Weekend footy games - BFL, LVFL, HDFL

The Bulldogs haven’t won two in a row since 2015, but the trip to Maryborough presents a golden opportunity for back-to-back victories.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 75-point victory over Castlemaine and should build on that against the winless Magpies.

Last time: Gisborne 17.9 (111) d Maryborough 13.7 (85).

KANGAROO FLAT (2-5) v SANDHURST (4-2-1) - 2.20pm Saturday at Kangaroo Flat.

The depth of the injury-ravaged Dragons is being tested and this looms as good an opportunity as the Roos, playing on their home ground, have had in recent years of toppling Sandhurst.

The Roos are coming off 67 and 70-point hidings from Strathfieldsaye and Kyneton in their past two games, and despite Sandhurst’s injury woes they are still going to need to be at the top of their game to be in with a chance of causing an upset and ending a string off 11 losses in a row against the Dragons.

The Dragons should win, but this could be one of those “don’t slip on a banana peel” games, just as the plucky Roos almost proved to be for Golden Square in round one.

Last time: Sandhurst 23.8 (146) d Kangaroo Flat 7.6 (48).

CASTLEMAINE (1-6) v EAGLEHAWK (5-2) - 2.20pm Saturday at Castlemaine.

Could last week’s crucial victory over the Tigers be the catalyst to really kickstart the Hawks’ season?

The Hawks have now got themselves a 5-2 platform to build from and should make it three wins in a row when they meet Castlemaine, which has lost six on the trot in which it has won just one of 24 quarters.

Last time: Eaglehawk 13.15 (93) d Castlemaine 9.13 (67).

KYNETON (4-2-1) v GOLDEN SQUARE (5-2) - 2.20pm Saturday at Kyneton.

The Divinyls sang “it’s a fine line between pleasure and pain” and that’s one way of summing up the Tigers and just how tight it is among the top six teams.

After seven games the Tigers have lost two games by a combined nine points, yet find themselves outside the top five.

There’s also the drawn clash with Sandhurst, but the fact that had they won only one of those games and they’d be sitting second indicates just how little room for error there’s going to be in the finals battle.

The Bulldogs grinded out a hard-fought 10-point victory over South Bendigo last week for their third win in a row and are building nicely into their season.

Last time: Golden Square 15.16 (106) d Kyneton 3.10 (28).

SOUTH BENDIGO (5-2) v STRATHFIELDSAYE (6-1) - 2.20pm Saturday at QEO.

The QEO hosts the clash of 1 v 2 as the challenging stretch of matches continues for the improved Bloods.

They came up short against Golden Square last week and now confront the Storm, who seven rounds in are putting their hand up as the best side.

The Storm have moved a game clear in top spot and are proving a tough nut to crack defensively, having conceded just 13 goals in their past three games.

Last time: Strathfieldsaye 12.10 (82) d South Bendigo 9.4 (58).

• ROUND 8 TIPS:

KIERAN ILES (30) – Gisborne (60), Sandhurst (30), Eaglehawk (60), Golden Square (15), Strathfieldsaye (16).

ADAM BOURKE (28) – Gisborne (55), Sandhurst (32), Eaglehawk (82), Golden Square (10), Strathfieldsaye (22).

RICHARD JONES (28) – Gisborne (89), Sandhurst (31), Eaglehawk (57), Golden Square (9), Strathfieldsaye (18).

LUKE WEST (27) – Gisborne (54), Sandhurst (35), Eaglehawk (52), G. Square (7), Strathfieldsaye (20).

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MAIDEN GULLY YCW EAGLES (2-6) v INGLEWOOD (0-8) - 2.15pm Saturday at Maiden Gully.

Shapes as one of the Blues’ best opportunities to win a game this season.

They will be fresh off the bye and coming up against an Eagles side that has lost its past three in a row by a total of 248 points.

Last time: Maiden Gully YCW Eagles 11.15 (81) d Inglewood 10.12 (72).

PYRAMID HILL (4-4) v NEWBRIDGE (6-2) - 2.15pm Saturday at Pyramid Hill.

Big day for the Bulldogs, who will have some added motivation in what is co-coach Brad Fawcett’s 300^th senior game for the club.

It will be no easy task, though, celebrating Fawcett’s 300^th with a victory as they come up against Newbridge that begins the second half of the season in second spot and with three wins in a row – two of which have come against fellow top-five sides in BL-Serpentine and Bridgewater.

Last time: Newbridge 13.9 (87) d Pyramid Hill 10.7 (67).

MITIAMO (5-3) v CALIVIL UNITED (8-0) - 2.15pm Saturday at Mitiamo.

Looms as a belter of a contest between first and third on the ladder and two sides that should be right amongst it when the whips are cracking in September.

The Superoos go into the game ranked No.1 for defence, while the unbeaten Demons are No.1 for attack.

Last time: Calivil United 10.12 (72) d Mitiamo 8.13 (61).

BEARS LAGOON-SERPENTINE (5-3) v BRIDGEWATER (5-3) - 2.15pm Saturday at Serpentine.

Who will forget round one this year when the result filtered through that the Bears had beaten the Mean Machine?

Perhaps the Mean Machine under-estimated the Bears that day, which would have been easy to do given Bridgewater was coming off an undefeated premiership and the Bears a winless season.

The Mean Machine certainly won’t be falling into the same trap on Saturday.

Last time: BL-Serpentine 14.9 (93) d Bridgewater 10.12 (72).

• ROUND 10 TIPS:

ADAM BOURKE (29) – Maiden Gully YCW (6), Pyramid Hill (7), Calivil United (11), Bridgewater (8).

LUKE WEST (29) – Maiden Gully YCW (12), Pyramid Hill (8), Calivil United (10), Bridgewater (15).

KIERAN ILES (25) – Maiden Gully YCW (17), Newbridge (7), Calivil United (11), Bridgewater (11).

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NORTH BENDIGO (7-0) v ELMORE (1-6) - 2.15pm Saturday at North Bendigo.

The Bulldogs have played just seven games, yet have already cracked the 1000-point mark having kicked scores of 203, 187, 124, 170, 124, 151 and 175.

Next to face the juggernaut is the Bloods coming off five losses in a row. This could get very ugly.

Last time: North Bendigo 16.20 (116) d Elmore 11.16 (82).

HUNTLY (4-3) v HEATHCOTE (3-4) - 2.15pm Saturday at Huntly.

A couple of 100-point plus victories in a row has the Hawks back up and about and they should continue on their winning way at home.

However, Luke Bell is doing a fine job as coach of the Saints and you could mount a case given the effort he’s extracting from his group and that his side exceeding expectations by proving anything but the easybeats touted pre-season that so far he is coach of the year.

Last time: Huntly 16.19 (115) d Heathcote 5.8 (38).

WHITE HILLS (4-3) v MOUNT PLEASANT (2-5) - 2.15pm Saturday at White Hills.

Two losses in a row has brought the Demons back from third to fifth, which is the position Mount Pleasant occupied two weeks ago.

But that was before the Blues have been outscored 313-12 and 98 scoring shots to seven in their past two games against North Bendigo and Huntly.

Last time: White Hills 16.15 (111) d Mount Pleasant 2.15 (27).

LBU (0-7) v LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER (6-1) - 2.15pm Sunday at Lockington.

Massive weekend for the Lockington community when the Cats celebrate 100 years of football.

The Cats will wear commemorative guernseys on Sunday, but it will take a massive upset if they were to prevent the Bombers from spoiling their party

Last time: Leitchville-Gunbower 22.20 (152) d LBU 4.3 (27).

• ROUND 9 TIPS:

ADAM BOURKE (27) – North Bendigo (102), Huntly (33), White Hills (44), Leitchville-Gunbower (62).

KIERAN ILES (27) – North Bendigo (90), Huntly (25), White Hills (59), Leitchville-Gunbower (82).

LUKE WEST (25) – North Bendigo (120), Huntly (62), White Hills (75), Leitchville-Gunbower (70).