EACH week in the second half of a footy season presents an opportunity for a losing team to right the wrongs against their conqueror of earlier in the year.
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A look ahead to this weekend’s round 12 of the Bendigo Football League has a particular redemption feel to it where the clubs who were beaten in the corresponding round three fixtures should have extra fire in the belly to make amends.
None more so than Kangaroo Flat, which renews acquaintances with its nemesis, Golden Square, at MyJet Oval on Sunday.
It has been well documented Kangaroo Flat hasn’t beaten Golden Square since 2001, and with the way the Roos crumbled against the Bulldogs on Good Friday, you’ve got to wonder if they will ever beat them again.
That night on April 17 the Roos led by 27 points in the third quarter against an already under-strength Golden Square that lost skipper Simon Rosa (broken hand) in the second quarter.
Add in the fact Kangaroo Flat had Brendan Fevola sitting in the goalsquare, how the Roos didn’t win that night at home must still keep coach Jason Stevens awake at night.
The Bulldogs over-run the Roos to win 13.12 (90) to 13.6 (84) - their 27th win in a row over Kangaroo Flat, which gets another crack this Sunday at finally putting that 13-year hoodoo to bed.
With both sides 6-5 and sitting fourth and fifth on the ladder, it’s a vital contest in the finals race.
Kyneton will also look back to Good Friday as a major missed opportunity against arch-rival Gisborne.
Playing a side they have copped belting after belting off since Gisborne joined the BFL in 2000, the Tigers had 10 more scoring shots that day in round three, but lost.
The Bulldogs won 13.8 (86) to 9.22 (76) at Kyneton.
The Tigers kicked 1.5 in the first quarter, 1.5 in the second, 2.7 in the third and 5.5 in the last of what was a performance that sums up the old adage of bad kicking is bad footy.
What about Maryborough, which blew a position of dominance at half-time against Castlemaine at Camp Reserve in another of the Good Friday games.
With both sides chasing their first wins of the season, Maryborough led by 18 points at half-time.
But Maryborough couldn’t capitalise on its strong first half as Castlemaine took control of the contest with a 7.5 to 1.0 third term on the way to a 12.13 (85) to 9.11 (65) win.
The win was there for the taking for Maryborough and it will be hellbent on not letting another opportunity slip by at home this Saturday.
Then there’s the headline clash between the BFL’s two top sides, Sandhurst and Strathfieldsaye, at the QEO.
The Storm get a return crack at taking on the side that embarrassed them - albeit with an under-manned side - in round three when they were humbled by 79 points on their home ground in their only loss of the season so far.
And South Bendigo will be determined to show Eaglehawk that it can play a much better brand of footy than their round three meeting when the Bloods didn’t kick a goal in the first half at Harry Trott Oval