Nathan Dole.