READ MORE - Last year's comparison numbers story
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IMPROVING its combined attack and defence by more than seven goals per game from last year has Gisborne on track for a top three finish in the Bendigo league.
The Bulldogs were last year knocked out by Sandhurst in the first week of the finals, but this season they have had the competition's biggest spike in attacking and defensive numbers.
Sitting second on the ladder with three rounds to go, the Bulldogs have elevated their scoring from 95 points per game last year to 121 - an increase of 26 points a game.
But as well as the increase in potency, the Bulldogs have also become harder to score against, with their average score against dipping from 73 points last year to just 54 this season - a 19-point improvement.
Combining the +26 attacking and +19 defensive improvements has the Bulldogs a 45-point-a-game better side than last year.
Last season's runner-up, Strathfieldsaye, has been able to lift its already impressive standards by a further 31 points this year, finding extra gears both offensively (+18 points) and defensively (+13 points) and as a result sit two games clear on top of the ladder with a massive percentage of 282.4.
The BFNL's biggest slider has been Kyneton, which has dropped 59 points per game from last year.
While it won't play finals this year, Elmore has taken a step forward as the Heathcote District league's biggest improver with +61 points per game. The Bloods have increased their scoring by 20 points a game and knocked 41 points off their average score against from 2018.
In the Loddon Valley league, Pyramid Hill leads the way with +58 points per game improvement, while the region's biggest jump is the North Central league's Sea Lake Nandaly with +88 points.
BENDIGO LEAGUE:
GISBORNE
(2nd - 12-3, 222.0%)
Attack: 121 (+26 points)
Defence: 54 (+19 points)
+45 points per game
.......................................
STRATHFIELDSAYE
(1st - 14-1, 282.4%)
Attack: 134 (+18 points)
Defence: 47 (+13 points)
+31 points per game
.......................................
MARYBOROUGH
(6th - 5-10, 63.7%)
Attack: 71 (+17 points)
Defence: 111 (+10 points)
+27 points per game
.......................................
CASTLEMAINE
(10th - 0-15, 27.1%)
Attack: 35 (-3 points)
Defence: 128 (+29 points)
+26 points per game
.......................................
GOLDEN SQUARE
(4th - 11-4, 166.2%)
Attack: 97 (+4 points)
Defence: 59 (+7 points)
+11 points per game
.......................................
KANGAROO FLAT
(8th - 4-11, 48.9%)
Attack: 53 (-7 points)
Defence: 109 (+5 points)
-2 points per game
.......................................
EAGLEHAWK
(3rd - 12-3, 186.2%)
Attack: 113 (-2 points)
Defence: 61 (-1 point)
-3 points per game
.......................................
SANDHURST
(5th - 10-5, 136.9%)
Attack: 89 (-11 points)
Defence: 65 (-11 points)
-22 points per game
.......................................
SOUTH BENDIGO
(9th - 3-12, 66.1%)
Attack: 69 (-12 points)
Defence: 104 (-15 points)
-27 points per game
.......................................
KYNETON
(7th - 4-11, 56.7%)
Attack: 57 (-38 points)
Defence: 101 (-21 points)
-59 points per game
.......................................
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT:
ELMORE
(7th - 4-10, 67.3%)
Attack: 70 (+20 points)
Defence: 103 (+41 points)
+61 points per game
.......................................
MOUNT PLEASANT
(4th - 8-6, 105.8%)
Attack: 91 (+19 points)
Defence: 86 (+24 points)
+43 points per game
.......................................
WHITE HILLS
(6th - 6-8, 101.8%)
Attack: 85 (+16 points)
Defence: 84 (+17 points)
+33 points per game
.......................................
LBU
(2nd - 12-3, 168.5%)
Attack: 108 (+18 points)
Defence: 64 (+11 points)
+29 points per game
.......................................
HEATHCOTE
(8th - 1-13, 54.7%)
Attack: 60 (+6 points)
Defence: 109 (+11 points)
+17 points per game
.......................................
COLBINABBIN
(3rd - 11-3, 144.6%)
Attack: 91 (-4 points)
Defence: 63 (+5 points)
+1 points per game
.......................................
NORTH BENDIGO
(1st - 13-1, 200.1%)
Attack: 117 (-17 points)
Defence: 59 (+3 points)
-14 points per game
.......................................
LEITCHVILLE-
GUNBOWER
(5th - 8-7, 104.8%)
Attack: 77 (-44 points)
Defence: 74 (-13 points)
-57 points per game
.......................................
HUNTLY
(9th - 1-13, 44.7%)
Attack: 50 (-53 points)
Defence: 111 (-31 points)
-84 points per game
.......................................
LODDON VALLEY:
PYRAMID HILL
(1st - 12-3, 194.4%)
Attack: 111 (+39 points)
Defence: 57 (+19 points)
+58 points per game
.......................................
MARONG
(5th - 7-8, 99.2%)
Attack: 75 (+6 points)
Defence: 75 (+33 points)
+39 points per game
.......................................
MITIAMO
(2nd - 12-3, 182.8%)
Attack: 99 (+16 points)
Defence: 54 (+15 points)
+31 points per game
.......................................
MAIDEN GULLY YCW
(4th - 9-6, 112.8%)
Attack: 81 (-12 points)
Defence: 72 (+8 points)
-4 points per game
.......................................
BEARS LAGOON-SERPENTINE
(3rd - 9-5-1, 107.3%)
Attack: 74 (-19 points)
Defence: 69 (+9 points)
-10 points per game
.......................................
CALIVIL UNITED
(7th - 6-9, 95.7%)
Attack: 73 (-8 points)
Defence: 76 (-5 points)
-13 points per game
.......................................
BRIDGEWATER
(6th - 7-9, 83.5%)
Attack: 81 (-6 points)
Defence: 96 (-13 points)
-19 points per game
.......................................
INGLEWOOD
(9th - 0-15, 34.7%)
Attack: 46 (-12 points)
Defence: 132 (-10 points)
-22 points per game
.......................................
NEWBRIDGE
(8th - 5-9-1, 90.4%)
Attack: 61 (-41 points)
Defence: 68 (-5 points)
-46 points per game
.......................................
NORTH CENTRAL:
SEA LAKE NANDALY TIGERS
(1st - 13-1, 361.1%)
Attack: 122 (+45 points)
Defence: 34 (+42 points)
+87 points per game
.......................................
BIRCHIP-WATCHEM
(2nd - 13-1, 261.9%)
Attack: 102 (+24 points)
Defence: 39 (+14 points)
+38 points per game
.......................................
CHARLTON
(3rd - 10-4, 149.1%)
Attack: 85 (+20 points)
Defence: 57 (+18 points)
+38 points per game
.......................................
WEDDERBURN
(4th - 7-7, 132.7%)
Attack: 88 (+9 points)
Defence: 66 (+5 points)
+14 points per game
.......................................
DONALD
(5th - 7-7, 114.5%)
Attack: 72 (-1 points)
Defence: 63 (+7 points)
+6 points per game
.......................................
ST ARNAUD
(6th - 4-10, 63.7%)
Attack: 61 (-8 points)
Defence: 95 (-2 points)
-10 points per game
.......................................
WYCHEPROOF-NARRAPORT
(7th - 2-12, 46.7%)
Attack: 47 (-36 points)
Defence: 101 (-43 points)
-79 points per game
.......................................
BOORT
(8th - 0-14, 17.4%)
Attack: 26 (-37 points)
Defence: 148 (-51 points)
-88 points per game
.......................................
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