Fifteen games were played across the three rounds in July – there was a general bye for the Victoria Country v VAFA games at the QEO on July 11 – yet just three were decided by less than 10 goals.

The only two matches of the month decided by single-figure margins were on the same day – July 4 – when Strathfieldsaye beat Sandhurst by five points to keep its unbeaten season intact, while Kyneton held off Gisborne by two points in a key result in the Tigers’ push for a finals berth.

The only other July game with a margin of less than 10 goals was last week when Gisborne, after kicking just one goal in the first half, beat South Bendigo by 43 points.

The average margin across the 15 July games was 75 points, with the cause not helped by the fact that 10 of the matches featured the “big four” of Strathfieldsaye, Golden Square, Sandhurst and Eaglehawk playing against teams positioned from five to 10 on the ladder, where the average margin in those games was 91 points.

Bring on August and hopefully, some closer games.

• BFL results in July:

July 4/5 – Castlemaine d Maryborough by 104; Eaglehawk d South Bendigo by 70; Golden Square d Kangaroo Flat by 69; Strathfieldsaye d Sandhurst by 5; Kyneton d Gisborne by 2.

July 18 – Sandhurst d Maryborough by 150; Strathfieldsaye d Castlemaine by 80; Golden Square d Gisborne by 80; Eaglehawk d Kangaroo Flat by 77; Kyneton d South Bendigo by 63.

July 25/26 – Strathfieldsaye d Maryborough by 138; Eaglehawk d Castlemaine by 92; Sandhurst d Kangaroo Flat by 86; Golden Square d Kyneton by 68; Gisborne d South Bendigo by 43.

• BFL round 15 selections:

ADAM BOURKE (56) – Golden Square, Sandhurst, Eaglehawk, Strathfieldsaye, Kangaroo Flat.

LUKE WEST (55) – Golden Square, Sandhurst, Eaglehawk, Strathfieldsaye, Kangaroo Flat.

NATHAN DOLE (53) – Golden Square, Sandhurst, Eaglehawk, Strathfieldsaye, South Bendigo.