BFNL Round 2 Football Review | Square wins thriller in Storm territory
GOLDEN Square capped a brilliant fightback to win on Strathfieldsaye’s turf in Saturday’s second round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League.
It was Storm which raced to a 33-1 lead by quarter-time of the clash at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
The Bulldogs bit back to cut the deficit to a goal by the long break as Storm led 44-38 after a highly-entertaining opening hour.
Led by the play of captain Jack Geary, the hard-running Jake Thrum, and Tom Strauch it was Golden Square which took charge in the third term.
The Christian Carter-coached Bulldogs added 5.5 to 2.1 to lead by 16 points going into the final quarter.
Strathfieldsaye did not give up and won the final term, 37-28, but it was the blue and gold which marked consecutive victories on Storm’s turf in a 101-94 result.
Ryan Hartley led the Bulldogs’ attack on four goals as Joel Brett added three.
Jayden Burke, Jack Hickman, Tom Toma and Braydon Vaz chipped in with two each.
Storm skipper Lachlan Sharp kicked a match-high six goals as James Schischka added three.
Best for Golden Square included Ryan Hartley, Terence Reeves, and Tom Toma.
Storm’s best were highly-rated recruit Luke Webb, Lachlan Sharp, Patrick Blandford, Daniel Clohesy, Baxter Slater and James Schischka.
Sandhurst was too strong for Kyneton in Tigerland at Kyneton Showgrounds.
The Ash Connick and Bryce Curnow-coached Sandhurst won 15.14 (104) to 5.10 (40).
Lachlan Wright was right on target as he kicked five goals for the Dragons as James Coghlan, Nick Stagg and Matt Thornton added two each.
Multiple goalkickers for Kyneton were Cameron Manuel and Thomas Quinn on two each.
Best for the Dragons were Lachlan Wright, James Coghlan, Hamish Hosking, Bryce Curnow, Noah Walsh and Cooper Smith.
Jordan Iudica, Harrison Huntley, Hamish Yunghanns, Jake Summers, Jake Safstrom and Cameron Manuel worked hard for the Paul Chapman-coached Tigers.
Eaglehawk marked its first home match of the season at Canterbury Park by scoring a big win against Maryborough.
The Travis Matheson-coached Hawks led 63-7 at quarter-time and then added 16 goals to nil across the next three quarters in a 179-10 result.
A list of a dozen goalkickers for the Two Blues was led by Noah Wheeler, five; Liam Marciano, four; co-captain Billy Evans, Dylan Hird and Ben Thompson, three.
Alex Brown kicked Maryborough’s sole goal in the first term.
Best for the Hawks were Billy Evans, Ben Thompson, Noah Wheeler, Joel Mullen, Thomas Bennett and Dylan Hird.
Mitchell McClure, Chris Freeman, Alex Brown, Nic Swan, Ty Stewart and Jake Postle were best for a young Magpies team being coached by Coby Perry.
After a hard-fought opening term, South Bendigo kicked away from Kangaroo Flat to win by 62 points.
The Bloods were under pressure throughout the opening term and led 26-22 at the first break.
The Nathan Horbury-coached South Bendigo scored 5.2 to 2.3 in the second and then put the result beyond doubt as it added 3.5 to just two points in third.
Brock Harvey, Will Keck and Steven Stroobants all kicked four majors as Sam Griffiths chipped in with three.
Connor Evans and Ryan O’Keefe kicked two goals for the Roos.
Best for the Bloods were Brody Haddow, Will Keck, Alex Smith, Sam Griffiths, Oscar White and Cooper Leon.
Noah Furlong, Connor Evans, Ryan O’Keefe, Jordan Rouse, Harry Whitty and Mitch Trewhella played well for the Nathan Johns-coached Kangaroos.
Gisborne bounced back from defeat to score a 77-point victory on Castlemaine’s turf at Camp Reserve.
After a low-scoring first quarter which it won 9-1, Gisborne slammed on 6.3 to 3.1 in the second to open a 28-point margin.
The Brad Fox-coached Dogs did most of the attacking in the third and scored 3.4 to just two points.
Ruckman Braidon Blake marked a return to a ground he knows well by kicking a match-high four goals for Gisborne as Ryan Bourke and another former Magpie in Zac Denahy added three each.
Callum McConachy kicked two goals for the Brendan Shepherd-coached Castlemaine.
Best for Gisborne were Braidon Blake, Flynn Lakey, Liam Spear, Sam Graham, Jed and Zac Denahy.
Matt Filo, Brodie Byrne, Lloyd Buther, Jackson Byrne, Callum McConahy and Ashton Frankling were the Magpies’ best.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Eaglehawk 408 per cent, 8 points; Sandhurst 188, 8; Golden Square 159, 8; Gisborne 156, 4; South Bendigo 146, 4; Strathfieldsaye 102, 4; Castlemaine 51, 4; Kangaroo Flat 57, 0; Kyneton 33, 0; Maryborough 16, 0.
Leaders in the race for the Ron Best Medal as leading goalkicker:
10 Lachlan Sharp, S’saye.
7 Joel Brett, GS; Lachlan Wright, Sh.
6 Zac Denahy, Gis.; Will Keck, SB.
5 Sam Griffiths, SB; Ryan Hartley, GS; Brock Harvey, SB; Dylan Hird, Eh; Harry Luxmoore, Gis.; Noah Wheeler, Eh.
4 Braidon Blake, Gis.; Ryan Bourke, Gis.; Jayden Burke, GS; Liam Marciano, Eh; Thomas Quinn, Kyn; Steven Stroobants, SB.
Highlight of next Saturday’s third round will be the match between Sandhurst and Golden Square for the Ron Best Memorial Shield.
The Dragons and Bulldogs will meet at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
It’s third edition of the Ron Best Memorial which honours the legendary goalkicker who tallied 1624 goals across 14 seasons in stints for Golden Square, Sandhurst, and Northern United.
Best’s career kicked off Golden Square before he joined Sandhurst in ’73 and was captain-coach as the club broke a premiership drought which had run since 1949.
He was a key forward in the Dragons’ premiership victory in ’77, back at Golden Square in ’79, and then at Northern United in 1984.
Another big match on Saturday will be at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve where the Bulldogs take on the ladder-leading Eaglehawk.
Maryborough and Kangaroo Flat clash in the Magpies’ nest at Princes Park.
South Bendigo and Kyneton will meet in the Bloods’ new home at Harry Trott Oval in Neale Street, Kennington.
Castlemaine is at home to play Strathfieldsaye at Camp Reserve.
