A ONE-SIDED round two of Bendigo Football-Netball League matches featured a rallying win by Sandhurst over South Bendigo on Saturday as the Dragons opened their 2018 account.
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The Dragons’ 27-point victory over South Bendigo in the Graeme Wright Memorial Cup tussle at the QEO was the only match decided by less than 50 points.
The average margin across the five games of 98.8 points was the highest in the BFNL since the matches in the final round of the 2011 season were decided by an average of 100.6 points.
The biggest of the blowouts was at Camp Reserve when Eaglehawk flexed its muscle in a 212-point demolition of Castlemaine – 36.16 (232) to 2.8 (20) – which included the Hawks piling on 15 last-term goals.
For the seventh time in a row Golden Square beat up on Maryborough by more than 100 points.
This time the margin was 118 points at Wade Street – 23.22 (160) to 6.6 (42).
An opening term onslaught of 10 goals to one, followed by 13 goals to two in the third term, was the catalyst for Kyneton’s 86-point belting of Kangaroo Flat, 27.12 (174) to 13.10 (88), at Dower Park.
And after unfurling its 2017 premiership flag, Strathfieldsaye accounted for Gisborne by 51 points, 15.13 (103) to 8.4 (52), in a twilight game at Tannery Lane.
At the QEO, Sandhurst fought its way back from a 20-point deficit four minutes into the third quarter, piling on nine unanswered goals against South Bendigo to run away with a 13.11 (89) to 9.8 (62) victory.
“I felt it was only going to be a matter of time before we grew in confidence… I felt we just had too many good players around the ball that had more in them,” Sandhurst coach Andrew Collins said.
“We took the shackles off a bit at half-time and started playing a bit more offensive, which created some good play, so it became a good day for us in the end.”
Collins kicked two goals and was one of the Dragons’ best players after earlier being forced from the field 10 minutes into the opening term following a head clash with team-mate Isaac Ruff in a marking contest.
The Bloods were at their best during a 10-minute burst in the second quarter when they kicked four goals in a row to help establish a 14-point lead at half-time, before they added the first major of the third term through Braydan Torpey.
We took the shackles off a bit at half-time and started playing a bit more offensive, which created some good play
- Andrew Collins
But they were unable to sustain their momentum as the Dragons assumed control, starting with their dominance around the stoppages that helped set up a wave of constant inside 50 entries.
“We showed what we’re capable of with what we displayed in the first half, but Sandhurst lifted its intensity in the third quarter and we didn’t,” Bloods coach Brady Childs said.
“Good sides lift their intensity and we’ve got to learn to go with it and lift ourselves, or shut the game down when we need to. We’ll take positives out of today, but there’s also plenty for us to learn from.”