ROUND 13 FOOTBALL REVIEW | Gisborne goes two-up against Sandhurst
GISBORNE’S stunning run against Sandhurst rolled on in Saturday’s 13th round of Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL senior footy action.
The Bulldogs made it two-nil in this season’s showdowns between last year’s grand finalists.
The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne revelled in the wet conditions on home turf at Gardiner Reserve to score a 76-39 win against the reigning premier.
After Sandhurst won the first quarter, 15-6, it was Gisborne which scored 4.3 in the second and kept the maroon and blue to a tally of 1.1.
An 11-point buffer for the Bulldogs at the long break became 19 going into the last.
Led by the play of captain and key defender Jack Reaper, Zach Vescovi, and on-ballers James Gray and Brad Bernacki it was Gisborne which surged clear.
The Bulldogs added another four goals in the last for an emphatic 37-point win.
Pat McKenna led the attack on four goals as Matt Merrett chipped in with two.
Sandhurst’s leading goalkicker was co-coach and gun on-baller Lachlan Tardrew on two.
Best for Gisborne included Jacob Murphy and Zac Denahy.
The Dragons’ best were Lachlan Tardrew, Oliver Morris, Cobi Maxted, James Coghlan, Nick Stagg and Liam Ireland.
Sandhurst also has Bryce Curnow as co-coach in its pursuit of back-to-back premierships and is still top of the ladder.
The Dragons and Bulldogs are now locked on 44 premiership points and will meet again in the 16th and final round of the home-and-away series at Queen Elizabeth Oval on August 23.
It’s been many decades since a score of 25 points was enough to win a senior match in Bendigo FNL history.
On Saturday it was South Bendigo which scored 3.7 (25) to defeat Golden Square’s tally of 2.2 (14) at Kennington’s Harry Trott Oval.
The Bloods led 14-2 at quarter-time.
The second went Golden Square’s way, 2-1.
There were plenty of stoppages and ball-ups in the cold and wet conditions.
South Bendigo led 24-11 at a quarter to go.
Altough the blue and gold won the final term, 3-1, it was the Bloods who marked a 25-14 victory.
On a day where goals were priceless it was Brock Harvey who slotted two majors for the Bloods as Anthony Zimmerman was also on target.
Sole goalkicker for the Bulldogs was Harrison Kelly.
Best for the Bloods were ruckman Callum Crisp, Anthony Zimmerman, Brody Haddow, co-coach Jack Fallon, James Davies and Jesse Collins.
South Bendigo has Troy Coates as non-playing co-coach.
Best for the Brad Eaton-coached Golden Square were rover Terence Reeves, key defender Zack Shelton, Brodie James, Jack McMahon, Luke Holt and Dylan Hird.
Eaglehawk kicked away in the second half of its home game against Castlemaine at Canterbury Park.
The Hawks scored 4.3 in the first half as Castlemaine’s accuracy of 3.1 meant the Magpies were right in the game.
Eaglehawk won the crucial third quarter, 11-nil, and then the last, 14-1.
Co-coach Clayton Holmes led the attack on two goals in a 52-20 victory.
Other goalkickers for the Borough were Thomas Bennett, captain Billy Evans, Tyh Evans, Blake McGregor and Jack O’Shannessy.
Castlemaine’s goalkickers were Jack Chester, Kalan Huntly and Ben McConachy.
The Hawks’ best were ruckman Brayden Frost, Billy Evans, Ben Thompson, Nick Hoare, Thomas Bennett and key defender Charlie Langford.
Eaglehawk has Travis Matheson as non-playing co-coach.
Best for the Michael Hartley-coached Castlemaine were Jake Stein, Riley Pedretti, Kalan Huntly, Callum McConachy, Rhys Jenkins and Hunter Staples.
Strathfieldsaye withstood a spirited last quarter fightback by Kangaroo Flat to take the points at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
The Storm led 4-1 at quarter-time and then scored three goals in the second to be up 22-2 by the long break.
The Luke Freeman-coached Storm was in control as both teams scored 1.1 in the third quarter.
In the last it was the Tyrone Downie-coached Kangaroos who bounced back brilliantly.
A goal less than three minutes in put the Roos within 14 points.
When James Schischka kicked his third goal Storm was up by 21 poits.
The Kangaroos never stopped and were rewarded with another goal to finish within 14 points in the team’s best performance of the season.
In his first senior match since round 14 of last season, Schischka showed how important he is to Storm’s attack.
Strathfieldsaye’s other goalkickers in the team’s fifth victory were Zach Charles and Jed Daniels.
Kangaroo Flat’s goals were off the boot of Sam Barnes, Nick Keogh, and ruckman Angus Macpherson.
Best for Storm were Cooper Jones, key defender Kya Lanfranchi, Tim Hosking, Jordan Wilson, Patrick Blandford and James Schischka.
The skilful Jeremy Rodi was Kangaroo Flat’s best along with captain Ethan Roberts, Aaron Melis, Pat Murphy, Josh Leersen and Kyle Symons.
Bendigo FNL senior footy ladder:
Sandhurst 223 per cent, 44 points; Gisborne 146, 44; Eaglehawk 170, 40; South Bendigo 121, 32; Strathfieldsaye 83, 20; Golden Square 78, 16; Castlemaine 72, 12; Kangaroo Flat 29, 0.
The split 14th round kicks off next Saturday when matches are played at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve, and Golden Square’s Wade Street.
Castlemaine faces a big test against Strathfieldsaye Storm.
It’s the battle of the Bulldogs as Golden Square takes on Gisborne.
Round 14 will be completed on August 9 when Kangaroo Flat tackles South Bendigo at Dower Park, and Sandhurst faces Eaglehawk at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Leaders in the goalkicking race for the Ron Best Medal:
33 Kaiden Antonowicz, South Bendigo.
32 Tom Campbell, Sandhurst.
32 Brock Harvey, South Bendigo.
31 Pat McKenna, Gisborne.
28 Jack O’Shannessy, Eaglehawk.
25 Fergus Greene, Sandhurst.
25 Steven Stroobants, South Bendigo.
21 Jack McMahon, Golden Square.
20 Matt Wilkinson, Sandhurst.
19 Brad Bernacki, Gisborne.
19 Dylan Johnstone, Gisborne.
18 Clayton Holmes, Eaglehawk.
18 Harry Luxmoore, Gisborne.
17 Jordan Rosengren, Golden Square.
16 Billy Evans, Eaglehawk.
16 Michael Hartley, Castlemaine.
16 Cobi Maxted, Sandhurst.
16 Hugh Schmetzer, Sandhurst.
15 Bode Stevens, Strathfieldsaye.
15 Ben Thompson, Eaglehawk.
14 Lachie Hood, Sandhurst.
14 Cooper Jones, Strathfieldsaye.
14 Matt Merrett, Gisborne.
13 Xavier Carter, Golden Square.
13 Tyh Evans, Eaglehawk.
13 Josh Eyre, Castlemaine.
13 Charlie Robinson, Sandhurst.
12 Sam Barnes, Kangaroo Flat.
12 James Gray, Gisborne.
12 Nick Stagg, Sandhurst.
