The Season So Far......Senior Football
BY NATHAN DOLE
SANDHURST’S reign as top team in the Bendigo Bendigo Bendigo FNL senior footy has rolled on to the halfway mark of this season’s home and away series.
Beaten just once by Gisborne in the rematch of the ’24 grand finalists, Sandhurst is well on track to claim back-to-back Bendigo Advertiser premiership cups.
The Bryce Curnow and Lachlan Tardrew-coached Sandhurst makes its way down the Calder for this Saturday’s clash on Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.
Runner-up in ’24, Gisborne has shown it has the game plan and players to test the Dragons.
The Rob Waters-coached Bulldogs have one of the league’s strongest on-ball groups which includes Michelsen medallists Brad Bernacki and Braidon Blake.
Surprise packets of the ’25 campaign have been Eaglehawk and South Bendigo.
The Hawks have soared from being an elimination finalist last season to be on the third rung on a five-two record.
Defeats for the Travis Matheson and Clayton Holmes-coached Hawks were to Gisborne and Sandhurst, both on the Borough’s turf at Canterbury Park.
South Bendigo has leapt from last year’s seventh placing to be fourth on a five-two record.
Among the highs for the Troy Coates and Jack Fallon-coached Bloods was a 27-point victory at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve in round two.
Create enough chances and Bloods’ small forwards Kaiden Antonowicz, Brock Harvey and Steven Stroobants are capable of having a huge impact on their team’s fortunes.
The fifth-placed Strathfieldsaye Storm has endured a tough run on the injury front.
The Luke Freeman-coached Storm scored a crucial home win against Castlemaine last round.
After such a big improvement in ’24, Castlemaine has not kicked on just yet.
Injuries to some of the Pies’ prime movers have hurt, but all rivals are dealing with setbacks, short and long-term.
The Michael Hartley-coached Magpies have beaten Golden Square and Kangaroo Flat, but found wanting against the five teams ahead of them in the race for a finals berth.
Castlemaine meets South Bendigo and Eaglehawk twice in the run to September.
Although it’s seventh on a one-six record, Golden Square’s young squad has shown plenty of promise.
The Bulldogs took it right up to Gisborne in the latest all-Bulldogs showdown at Gardiner Reserve.
The Brad Eaton-coached Golden Square will be aiming for greater consistency from quarter to quarter and match by match.
Big game for the Bulldogs against Sandhurst for the Ron Best Memorial Cup which honours the goalkicking legend from both clubs on June 28 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
It’s been an incredibly challenging run for the Tyrone Downie-coached Kangaroo Flat.
A young squad knows it’s not just about now, but building toward sustained success across the next two and three seasons and beyond.
Best performance was in round three in a 21-point loss to Castlemaine on the Kangaroos’ ground at Dower Park.
The Roos have had ruckman Angus Macpherson and captain Ethan Roberts feature in the top three best players in most matches so far.
A club-by-club look at the run across the first half of the season and what’s coming up.
Castlemaine
6th, 2 wins, 5 losses, 77 per cent
Run home – Sandhurst, home; Golden Square, away; Kangaroo Flat, h; South Bendigo, a; Gisborne, h; Eaglehawk, a; Strathfieldsaye, h; South Bendigo, h; Eaglehawk, a.
Season so far:
Rd 1 – lt Sandhurst 53-107 at QEO.
Rd 2 – d Golden Square 76-26 at Camp Reserve.
Rd 3 - d Kangaroo Flat 99-78 at Dower Park.
Rd 4 – lt South Bendigo 59-115 at Camp Reserve.
Rd 5 – lt Gisborne 58-79 at Gardiner Reserve.
Rd 6 – lt Eaglehawk 65-144 at Camp Reserve.
Rd 7 – lt Strathfieldsaye 70-72 at Triple M Park.
Leading goalkickers:
11 Michael Hartley; 9 Josh Eyre; 7 John Watson.
Key players – Patrik Balta, Brodie Byrne, Kalan Huntly, Hunter Staples, Liam Wilkinson.
Eaglehawk
3rd, 5-2, 175%
Run home – Golden Square, h; Kangaroo Flat, a; South Bendigo, h; Gisborne, a; Strathfieldsaye, a; Castlemaine, h; Sandhurst, a; Kangaroo Flat, a; Castlemaine, h.
Season so far:
Rd 1 – d Golden Square 108-48 at Wade Street.
Rd 2 – d Kangaroo Flat 149-17 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 3 – d South Bendigo 71-34 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 4 – lt Giborne 94-105 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 5 – d Strathfieldsaye 85-49 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 6 – d Castlemaine 144-65 at Camp Reserve.
Rd 7 – lt Sandhurst 48-81 at Canterbury Park.
Leading goalkickers:
21 Jack O’Shannessy; 16 Clayton Holmes; 11 Billy Evans; 9 Jonty Neaves; 8 Tyh Evans, Ben Thompson.
Key players – Billy Evans, Brayden Frost, Clayton Holmes, Charlie Langford, Jack O’Shannessy.
Gisborne
2nd, 6-1, 141%
Run home – Kangaroo Flat, h; South Bendigo, a; Strathfieldsaye, a; Eaglehawk, h; Castlemaine, a; Sandhurst, h; Golden Square, a; Strathfieldsaye, h; Sandhurst, a.
Season so far:
Rd 1 – d Kangaroo Flat 211-51 at Dower Park.
Rd 2 – lt South Bendigo 71-98 at Gardiner Reserve.
Rd 3 – d Strathfieldsaye 57-52 at Gardiner Reserve.
Rd 4 – d Eaglehawk 105-94 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 5 – d Castlemaine 79-58 at Gardiner Reserve.
Rd 6 – d Sandhurst 85-73 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 7 – d Golden Square 89-68 at Gardiner Reserve.
Leading goalkickers:
20 Pat McKenna; 12 Dylan Johnstone; 9 Brad Bernacki, Thomas Werner; 8 James Gray, Harry Luxmoore;
Key players – Brad Bernacki, Braidon Blake, James Gray, Pat McKenna, Jack Reaper.
Golden Square
7th, 1-6, 63%
Run home – Eaglehawk, a; Castlemaine, h; Sandhurst, a; Strathfieldsaye, h; Kangaroo Flat, h; South Bendigo, a; Gisborne, h; Sandhurst, h; Strathfieldsaye, a.
Season so far:
Rd 1 – lt Eaglehawk 48-108 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 2 – lt Castlemaine 26-76 at Camp Reserve.
Rd 3 – lt Sandhurst 60-108 at Wade Street.
Rd 4 – lt Strathfieldsaye 43-62 at Triple M Park.
Rd 5 – d Kangaroo Flat 95-38 at Dower Park.
Rd 6 – lt South Bendigo 53-139 at Wade Street.
Rd 7 – lt Gisborne 68-89 at Gardiner Reserve.
Leading goalkickers:
9 Jordan Rosengren; 8 Jack McMahon; 7 Tom Strauch; 6 Jayden Burke;
Key players – Jayden Burke, Jon Coe, Daniel Keating, Jordan Rosengren, Tom Strauch.
Kangaroo Flat
8th, 0-7, 27%
Run home – Gisborne, a; Eaglehawk, h; Castlemaine, a; Sandhurst, h; Golden Square, a; Strathfieldsaye, a; South Bendigo, h; Eaglehawk, h; South Bendigo, a.
Season so far:
Rd 1 – lt Gisborne 51-211 at Dower Park.
Rd 2 – lt Eaglehawk 17-149 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 3 – lt Castlemaine 78-99 at Dower Park.
Rd 4 – lt Sandhurst 15-171 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 5 – lt Golden Square 38-95 at Dower Park.
Rd 6 – lt Strathfieldsaye 41-116 at Dower Park.
Rd 7 – lt South Bendigo 46-194 at Harry Trott Oval.
Leading goalkickers:
7 Nick Lang; 6 Nick Keogh; 5 Sam Barnes, Ethan Roberts;
Key players – Nick Lang, Angus Macpherson, Ethan Roberts, Zach Rouse, Campbell Smith.
Sandhurst
1st, 6-1, 218%
Run home – Castlemaine, a; Strathfieldsaye, h; Golden Square, h; Kangaroo Flat, a; South Bendigo, h; Gisborne, a; Eaglehawk, h; Golden Square, h; Gisborne, h.
Season so far:
Rd 1: d Castlemaine 107-53 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 2 – d Strathfieldsaye 96-46 at Triple M Park.
Rd 3 – d Golden Square 108-60 at Wade Street.
Rd 4 – d Kangaroo Flat 171-15 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 5 – d South Bendigo 114-37 at Harry Trott Oval.
Rd 6 – lt Gisborne 73-85 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 7 – d Eaglehawk 81-48 at Canterbury Park.
Leading goalkickers:
17 Tom Campbell; 14 Hugh Schmetzer; 11 Matt Wilkinson; 9 Fergus Greene; 8 Cobi Maxted, Nick Stagg.
Key players – James Coghlan, Fergus Greene, Cooper Smith, Lachlan Tardrew, Lachlan Wright.
South Bendigo
4th, 5-2, 141%
Run home – Strathfieldsaye, a; Gisborne, h; Eaglehawk, a; Castlemaine, h; Sandhurst, a; Golden Square, h; Kangaroo Flat, a; Castlemaine, a; Kangaroo Flat, h.
Season so far:
Rd 1 – d Strathfieldsaye 80-79 at Harry Trott Oval.
Rd 2 – d Gisborne 98-71 at Gardiner Reserve.
Rd 3 – lt Eaglehawk 34-71 at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Rd 4 – d Castlemaine 115-59 at Camp Reserve.
Rd 5 – lt Sandhurst 37-114 at Harry Trott Oval.
Rd 6 – d Golden Square 139-53 at Wade Street.
Rd 7 – d Kangaroo Flat 194-46 at Harry Trott Oval.
Leading goalkickers:
22 Kaiden Antonowicz, 19 Brock Harvey; 9 Steven Stroobants; 8 Jack Fallon.
Key players –Kaiden Antonowicz, Callum Crisp, Brock Harvey, Brody Haddow, Joel Swatton.
Strathfieldsaye
5th, 3-4, 100%
Run home – South Bendigo, h; Sandhurst, a; Gisborne, h; Golden Square, a; Eaglehawk, h; Kangaroo Flat, h; Castlemaine, a; Gisborne, h; Golden Square, h.
Season so far:
Rd 1: lt South Bendigo 79-80 at Harry Trott Oval.
Rd 2 – lt Sandhurst 46-96 at Triple M Park.
Rd 3 – lt Gisborne 52-57 at Gardiner Reserve.
Rd 4 – d Golden Square 62-43 at Triple M Park.
Rd 5 – lt Eaglehawk 49-85 at Canterbury Park.
Rd 6 – d Kangaroo Flat 116-41 at Dower Park.
Rd 7 – d Castlemaine 72-70 at Triple M Park.
Leading goalkickers:
11 Cooper Jones; 10 Bode Stevens; 7 Riley Wilson.
Key players – Sam Heavyside, Cooper Jones, Jake Moorhead, Bode Stevens, Riley Wilson.
