BFNL Round 10 Football Preview | Hawks under pressure from Bloods in Borough
AFTER three narrow defeats and a draw, Eaglehawk’s senior footy team is desperate to turn fortunes around when it meets South Bendigo in Saturday’s 10th round in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL season.
The Hawks have home-ground advantage at Canterbury Park as the second half of the home-and-away series kicks off.
A 58-48 victory against South Bendigo at Kennington’s Harry Trott in round one kicked off a five-match unbeaten streak by Eaglehawk.
Defeats by margins of three, one and three points, and then a 64-all draw with Sandhurst last round have put the Hawks in fifth place and just two points clear of Kyneton.
After heavy rain in recent days the ball is likely to be at ground level a lot.
A Hawks’ defence that includes Clayton Holmes, Sam Thompson and Dylan Hanley faces a huge task against Bloods’ small forwards in Steven Stroobants, Brock Harvey and Will Keck.
A highlight will be the ruck contests were the Hawks have Connor Dalgleish up against Mac Cameron.
The Borough named Kallen Geary in the centre against Bloods’ star Brody Haddow.
Other key players for the Hawks include co-captains Billy Evans and Cam McGlashan, Ben Thompson and Darcy Richards.
A 6-3 record has the Nathan Horbury-coached South Bendigo in third place, but locked on points and less than one per cent in front of Strathfieldsaye.
The Bloods’ pressure will be a key to winning in a hostile venue.
A talented line-up in the red and white includes Isaiah Miller, Cameron Taggert, Braydan Torpey and Andrew van Heumen.
It’s the rematch of the 2022 grand finalists when Strathfieldsaye is home at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane to take on Gisborne.
The Darryl Wilson-coached Storm has lifted its play dramatically in recent weeks to now be 6-3.
Gun forward and captain Lachlan Sharp has moved to joint leader in the race for the Ron Best Medal as leading goalkicker on 41.
The play of on-baller Callum McCarty, Riley Wilson in the centre, Tim Hosking in the ruck, Mitch Hallinan in defence has played a big part in Storm’s surge.
Other players to watch for Strathfieldsaye include Shannon Geary, Baxter Slater, James Schischka and Luke Webb.
Gisborne returned to the winners’ list in a big way as it marked a 200-plus point victory against Maryborough at Gardiner Reserve last round.
The Brad Fox-coached Bulldogs know the pressure will be much higher.
Although seventh on a 3-6 record, Gisborne will not have given up on making the finals.
An upset win at Strathfieldsaye would be a massive turning point in the reigning premier’s season.
The Bulldogs’ will test Storm through the play of ruckman Braidon Blake, rover Flynn Lakey, captain Jack Reaper in defence or attack, and Harry Luxmoore at half-forward.
Others capable of winning plenty of the footy include Luke Ellings, Matt Merrett, Liam Spear and Seb Bell-Bartels.
It’s the all-Magpies clash as Castlemaine is home at Camp Reserve to play Maryborough.
It will be win number two for the Brendan Shepherd-coached Castlemaine, or Maryborough breaks its losing streak.
In round one, Castlemaine turned an 11-point deficit at three quarter-time into an 11-point victory at Maryborough’s Princes Park.
The Castlemaine line-up for this match includes Brodie Browne-Kerr, Brodie and Jackson Byrne, Matt Filo, Ashton Frankling, Ben Moran, John Watson and Liam Wilkinson.
Been a tough first year in the coaching caper for Coby Perry who is back on-field for Maryborough.
Players to watch for the Borough include Joel Swatton, Chris Freeman, Jai Howell, Ty Stewart, Matt Johnston and Kya Lanfranchi.
Kyneton is back in Tigerland at Kyneton Showgrounds to take on Golden Square.
The Paul Chapman-coached Tigers need an upset win to keep the heat on Eaglehawk.
A daunting task for the yellow and black against a Golden Square team which has a 7-2 record and is second on the ladder.
In an on-ball role or attack, Cameron Manuel is in outstanding form for Kyneton.
The Tigers will need big games from the likes of Hamish Yunghanns, Thomas Quinn, Harrison Huntley, Ethan Foreman, Ben Xiriha, Jame Summers and Mitch Comben to trouble the Bulldogs.
A Golden Square forward line led by Joel Brett and Braydon Vaz is in awesome form.
Ruck-rover Tom Toma racked up 40 disposals, 11 marks, five goals and 237 points in Golden Square’s win at Kangaroo Flat to earn the Barry Plant Player of the Round award.
The Bulldogs have the running power of Ricky Monti, Liam Barrett, Jake Thrum, Ryan Hartley and captain Jack Geary which is as strong in the last term as the first.
Kangaroo Flat is on its ground at Dower Park to play Sandhurst.
The Nathan Johns-coached Roos played incredibly well in a 41-49 loss to the Dragons at Queen Elizabeth Oval in round one.
Kangaroo Flat will be determined to bounce back from last week’s big loss to Golden Square.
The Kangaroos have named former Greater Western Sydney Giants and Hawthorn star Jonathon Patton for second match for the club.
Patton’s debut as a Roo was at Kyneton.
The Roos’ attack will rely a lot on quality and ample quanity of supply from an on-ball and midfield brigade that includes Mitch Collins, Mitch Trewhella, Toby Roberts, Campbell Smith, Dion Symons and Jarryd Wiegard.
Sandhurst is still unbeaten, but just after a 64-all draw at Eaglehawk last Saturday.
Jointly coached by Ash Connick, non-playing, and Bryce Curnow, playing, Sandhurst has plenty of atacking options.
Players to watch for the Dragons include Noah Walsh in the centre, Lachlan Wright at centre half-forward, ruckman Hamish Hosking, Matt Thornton and Cobi Maxted in attack, and ruck-rover James Coghlan.
Sandhurst also named Sam Conforti who is playing VFL with Essendon as rover.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Sandhurst 227 per cent, 34 points; Golden Square 213, 28; South Bendigo 157, 24; Strathfieldsaye 156, 24; Eaglehawk 201, 22; Kyneton 88, 18; Gisborne 120, 12; Kangaroo Flat 60, 12; Castlemaine 29, 6; Maryborough 15, 0.
Leaders in the goalkicking race for the Ron Best Medal:
41 - (6) - Joel Brett - Golden Square Seniors
41 - (11) - Lachlan Sharp - Strathfieldsaye Seniors
31 - (9) - Brock Harvey - South Bendigo Seniors
26 - (2) - William Keck - South Bendigo Seniors
25 - (1) - Lachlan Wright - Sandhurst Seniors
25 - (5) - Cameron Manuel - Kyneton Seniors
25 - (1) - Steven Stroobants - South Bendigo Seniors
18 - (0) - Braydon Vaz - Golden Square Seniors
18 - (2) - Matt Thornton - Sandhurst Seniors
17 - (1) - James Schischka - Strathfieldsaye Seniors
16 - (0) - Andrew Collins - Sandhurst Seniors
15 - (2) - Ryan Hartley - Golden Square Seniors
14 - (0) - Lewin Davis - Eaglehawk Seniors
13 - (1) - Darcy Richards - Eaglehawk Seniors
13 - (2) - Harry Whitty - Kangaroo Flat Seniors
13 - (0) - Cameron McGlashan - Eaglehawk Seniors
13 - (0) - Thomas Quinn - Kyneton Seniors
13 - (3) - Callum McCarty - Strathfieldsaye Seniors
12 - (4) - Matthew Merrett - Gisborne Seniors
12 - (8) - Hamish Morcom - Golden Square Seniors
11 - (1) - Nicholas Stagg - Sandhurst Seniors
11 - (1) - Noah Wheeler - Eaglehawk Seniors
11 - (2) - Hugh Freckleton - Golden Square Seniors
10 - (0) - Dylan Hird - Eaglehawk Seniors
10 - (1) - Jake Summers - Kyneton Seniors
10 - (0) - Billy Evans - Eaglehawk Seniors
10 - (0) - Jed Brereton - Strathfieldsaye Seniors
10 - (4) - Harry Luxmoore - Gisborne Seniors
10 - (0) - Liam Marciano - Eaglehawk Seniors
10 - (3) - Jack O’shannessy - Eaglehawk Seniors
