STRATHFIELDSAYE Storm has surged to second on the senior footy ladder after an impressive 43-point victory against Gisborne in Saturday’s 10th round of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League season.
After a one-point loss at Gisborne in round two, Storm was winless and in eighth place.
Since then the Daryl Wilson and Shannon Geary-coached Strathfieldsaye is unbeaten and showed it’s a serious challenger to again claim the Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup.
Storm dominated the clearances for most of the first half of the clash at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane, but inaccurate kicking kept Gisborne in the game.
Strathfieldsaye led 2.6 to 1.0 at quarter-time and 5.7 to 3.0 by half-time.
The Rob Waters-coached Bulldogs won a hard-fought third term, 13-11, but it was Storm which outran and outworked the opposition in the last to complete a 75-32 victory.
Lachlan Sharp kicked a match-high three goals for Storm as Harry Conway chipped in with two.
Gisborne centre half-forward Jack Scanlon kicked two goals.
Storm defender Jack Neylon was superb as he kept Bulldogs’ captain and full-forward Pat McKenna goalless.
Strathfieldsaye onballers and midfielders Callum McCarty, Jake Moorhead and Daniel Clohesy set up a lot of attacks, while Neylon, Kellan Smith and James Schischka were outstanding in defence.
Key defender Jack Reaper was Gisborne’s best, along with Jarrad Lynch, Scanlon, Zach Vescovi, Seb Bell-Bartels and Liam Rodgers.
Eaglehawk bounced back from a winless run to score a 21-goal win on Kangaroo Flat’s ground at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Dower Park.
The Travis Matheson-coached Hawks led 37-14 at quarter-time and teamed well to score 3.5 to a point in the second term.
Eaglehawk scored 13.7 and kept the Roos to just four points in the second half on the way to an emphatic 145-19 victory.
Jack Dye led the Hawks’ attack on six goals as Noah Wheeler, four; and Gedd Hommelhoff, three, also starred.
The Roos’ goalkickers were Kyle Symons and Lachlan Wilson.
Best for the Borough were Billy Evans, Gedd Hommelhoff, Noah Wheeler, Jack Dye, Jake Twycross and Sam Harper.
Mitch Trewhella, Nick Lang, Symons, Dylan Barber, Nathan McHugh and Kevin Clark were best for the James Flaherty-coached Kangaroo Flat.
A first-quarter blitz set up Golden Square’s win against Kyneton at Fur Life Vet Oval in Wade Street.
The Bulldogs raced to a 45-1 lead by quarter-time of the clash in the kennel.
The Christian Carter-coached Square kicked on to lead 73-9 by the main break.
The Paul Chapman-coached Tigers lifted their workrate dramatically to outscore the Bulldogs in the second half.
An evenly fought third term was won by the blue and gold, 34-27, but it was the yellow and black which finished well to score 3.2 to 1.1 in the last.
At the final siren, Golden Square led 114-56.
Joel Brett and Ricky Monti kicked three goals for the winners.
Guy Dickson kicked a game-high four goals for the Tigers.
One of several rising stars in the Bulldogs’ line-up, Ricky Monti was best afield as on-ballers Ryan Hartley and Terry Reeves, defenders Liam Barrett and Jon Coe, and the experienced Dale Lowry won plenty of the ball.
Harrison Huntley, Rhys Magin, Hamish Yunghanns, Louis Thompson, Tom O’Sullivan and Louis Phillips were best for Kyneton.
Inaccuracy was a downfall of South Bendigo’s game against Castlemaine at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Nathan Horbury-coached Bloods were keen to gain a significant lift in percentage.
Castlemaine worked hard to be within 13 points at quarter-time as the Bloods led 26-13.
South Bendigo added 4.9 to nil in the second and 4.5 to a goal in the third.
The Bloods did all the attacking in the last term as they scored 8.7 to nil to complete an 18.23 (131) to 3.1 (19) victory against the Don Moran-coached Castlemaine.
Kaiden Antonowicz kicked six goals as Mitch Goodwin, Michael Herlihy, Cooper Leon and Daniel Nalder chipped in with two each.
Will Moran kicked two goals for the Magpies.
Best for the Bloods were Brock Harvey, Zac Hare, Mitch Goodwin, Oscar White, Jake Miller and Braydan Torpey.
Liam Wilkinson, David Stephens, Jack Chester, Declan Slingo, Riley Pedretti and Zane Doherty were best for Castlemaine.
Sandhurst dominated play on Maryborough’s turf at Barkers Oval in Princes Park.
Fired up after their first defeat the previous round, the Dragons racked up 10.12 and kept the Magpies scoreless in the first half.
Led by the play of Lachlan Ross, Jake McLean and Noah Walsh, Sandhurst kicked away to lead 113-1 at a quarter to go.
Jarrod Burman was on target in the final term for Maryborough, but a Sandhurst attack led by Joel Wharton and Lachlan Zimmer, four goals; and Mitch Rovers, three; was too strong.
The Dragons won 21.20 (146) to 1.1 (7).
Ruckman Chris Down, Lachlan Zimmer and Jarrod Wharton were among Sandhurst’s best.
Thomas Gardam, Bailey Edwards, Jayden Hooper, Harrison Monk, Kya Lanfranchi and Kurt Santon worked hard for the Magpies.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Sandhurst 195 per cent, 36 points; Strathfieldsaye 220, 32; Golden Square 174, 32; Gisborne 198, 28; South Bendigo 151, 28; Eaglehawk 179, 20; Kyneton 68, 12; Kangaroo Flat 41, 8; Maryborough 44, 4; Castlemaine 15, 0.
Ron Best Medal, leading goalkickers:
54 Lachlan Sharp, S’saye; 45 Kaiden Antonowicz, SB; 41 Pat McKenna, Gis.; 36 Joel Brett, GS; 30 Jayden Burke, GS; 29 Jack Dye, Eh; 27 Joel Wharton, Sh; 26 Cooper Jones, S’saye; 24 Jack Scanlon, Gis.; 23 Darcy Richards, Eh; 20 Matt Thornton, Sh; 19 Michael Herlihy, SB; 19 Jake Thrum, GS; 19 Lachlan Zimmer, Sh.
The 12th round will be played next Saturday.
Fierce rivals Golden Square and Sandhurst will clash at Fur Life Vet Oval in Wade Street.
Maryborough takes on Strathfieldsaye at Barkers Oval in Princes Park.
Kangaroo Flat tackles Gisborne at Bendigo Mazda Oval in Dower Park.
Castlemaine and Eaglehawk clash at Camp Reserve.
South Bendigo and Kyneton do battle at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Written by Nathan Dole.