![Adam Baird will play his 100th game for Golden Square on Good Friday. Adam Baird will play his 100th game for Golden Square on Good Friday.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/f600e81c-aa40-4646-ae83-b121995a0b08.JPG/r0_0_3862_2171_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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Bendigo footy is back with a bang on Good Friday with four games to start the season.
The new-look Kangaroo Flat and Golden Square meet at Bendigo Mazda Oval.
Square has won its past 32 encounters with Kangaroo Flat. The last time the Roos defeated the Bulldogs, John Howard was halfway through his reign as Aussie Prime Minister, Goran Ivanisevic defeated Pat Rafter in the men’s Wimbledon final and most of this year’s Kangaroo Flat senior squad were in primary school.
Golden Square star Adam “Skinny” Baird will play his 100th senior game for the Dogs. Baird is a four-time premiership player with Square and a five-time inter-league representative.
Kyneton and Gisborne clash in their traditional Good Friday game at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
Anything less than a return to the finals will be seen as a failure for the Tigers in 2017, while the young Bulldogs look set to give teams in the top half of the ladder a scare this year.
Castlemaine plays its first game under lights when it hosts Maryborough at Camp Reserve.
The game also marks the return of Derrick Filo to Castlemaine as Magpies’ coach.
Maryborough has more depth in its list this year, but it’s hard to see it beating the Maine.
At the QEO, South Bendigo and Eaglehawk go head-to-head under lights.
Everyone expects the Hawks to challenge for a grand final berth in 2017 and, on paper at least, their team looks strong.
The Bloods made inroads in 2016 and will be looking to pinch fifth spot this year.
The round is completed on Saturday with a mouth-watering clash between Strathfieldsaye and last year’s premiers Sandhurst.
Here are the Bendigo Addy footy experts selections for round one:
(A reminder that somehow Kieran Iles, in a Leicester City style performance, was the leading tipster in 2016, while perennial tipping champion Adam Bourke finished an extremely unlucky last.)
Adam Bourke – Golden Square (32), Kyneton (15), Eaglehawk (14), Castlemaine (38), Sandhurst (4).
Luke West – Golden Square (48), Kyneton (35), Eaglehawk (18), Castlemaine (53), Sandhurst (20).
Kieran Iles – Golden Square (52), Kyneton (21), Eaglehawk (24), Castlemaine (48), Sandhurst (16).
Richard Jones – Golden Square (19), Kyneton (24), Eaglehawk (8), Castlemaine (79), Sandhurst (37).
BENDIGO FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE TEAMS
GOOD FRIDAY
KYNETON v GISBORNE at Kyneton Showgrounds, 2.20pm
Kyneton
B: H. Huntley, P. McCarthy, K. Clark
HB: H. Govan, J. Mangan, E. Foreman
C: T. Kelly, J. Govan, L. Chisholm
HF: F. Brazil, D. Davie, M. O'Sullivan
F: B. Mahony, M. Scholard, B. Weightman
R: D. Harris, M. Clancy, R. Magin
Int: D. Holden, N. Brazil, T. O'Sullivan, J. Safstrom
Gisborne
B: Fraser, J. Simpson, Clough
Hb: Baker, R. Lynch, McKenna
C: Young, Kilbane, Paterson
Hf: Scanlon, Baker, J. Conolan
F: Weaver, Comerford, Wood
R: Wilson, Greetham, Doolan
Inter: Grbac, Hickingbotham, Trotta, Cassidy
KANGAROO FLAT v GOLDEN SQUARE at Dower Park, 2.20pm
Kangaroo Flat
B: T. Verbeek, A. Pearson, H. McCartney
HB: T. Holman, T. McInnes, L. Collins
C: S. Maddern, R. Turner, L. Needs
HF: M. Collins, J. Doherty, D. Dempster
F: M. Holt, C. Bowyer, A. Cussen
R: N. Lang, J. Lanyon, C. Greer
Inter from: J. Bower, M. Greer, T. Ferguson, L. Ly, C. Williams, C. Rohde,
J. Murphy
Golden Square
B: B. Dorrington, W. Lee, C. Anderson
Hb: J .Coe, J. Thrum, M. Dalrymple
C: L. Marciano, J. Geary, L. Humphrey
Hf: M. Treacy, J. Rosengren, R. Mutch
F: B. Coyle, D. Johnstone, Z. Keighran
Foll: M. Compston, A. Baird, D. Lowry
Inter from: C. Draper, H. Donegan, J. Coad, T. Baird, S. Young, B. George
CASTLEMAINE v MARYBOROUGH at Camp Reserve, 5.30pm
Castlemaine
B: A. Robins, J. Hood, H. Singh
HB: J. Graham, A. Code, R. Jenkins
C: M. Noonan, S. Seddon, J. Watson
HF: J. Smith, M. Ramsey, Z. Hansford
F: J. Smith, H. McGuire J. Osbrough
R: J. Peake, K. Huntly, W. Schultz
Int: J. Timmins, A. Robinson, A. Banko, J. Elliot
Maryborough
B: J. Macer, T. Roughead, W. Short
HB: M. McClure, S. McDowell, T. Hamilton
C: C. Freeman, C. Perry, M. Kennedy
HF: J. Postle, C. Rinaldi, M. Johnston
F: H. Murphy, A. Siekai, J. Templeton
R: A. Watts, G. Coleman, E. Crackel
Int: M. Reeves, M. Coon, L. Murphy, C. Herd, C. O'Shea
SOUTH BENDIGO v EAGLEHAWK at QEO, 5.30pm
South Bendigo
B: B. Wright, A. Coad, N. Howe
HB: J. Smythe, D. Nalder, A. Hywood
C: M. Rogerson, B. Whelan, R. Harvey
HF: J. Swatton, J. Miller, Z. Hare
F: K. Antonowicz, I. Miller, B. Harvey
R: K. Strachan, L. Bartels, A. Connaughton
Inter (from): B. Childs, A. Vanheumen, B. Torpey, C. Balnaves, M. Goodwin, M. Gardner, T. Brereton, J. Sheean
Eaglehawk
B: M. Higgs, B. Conforti, C. McGlashan
HB: T. Miles, T. Hill, S. Harper
C: G. Daly, B. McPhee, S. Hann
HF: L. Atherton, O. Madden, D. Wust
F: J. Bowe, M. Gretgrix, S. Williams
R: J. Lawton, R. Saunders, B. Collins
Inter: J. Collins, R. McIvor, G. Hommelhoff, K. Hommelhoff,
SATURDAY
STRATHFIELDSAYE v SANDHURST, at Strathfieldsaye, 2.20pm
Strathfieldsaye
From: L. Bonney, C. Brady, N. Clydesdale, H. Conway, H. Crone, T. Donnan, T. Gill, J. Hall, M. Harvey, J. Heavyside, S. Heavyside, S. Johns, J. Martyn, J. Moorhead, Z. Murrell, F. Payne, K. Payne, T. Petrie, A. Powell, L. Sharp, S. Simmons, K. Smith, B. Stringer
Sandhurst
To be selected from: W. Mitrovic, A. Parry, M. Thornton, C. Price, A. McKinley, X. Walsh, L. Ross, L. Ireland, J. Hann, J. Wharton, B. Robertson, G. Munari, S. Greene, M. Gray, A. Wharton, N. Stagg, M. Dole, L. O'Sullivan, A. Collins, T. Martin, L. Coghlan, B. Montague, B. Holmes, K. Height.