BENDIGO FOOTBALL LEAGUE - ROUND 6
MARYBOROUGH (0-5) v GOLDEN SQUARE (3-2) - 2.20pm Saturday at Maryborough.
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It’s becoming increasingly harder to see any light at the end of the tunnel for the Magpies, who in their five games this season have been outscored 793-189.
They now come up against a Bulldogs’ side that found its scoring mojo against Gisborne last week and has won its past three against Maryborough by margins of 200, 207 and 238 points.
Last time: Golden Square 31.24 (210) d Maryborough 1.4 (10).
CASTLEMAINE (1-4) v STRATHFIELDSAYE (4-1) - 2.20pm Saturday at Castlemaine.
No respite here for the other Magpies, who have been unable to get themselves into any contest during their run of four losses in a row by an average of 131 points.
That’s a worse losing average than Maryborough’s 121 points, which gives an indication to the early-season struggles of Castlemaine, which now confronts the Storm that at 4-1 is laying another solid foundation.
Last time: Strathfieldsaye 17.15 (117) d Castlemaine 10.7 (67).
KYNETON (3-1-1) v KANGAROO FLAT (2-3) - 2.20pm Saturday at Kyneton.
Two wins on the trot for the Roos against Castlemaine and Maryborough in which they have given their percentage a handy bump from 73.3 to 153.7.
It seemed easy to write the Roos off pre-season given the amount of players they lost from a team that didn’t make the finals last year, but they’ve shown in the first five games that under-estimate them at your peril.
This could be another game that goes down to the wire for the Tigers, who in their past two matches have lost to South Bendigo by two points and drawn with Sandhurst.
Last time: Kyneton 10.10 (70) d Kangaroo Flat 5.16 (46).
SOUTH BENDIGO (4-1) v SANDHURST (3-1-1) - 2.20pm Saturday at QEO.
The Bloods sit on top of the ladder for the first time since round nine, 2013, which was also the season in which they last won four games in a row, which is their current winning streak.
Showed tremendous character to beat Kyneton by two points last week, minus injured star forward Kaiden Antonowicz for the best part of three quarters.
Now comes the competition’s sternest test against the reigning premier Dragons in the annual battle for the Graeme Wright Memorial Cup, which Sandhurst has held since 2014.
Last time: Sandhurst 17.6 (108) d South Bendigo 7.11 (53).
EAGLEHAWK (3-2) v GISBORNE (1-4) - 2.30pm Sunday at Eaglehawk.
Which Gisborne will turn up on Sunday – the one that barely fired a shot against Golden Square last week, or the one that pushed Strathfieldsaye to the limit the previous round?
The 3-2 Hawks have been patchy and are struggling to hit the scoreboard with any fluency. Only once in their five games so far have they kicked more than nine goals.
Last time: Eaglehawk 17.11 (113) d Gisborne 4.6 (30).
• ROUND 6 TIPS:
KIERAN ILES (22) – Golden Square (111), Strathfieldsaye (44), Kyneton (24), Sandhurst (18), Eaglehawk (29).
ADAM BOURKE (21) – Golden Square (102), Strathfieldsaye (96), Kyneton (10), Sandhurst (15), Eaglehawk (8).
LUKE WEST (20) – Golden Square (124), Strathfieldsaye (85), Kyneton (18), Sandhurst (25), Eaglehawk (23).
RICHARD JONES (20) – Golden Square (109), Strathfieldsaye (68), Kyneton (19), Sandhurst (22), Eaglehawk (40).
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LODDON VALLEY - ROUND 8
CALIVIL UNITED (6-0) v BEARS LAGOON-SERPENTINE (5-1) - 2.15pm Saturday at Calivil.
Top of the ladder clash between two sides that combined have an 11-1 record.
A Calivil United win at home would move the Demons two games clear at the top approaching the halfway mark of the season.
The Bears will be up and about after a 95-point hiding of Maiden Gully YCW last week in what continued a remarkable 2017 resurgence.
Last time: Calivil United 24.14 (158) d BL-Serpentine 4.13 (37).
NEWBRIDGE (4-2) v MARONG (1-5) - 2.15pm Saturday at Newbridge.
The Maroons enhanced their standing within the competition last week with a 27-point win over Bridgewater as they improved to 4-2.
But as coach Matt Dillon said after the win, the challenge now is to back it up this week, which they should against the Panthers, who at 1-5 haven’t been going this poorly since 2010.
Last time: Marong 19.6 (120) d Newbridge 17.9 (111).
INGLEWOOD (0-7) v MITIAMO (3-3) - 2.15pm Saturday at Inglewood.
After a 21-day lay-off in which to stew on a 25-point loss to Pyramid Hill, the Superoos are back in action against Inglewood.
Blues’ co-coaches Ryan McNish and Jon Starr have both served their two-match suspensions and are clear to take charge again of a side that is staring at the prospect of completing its first half of the season winless.
Last time: Mitiamo 23.9 (147) d Inglewood 11.7 (73).
MAIDEN GULLY YCW EAGLES (2-4) v PYRAMID HILL (3-3) - 2.15pm Saturday at Maiden Gully.
The Bulldogs have built some momentum after a sluggish start with two wins in a row to square their record at 3-3, while the pressure is on the Eagles to respond from a lacklustre 95-point hiding from BL-Serpentine last week.
Last time: Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 15.8 (98) d Pyramid Hill 10.16 (76).
• ROUND 8 TIPS:
ADAM BOURKE (22) – Calivil United (10), Newbridge (32), Mitiamo (56), Pyramid Hill (24).
LUKE WEST (22) – Calivil United (20), Newbridge (44), Mitiamo (50), Pyramid Hill (28).
KIERAN ILES (19) – BL-Serpentine (3), Newbridge (29), Mitiamo (54), Pyramid Hill (30).
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HEATHCOTE DISTRICT - ROUND 7
NORTH BENDIGO (5-0) v LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER (5-0) - 2.15pm Saturday at North Bendigo.
Finally, it’s here – the clash between the two power teams that look the only two that can win the flag.
The Bulldogs and Bombers, rivals in the past two grand finals, are both undefeated and with percentages above 300, which shows just how far ahead they are.
The question now is where do the two sit in relation to each other. Or more directly, can the Bombers offer a legitimate challenge to the might of the Bulldogs, who right now have an aura of invisibility about them.
Hopefully, for the sake of interest in the competition some of that aura may have dissipated by 5pm Saturday.
Last time: North Bendigo 14.18 (102) d Leitchville-Gunbower 13.4 (82) - 2016 grand final.
HEATHCOTE (2-4) v ELMORE (1-4) - 2.15pm Saturday at Heathcote.
Not since 2013 has Heathcote won two games in a row. But after beating Mount Pleasant last week, here’s a golden opportunity for back-to-back victories at home against Elmore, which is coming off the interruption of a 21-day break.
Last time: Elmore 26.18 (174) d Heathcote 12.12 (84).
HUNTLY (2-3) v MOUNT PLEASANT (2-3) - 2.15pm Saturday at Huntly.
Two teams each with 2-3 records and coming off defeats last week.
The competition is waiting for the Hawks to get out of first gear and produce a result that makes their rivals stand up and take notice. Could it be Saturday?
Last time: Huntly 30.12 (192) d Mount Pleasant 10.4 (64).
WHITE HILLS (4-1) v COLBINABBIN (3-3) - 2.15pm Saturday at White Hills.
Massive game between what’s shaping as the two most likely teams to be battling for third spot.
Colbinabbin has been a major bogey side for the Demons, losing their past 10 against the Grasshoppers.
White Hills coach Brent Millar will certainly be aware of that given his long history with the Grasshoppers, which included coaching them to the 2008 flag, but they are now the enemy.
Last time: Colbinabbin 19.10 (124) d White Hills 11.13 (79).
• ROUND 7 TIPS:
ADAM BOURKE (19) – North Bendigo (22), Heathcote (5), Huntly (26), Colbinabbin (3).
KIERAN ILES (19) – North Bendigo (7), Heathcote (1), Huntly (20), Colbinabbin (11).
LUKE WEST (18) – North Bendigo (24), Elmore (3), Huntly (25), Colbinabbin (14).