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North flexes muscle
Leitchy
proves no
match for
Bulldogs
ROUND 7
BY LUKE WEST
O
N PAPER it
promised plenty
the two unbeaten
grand finalists
from last season both in
red-hot form reigniting their
rivalry on Saturday.
The reality, though, was
North Bendigo only further
enhanced its status as the
unstoppable force of the
Heathcote District league
with a comfortable 68-point
win over Leitchville-Gun-
bower at home.
The rampaging Bulldogs
coasted to a 23.13 (151) to
12.11 (83) victory as they
handed the Bombers their
biggest loss since 2012.
Its a satisfying result in
the way we played today.
Everything we spoke about
that we wanted to do within
the game we did, so that was
pleasing, Bulldogs coach
Rob Bennett said.
The reigning premier
Bulldogs wasted no time
making their mark on the
contest, leading by 30 points
at quarter-time, 7.2 to 2.2,
after kicking with the wind
in the first term.
North then extended its
advantage at every break,
leading by 39 at half-time
and 60 at three quarter-time,
before the final margin of 68
points in what was a result
that saw the Bombers drop
their percentage by 99.
We had spoken before
the game that if we were to
get ourselves in a position
to get a bit of a break on
them that we didnt want to
take the foot off and to keep
grinding away and turn it in-
to a good win, Bennett said.
The Bulldogs 23 goals
were scored by a spread of
15 players, with only Brady
Herdman (three) kicking
more than two.
Theres a lot of focus
on our three big forwards
(Herdman, Sam Barnes and
Rhys Ford), but the load was
spread and again, that was
a really pleasing part about
today, Bennett said.
Ash Craig, who shut out
Bombers gun Matthew Lad-
son and won plenty of the
ball himself, Brett Strange,
who rucked one-out all day,
Herdman and Alex Shipard,
who played on star Bomb-
ers forward Matt Perri (four
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT FOOTBALL-NETBALL LEAGUE SPORT
GOTCHA: North Bendigo's Jarrod Findlay lays a tackle on Leitchville-Gunbower's Hoby Bussey in the grand final rematch. Picture: DARREN HOWE
ROUND 7
RESULTS
North Bendigo d
Leitchville-Gunbower
by 68
Huntly d Mount Pleasant
by 136
Colbinabbin d White Hills
by 35
Heathcote d Elmore by 28
goals) were North Bendigos
best players.
The Bulldogs who lost
Darcy Richards (medial)
early in the game also
named Joel Helman, in his
first game against Leitch-
ville-Gunbowe, in their best.
Joels first quarter in
particular really set the tone
for the rest of the game. He
kicked two ripper goals from
outside 50 that really lifted
the boys and his attack on
the footy was sensational,
Bennett said.
The Bombers named
ruckman Lee Pollock, Jack
Dye (three goals) and Adam
Decicco their best trio.
Our second quarter was
probably the most disap-
pointing part of the game.
We got our hands on the
footy and were playing well,
but couldnt put any score-
board pressure on, Bombers
coach Matt Hawken said.
Against a quality side like
North youve just got to take
every opportunity you get
and we didnt do that.
They certainly won the
midfield battle today, used
the ball really well and were
BEST ON GROUND: North Bendigo's Ash Craig was
pivotal in the Bulldogs' 68-point hiding of Leitchville-
Gunbower on Saturday. Picture: DARREN HOWE
just too good on the day.
Mount Pleasant endured
one of its darkest days after
it was on the end of a horror
scoreline against Huntly.
The Blues failed to kick a
goal, while Huntly had 48
scoring shots as the Hawks
produced their best perfor-
mance of the season so far
with the 18.30 (138) to 0.2 (2)
rout at home.
Mount Pleasant is the first
team in the Heathcote Dis-
trict league to end a senior
game goalless since Huntly
was held to 0.4 against Lock-
ington-Bamawm United in
round four, 2003.
There was a lack of
intensity at the ball today,
we didnt want to tackle,
didnt want to chase, didnt
want to man up we didnt
want to do anything, said
Mount Pleasant coach Matt
Johnson, who was forced to
pull out in the warm-up after
Monday May 29, 2017
injuring his calf, leaving the
Blues one player short.
We had two inside-50s
and 10 tackles in the first
half, so that pretty much
sums the game up for us.
Its the most disap-
pointing day Ive had in my
involvement with Mount
Pleasant, which goes back a
while now.
As well as the Blues who
scored one point in the
first quarter and one in the
second having no goalkick-
ers, the club also named no
players in its best.
While the Hawks won by
136 points, they could have
inflicted much more hurt on
the woeful Blues had they
been able to kick straight,
particularly in the first and
fourth quarters when they
scored 1.7 and 6.12.
Phil Ryan, Jacob Green-
wood (two goals) and
skipper Stacy Fiske led the
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best players for the Hawks,
who had co-coach Ryan
Semmel and Chris Gleeson
kick three goals apiece.
The Hawks, who replaced
Mount Pleasant in fifth
position with their third win,
importantly improved their
percentage from 65.2 to 88.0,
while the Blues dropped
from 73.8 to 57.8.
Colbinabbin bounced
back from two losses in a
row to record a crucial away
win over White Hills.
The Grasshoppers drew
level on four wins with the
Demons with their 15.13
(103) to 10.8 (68) victory as
they beat White Hills for the
11th-straight time.
It was a big game for both at home over Elmore,
clubs today. I set the chal-
lenge before the game and
the boys responded really
well with what was probably
our best footy of the season
so far, Colbinabbin coach this year, the result was a
Nick Knight said.
The Grasshoppers, who
led at every change, made
their move during the
second quarter when they
added 3.4 to 0.1 to lead by 29
points at half-time.
Knights coaching adver-
sary was the Demons Brent
Millar, came up against
the Grasshoppers, who he
coached to the 2008 flag, for
the first time since taking
over at the Demons.
We knew Funky (Millar) (two goals) played another
is a very smart operator and
that hed have the plans in
place with how we would
want to play. But full credit
to our boys as we stuck to
25
our plan and executed really
well, Knight said.
Consistent on-baller
Sam Vale, Pat OBrien off
half-back and the returning
Seth Hill in defence led the
way for the Grasshoppers,
who had Ryan Hon and
Alex Van Ruiswyk kick three
goals each.
The Demons were best
served by Jake Dickens, Jake
Ward and ruckman Lachlan
Sidebottom.
For the first time since
2013 Heathcote has won two
games in a row.
The Saints backed up
last weeks win over Mount
Pleasant with a 15.19 (109)
to 11.15 (81) triumph
which was coming off a
21-day break.
Such has been the
improvement in the Saints
and drop-off of the Bloods
118-point turnaround on
their previous meeting in
round 10 last season.
Its a great result for the
boys to have a couple of wins
in a row and is vindicating
that they are putting in the
hard work and getting the
results, Saints coach Luke
Bell said.
Bell and Jake Condon
both kicked four goals and
were the Saints best two,
while on-baller Jack Paisley
good game.
James Harney and Luke
Price kicked three goals each
for the Bloods, who lost their
fourth game in a row.