Bulldogs mark impressive start to finals campaigns
Bulldogs mark impressive start to finals campaigns
THE Bulldogs from Golden Square and Gisborne marked impressive starts to the weekend’s finals action in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy.
On Sunday it was Golden Square which ended Eaglehawk’s season as the Bulldogs won the elimination final by 31 points.
A day earlier and Gisborne outran Strathfieldsaye to mark a 55-point victory in the qualifying final.
There was no second chance as Golden Square tackled Eaglehawk in the elimination final.
It had been one-all in clashes between the Dogs and Hawks in the home-and-away series.
Eaglehawk had plenty of the play and scored 2.4 and held the Bulldogs to a tally of three points in the opening term.
In the second it was the blue and gold which took control and scored 4.4 to lead 31-24 by half-time.
Quarter three was one of the best this season by the Brad Eaton-coached Golden Square.
Playing into the breeze the Bulldogs added 2.1 as the Hawks missed chances to finish with 1.5.
A nine-point lead for Square going into the final term was 31 by the end as the Bulldogs scored six goals in the last.
Golden Square kicked on for an 82-51 victory and set up a first semi-final showdown with Strathfieldsaye.
The Dogs’ attack was led by Jack Stewart, Tom Strauch and Tom Toma on two.
Ruckman-forward Kai Daniels was one of several players in Golden Square’s team playing in their first senior final.
Daniels’ follow-up work from a ruck duel was a highlight as he was best afield for the Bulldogs as premiership winners Jack Threlfall, Tom Strauch and Tom Toma won plenty of the footy.
A highlight was the play of Terence Reeves who has fought his way back from a knee injury which ended his ’23 season and a run at premiership glory.
Reeves continues to inspire his team-mates.
Best for Eaglehawk were co-captains Billy Evans and Joel Mullen, Ben Thompson, Sam O’Shannessy, Thomas Bennett and Bryce Frost.
Gisborne set up a second semi-final clash with Sandhurst as it won Saturday’s qualifying final against Strathfieldsaye.
The Luke Freeman-coached Strathfieldsaye would rue its inaccuracy in the first quarter.
Storm dominated play, but a score of 2.7 meant it led by just 11 points at quarter-time.
In the second term it was Gisborne which made the most of its chances to score 6.4 and hold a 27-point lead by half-time.
Storm struck back to kick six goals straight in the third as the Bulldogs replied with 4.4.
Talented wingman Dylan Johnstone and gun forward Pat McKenna both went on to kick a match-high five goals as Gisborne surged clear in the final term.
At the siren the Bulldogs led 125-70.
Another multiple goalkicker for Gisborne was Seb Bell-Bartels on three.
Storm’s attack was led by Zach Charles on three.
Best for Gisborne were on-baller Brad Bernacki, Dylan Johnstone, Pat McKenna and Flynn Lakey.
Strathfieldsaye’s best were Bode Stevens, Zach Charles, Darcy Mulquiny and Daniel Clohesy.
In the Drummond Golf reserves competition, Strathfieldsaye marked a 16-point win against Eaglehawk in the elimination final.
The Hawks led 10-3 at quarter-time before Storm added 3.1 to a point in the second.
Just five points separated the teams going into the final quarter.
Storm scored 3.7 as the Hawks added 2.2 in the last.
It was a 56-40 victory for Storm as Siologa Siu and Jye Stephens kicked two goals.
The Hawks’ leading goalkicker was Jordan Ilsley on two.
Best for Strathfieldsaye were Carson James, James Blood, Dermott Bell and Jai Featherby.
Eaglehawk’s best were Aydan Hanley, Jaxon Vroom, Jack Kerr and Corey Webb.
Storm will now take on Golden Square in a first semi-final.
Scores were 17-all at three quarter-time of the qualifying final between Sandhurst and Golden Square.
The Dragons fired up to score 3.3 in the last and kept the Bulldogs scoreless to record a 38-17 victory.
Best afield in Sandhurst’s reserves premiership of six years ago, Brodie Montague keeps on racking up the possessions.
Montague was best on in Saturday’s clash and had great support from Charlie Robinson, Wil Pinniger and Isaac Carracher.
Golden Square’s best were the hard-running Zac Tickell, Lachlan Monti, Tommi Turner and Drew Barrett.
The Castlemaine FNC marked a successful return to footy finals as the under-18s won Sunday’s elimination final against Kangaroo Flat.
It was the Kangaroos who bounced away to a 23-8 lead by quarter-time.
Castlemaine struck back to win the second term, 20-2.
The Kangaroos led 36-30 at the start of the final term.
The Bailey Henderson-coached Magpies lifted their play and scored 3.3.
Just as importantly was Castlemaine’s defensive efforts to hold the Roos to a tally of 1.1.
At the final siren the Magpies led 51-43 to set up a first semi-final clash with Gisborne.
Best in Castlemaine’s latest win were Curtis McLennan, Mitchell McKnight, Bodhi Robinson and Jack Nuttall.
Kangaroo Flat’s best were Lachie Raymond, Darby Brown, Jay Newman and Hudson Bourke.
On Saturday it was Golden Square which marked a 47-point win against Gisborne.
The blue and gold turned an 11-point deficit at quarter-time into a 15-point lead by the long break.
Golden Square dominated most of the second half.
Led by the play of Jack McMahon, Riley Dillon and Bailey Warfe, Golden Square scored four goals in the third term and another three in the last.
Xavier Grant kicked a match-high three goals and McMahon booted two in the 75-28 result.
The Gisborne attack was led by Lucas Hannon with two.
Best for Golden Square included Byron Ritchie, Melvic Pambai and Lachlan Ross.
Gisborne’s best were Lucas Hannon, Lachlan Evans, Jacob Floreani, August Stelma and Wilhem Mackay.
Bendigo FNL footy elimination finals scoreboard:
Seniors:
Golden Square 0.3 4.7 6.8 12.10 (82)
Eaglehawk 2.4 3.6 4.11 6.15 (51)
GOALS – Golden Square: Jack Stewart, Tom Strauch, Tom Toma 2, Dylan Hird, Lachlan Humphrey, Ricky Monti, Tanner Rayner, Jordan Rosengren, Jack Sampson. Eaglehawk: Thomas Bennett, Kyen Burrill-Grinton, Billy Evans, Brayden Frost, Jonty Neaves, Darcy Richards.
BEST – Golden Square: Kai Daniels, Jack Threlfall, Tom Strauch, Tom Toma, Terence Reeves, Jordan Rosengren. Eaglehawk: Billy Evans, Joel Mullen, Ben Thompson, Sam O’Shannessy, Thomas Bennett, Bryce Frost.
Drummond Golf Reserves:
Strathfieldsaye 0.3 3.4 4.7 7.14 (56)
Eaglehawk 1.4 1.5 3.8 5.10 (40)
GOALS – Strathfieldsaye: Siologa Siu, Jye Stephens 2, Charles Dole, Jai Featherby, Declan Lowther. Eaglehawk: Jordan Ilsley 2, Andrew Bennett, Rhys Foster, Mitchell Ronchieri.
BEST – Strathfieldsaye: Carson James, James Blood, Dermott Bell, Jai Featherby, Zachary Grieve, Siologa Siu. Eaglehawk: Aydan Hanley, Jaxon Vroom, Jack Kerr, Corey Webb, Liam Drummond, Izak O’Sullivan.
Sportspower Under-18s:
Castlemaine 1.2 4.4 4.6 7.9 (51)
Kangaroo Flat 3.5 3.7 4.12 5.13 (43)
GOALS – Mitchell McKnight 2, Kyan Martin, Jack Nuttall, Bodhi Robinson, Ben Van egmond, Timon Vellacott. Kangaroo Flat: Max Balcke, Hudson Bourke, Xavier Coghill, Raymond McNamara, Aaron Nevins.
BEST – Castlemaine: Curtis McLennan, Mitchell McKnight, Bodhi Robinson, Jack Nuttall, Robert Muscat, Patrick Leathem. Kangaroo Flat: Lachie Raymond, Darby Brown, Jay Newman, Hudson Bourke, Aaron Nevins, Zach Bird.
Bendigo FNL footy qualifying finals scoreboard:
Seniors:
Gisborne 1.2 7.6 11.10 18.17 (125)
Strathfieldsaye 2.7 2.9 8.9 10.10 (70)
GOALS – Gisborne: Dylan Johnstone, Pat McKenna 5, Seb Bell-Bartels 3, Zac Denahy, Matt Merrett 2, Shane Clough. Strathfieldsaye: Zach Charles 3, Patrick Blandford, Jye Chambers, Daniel Clohesy, Lachlan Gill, Malik Gordon, Cooper Jones, Riley Wilson.
BEST – Gisborne: Brad Bernacki, Dylan Johnstone, Pat McKenna, Flynn Lakey, Liam Spear, Braidon Blake. Strathfieldsaye: Bode Stevens, Zach Charles, Darcy Mulquiny, Daniel Clohesy, Caleb Ernst, Riley Wilson.
Drummond Golf reserves
Sandhurst 0.2 1.5 2.5 5.8 (38)
Golden Square 0.2 0.3 2.5 2.5 (17)
GOALS – Sandhurst: Wilson Butler, Luke Crawford, Patrick O’Farrell, Charlie Robinson, Jasper Stewart. Golden Square: Darcy Edmiston, Lachlan Monti.
BEST – Sandhurst: Brodie Montague, Charlie Robinson, Wil Pinniger, Isaac Carracher, Rory Ellett, Wilson Butler. Golden Square: Zac Tickell, Lachlan Monti, Tommi Turner, Drew Barrett, Xavier Carter, Matt Compson.
Sportspower under-18s:
Golden Square 0.2 4.4 8.4 11.9 (75)
Gisborne 2.1 2.1 4.3 4.4 (28)
GOALS – Golden Square: Xavier Grant 3, Jack McMahon 2, Archie Eaton, Liam Hanley, Lincoln McKern, Lewis Ritchie, Lachlan Ross, James Wilkinson. Gisborne: Lucas Hannon 2, Lachlan Evans, Jacob Floreani.
BEST – Golden Square: Jack McMahon, Riley Dillon, Bailey Warfe, Byron Ritchie, Melvic Pambai, Lachlan Ross. Gisborne: Lucas Hannon, Lachlan Evans, Jacob Floreani, August Stelma, Wilhem Mackay.
Schedule for Saturday’s second semi-finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval:
Under-18s at 10.15am: Sandhurst v Golden Square.
Reserves at 12.15pm: Gisborne v Sandhurst.
Seniors at 2.20pm: Sandhurst v Gisborne.
Schedule for Sunday’s first semi-finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval:
Under-18s at 10.15am: Gisborne v Castlemaine.
Reserves at 12.15pm: Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye.
Seniors at 2.20pm: Strathfieldsaye v Golden Square.
