BULLDOGS SEEK BREAKTHROUGH WIN
By Kieran Iles
Bendigo Times
Golden Square will look to ignite its season in a must-win clash against the Storm at Strathfieldsaye.
Both teams will carry plenty of extra incentive into the game as they look to open their 2025 season account.
The Bulldogs sit at 0-2 following a loss to Sandhurst at Wade Street last Saturday, while Strathfieldsaye slipped to 0-3 after falling to reigning premiers Gisborne at Gardiner Reserve.
While the Bulldogs remain a work in progress, bolstered by the inclusion of recruits Macey Brereton, Jess Smith and Ella Sheehan to go alongside their exciting young talent, captain Mia McCrann-Peters can already see signs of headway.
“It’s been a bit of a tough start, but we are a very young team and a very new team again,” she said.
“But there have been some good things happening off the court and on the court. You can see the connections starting to build.
“It should be a really good game against Strath, so hopefully we can pull out a win. It would do wonders for our confidence.”
On their recruits, McCrann-Peters said midcourter Smith - who has moved to Victoria from Perth - and former Leitchville-Gunbower defender Brereton added some maturity and steadiness to their young group.
One of the standouts of this year’s Bendigo Strikers 23-and-under team that has started the season at 6-1, McCrann-Peters said the mood at Wade Street this week had been lifted by the promising VNL Reserves debut of their Bulldogs teammate Daisy Stringer.
“It was good to see her step up into that team. She played wing defence and did a great job,” she said.
“We were all proud of her.
“She’s been amazing for us, especially coming back from illness. She didn’t do any pre-season with us, so to see her fitness right up there is amazing.
“She slots into the team so well and works really hard.”
Stringer became the sixth Bulldogs player to feature at VNL Reserves level this season, following in the footsteps of Holly Swatton, Charli Hamilton, Amelia Mundy, Keira Lawry and Emma Keating.
