ROUND 9 FOOTBALL REVIEW | South Bendigo outplays Gisborne again
FOR the second time this season South Bendigo outplayed Gisborne in Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy action.
The Bloods marked a seven-goal victory in Saturday’s round nine clash with the Bulldogs at South Bendigo’s home in Kennington’s Harry Trott Oval.
Earlier in the season the Bloods won at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve by 27 points.
As South Bendigo scored 17 goals the Gisborne line-up rued inaccuracy as it finished with a tally of 9.19 in a 115-73 defeat.
An eight-goal blitz by the Bloods in the second quarter gave them a five-goal buffer at half-time.
South Bendigo won the next two quarters, 31-25 and 19-13.
Former coach Steven Stroobants played his best match of the season by kicking four goals as the skilful Kaiden Antonowicz and Brock Harvey booted three each.
Other multiple goalkickers for the red and white were Alex Smith and Anthony Zimmerman on two.
Gisborne’s attack was led by Luke Meletis on three.
Best for the Bloods were ruckman Callum Crisp, on-ballers Anthony Zimmerman, Joel Swatton and Brody Haddow as Josh Nitschke and Steven Stroobants won plenty of the footy.
Gisborne’s best were Dylan Johnstone, Zach Vescovi, Darcy Young, Shane Clough, James Gray and Thomas Werner.
The win put South Bendigo within four points of Eaglehawk and Gisborne in the fight for a top-three finish and the double chance at finals time.
A Bloods’ line-up jointly coached by Troy Coates, non-playing, and Jack Fallon, playing, now has a win-loss tally of 6-3.
South Bendigo makes its way to Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park for next Saturday’s big clash.
The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne will play on Strathfieldsaye Storm’s turf at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane.
Golden Square kicked away in the final quarter to defeat Castlemaine by 23 points in Saturday’s match on the Bulldogs’ ground in Wade Street.
The Michael Hartley-coached Castlemaine led 18-8 at quarter-time and 24-22 by the long break.
Both teams added four goals in the third as the Magpies led 50-49 going into the final term.
In the last it was the Brad Eaton-coached Bulldogs who dominated play.
As the Bulldogs scored 3.8 they kept the Pies to just two behinds.
Jack Stewart finished with a team-high three goals as Xavier Carter and Jack McMahon kicked two each in a 75-52 victory for the blue and gold.
Castlemaine’s leading goalkicker was Josh Eyre on two.
Bulldogs’ midfielder Tom Strauch was best afield as Xavier Carter, Hugh Freckleton, Zac Wescott, Brodie James and ruckman Daniel Keating led the way to Golden Square’s second win of the season.
The Bulldogs play Sandhurst for the Ron Best Memorial Shield next Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Bulldogs will play before a reunion of the 1975 senior premiership team which was coached by Bendigo FNL Hall of Famer Tony ‘Bluey’ Southcombe.
Best for Castlemaine in Saturday’s clash were Ryan Eyre, Callum McConachy, Patrik Balta, Michael Hartley, Hunter Staples and Harrison Sheahan.
The Magpies will be back on their turf in Camp Reserve for next Saturday’s showdown with Kangaroo Flat.
A brilliant first half set up Sandhurst’s big win against Strathfieldsaye at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Dragons led 39-1 by quarter-time and then scored another four goals in the second as Storm was held to a tally of 2.5 in the first hour.
Co-captain Cooper Smith, Tom Campbell and Hugh Schmetzer were best as Sandhurst kicked on for a 102-32 victory.
The Dragons’ attack was led by Tom Campbell on four goals as Caleb Connick, co-captain Fergus Greene and Cobi Maxted added two each.
Was a tough afternoon for Storm’s forwards with just four goals scored.
Best for the ladder-leading Dragons included co-coach Lachlan Tardrew, Nick Stagg and Lachie Hood.
Strathfieldsaye’s best were Ethan Featherby, Riley Mulquiny, Kya Lanfranchi, Patrick Blandford, Jed Daniels and Ben Lester.
It’s a big match for Sandhurst next Saturday as it meets Golden Square in the Ron Best Memorial Shield match at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
A Dragons’ team which has Bryce Curnow as co-coach holds the Ron Best Shield.
The Luke Freeman-coached Strathfieldsaye will aim to bounce back from defeat when it tackles Gisborne at Triple M Park.
Eaglehawk hit the century mark in a 63-point victory on Kangaroo Flat’s ground in Dower Park.
The Hawks led 36-2 at quarter-time.
The second term was to be the best by the Tyrone Downie-coached Kangaroos as they scored 3.5 and kept the Two Blues to a tally of 2.2.
The Hawks won the third, 16-3, and then scored five goals in the last to complete a 100-37 result.
Bailey Ilsley marked his first senior game of the season for the Borough by kicking two goals.
The Hawks also had Jack Donat, Nick Hoare and Ben Thompson kick two goals.
Kangaroo Flat’s attack was led by Sam Barnes on two goals.
Best for Eaglehawk were Charlie Langford, Ben Thompson, Nick Hoare, Jack Donat, Jonty Neaves and Joel Mullen.
Aaron Melis, Kyle Symons, Harry Jackman, Aaron Nevins, Daniel Stagg and Jake Hywood played well for the Kangaroos.
The Eaglehawk team coached by Travis Matheson, non-playing, and Clayton Holmes, playing, takes on South Bendigo at Canterbury Park next round.
The Kangaroos will play at Castlemaine.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Sandhurst 241 per cent, 32 points; Eaglehawk 186, 28; Gisborne 142, 28; South Bendigo 138, 24; Strathfieldsaye 90, 16; Castlemaine 67, 8; Golden Square 66, 8; Kangaroo Flat 28, 0.
The Ron Best Memorial Shield is up for grabs as Sandhurst and Golden Square clash at Queen Elizabeth Oval next Saturday in the 10th round.
In a brilliant career of 270 games in the Bendigo FNL, Best kicked 1624 goals in stints with Golden Square, Sandhurst and Northern United.
The league’s goalkicking award is now the Ron Best Medal.
Another big match will be at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park where the Hawks take on South Bendigo from 2.20pm.
Strathfieldsaye and Gisborne meet in Storm territory at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
Castlemaine and Kangaroo Flat meet in the clash of the Magpies and Kangaroos at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.
Leaders in the goalkicking race for the Ron Best Medal, to do:
27 Jack O’Shannessy, Eaglehawk.
25 Kaiden Antonowicz, South Bendigo.
25 Tom Campbell, Sandhurst.
25 Pat McKenna, Gisborne.
23 Brock Harvey, South Bendigo.
16 Clayton Holmes, Eaglehawk.
16 Dylan Johnstone, Gisborne.
16 Steven Stroobants, South Bendigo.
15 Hugh Schmetzer, Sandhurst.
14 Fergus Greene, Sandhurst.
13 Brad Bernacki, Gisborne.
13 Billy Evans, Eaglehawk.
13 Michael Hartley, Castlemaine.
13 Cooper Jones, Strathfieldsaye.
13 Matt Wilkinson, Sandhurst.
12 Harry Luxmoore, Gisborne.
12 Bode Stevens, Strathfieldsaye.
11 Tyh Evans, Eaglehawk.
11 Josh Eyre, Castlemaine.
11 Jack McMahon, Golden Square.
11 Jordan Rosengren, Golden Square.
11 Ben Thompson, Eaglehawk.
10 Cobi Maxted, Sandhurst.
10 Charlie Robinson, Sandhurst.
10 Thomas Werner, Gisborne.
9 Nick Lang, Kangaroo Flat.
9 Jonty Neaves, Eaglehawk.
9 Nick Stagg, Sandhurst.
8 Xavier Carter, Golden Square.
8 Jack Fallon, South Bendigo.
8 James Gray, Gisborne.
8 Tom Strauch, Golden Square.
8 John Watson, Castlemaine.
7 Sam Barnes, Kangaroo Flat.
7 Lachie Hood, Sandhurst.
7 Nick Keogh, Kangaroo Flat.
7 Luke Meletis, Gisborne.
7 Lachlan Tardrew, Sandhurst.
7 Riley Wilson, Strathfieldsaye.
