THE match-of-the-round between Strathfieldsaye and Sandhurst lived up to the hype, with just a kick the difference on Saturday's opening day of the Addy Iso-Season for the Bendigo league.

The Storm are a notoriously tough nut to crack at Tannery Lane and had held the lead late before two goals in the last five minutes to captain Blair Holmes and key forward Matt Thornton delivered the Dragons a thrilling 14.12 (96) to 13.12 (90) victory - remember, these results are based off average scores in 2010-14 meetings between clubs.

There was also a cracker of a match at the QEO between Eaglehawk and South Bendigo.

The Hawks led by five goals at three quarter-time, but the Bloods refused to wilt and with Kaiden Antonowicz kicking four goals in the final term closed to within two points before star recruit Billy Evans thwarted the challenge with a 45m goal on the run late to give Eaglehawk an eight-point win, 14.12 (96) to 13.10 (88).

Elsewhere, Maryborough got its season away to a promising start with a 30-point win over Castlemaine, Golden Square continued its dominance over Kangaroo Flat, while Gisborne is the first team to occupy top spot following an 81-point away belting of arch-rivals Kyneton.

RESULTS:

Using 2010-14 match-ups.

Gisborne 20.14 (134) def Kyneton 7.11 (53)

Golden Square 18.18 (126) def Kangaroo Flat 9.10 (64)

Maryborough 15.12 (102) def Castlemaine 10.12 (72)

Eaglehawk 14.12 (96) def South Bendigo 13.10 (88)

Sandhurst 14.12 (96) def Strathfieldsaye 13.12 (90)

LADDER:

1 - GISBORNE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 252.8%

2 - GOLDEN SQUARE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 196.9%

3 - MARYBOROUGH

Record: 1-0 Pct: 135.7%

4 - EAGLEHAWK

Record: 1-0 Pct: 109.1%

5 - SANDHURST

Record: 1-0 Pct: 106.7%

.........

6 - STRATHFIELDSAYE

Record: 0-1 Pct: 93.8%

7 - SOUTH BENDIGO

Record: 0-1 Pct: 91.7%

8 - CASTLEMAINE

Record: 0-1 Pct: 70.6%

9 - KANGAROO FLAT

Record: 0-1 Pct: 50.8%

10 - KYNETON

Record: 0-1 Pct: 39.6%

Plenty to like about Lockington-Bamawm United first-up with a clinical 62-point win over Huntly set up by a six-goal to none first quarter in the Heathcote District league.

And the grand final re-match went the same way as their premiership battle last September, with North Bendigo outclassing Colbinabbin by 19 points after fighting back from an early four-goal deficit.

Heathcote proved too strong for Elmore by 18 points, while White Hills enjoyed a successful road trip up to Leitchville with a 20-point win over the Bombers. Jed Lamb and Mitch Dole slotted four goals each for the Demons.

RESULTS:

Using 2010-14 match-ups.

LBU 17.16 (118) def Huntly 8.8 (56)

White Hills 14.13 (97) def Leitchville-Gunbower 11.11 (77)

North Bendigo 13.13 (91) def Colbinabbin 10.12 (72)

Heathcote 14.11 (95) def Elmore 11.11 (77)

Mount Pleasant bye

LADDER:

1 - LBU

Record: 1-0 Pct: 210.7%

2 - NORTH BENDIGO

Record: 1-0 Pct: 126.4%

3 - WHITE HILLS

Record: 1-0 Pct: 126.0%

4 - HEATHCOTE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 123.4%

5 - ELMORE

Record: 0-1 Pct: 81.1%

.........

6 - LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER

Record: 0-1 Pct: 79.4%

7 - COLBINABBIN

Record: 0-1 Pct: 79.1%

8 - HUNTLY

Record: 0-1 Pct: 47.5%

9 - MOUNT PLEASANT

Record: 0-0 Pct: 0.0%

Big upset to open the Loddon Valley season as Mitiamo's premiership defence begun with a 29-point defeat at home to Newbridge.

Scores sere level at three quarter-time, but the Maroons with the wind at their backs finished full of run to win 17.12 (114) to 12.13 (85).

A solid start to the season also for Marong, using a strong first half when it led by 40 points at the main break to defeat Maiden Gully YCW 16.11 (107) to 11.11 (77), while Bears Lagoon-Serpentine eventually pulled away from Calivil United in what had been an arm-wrestle to win by 14 points, with young Bears' ruckman Nathan Twigg picking up from where he left off last year with a dominant performance.

It was a tough start though for Inglewood after being on the receiving end of a 99-point loss from a rampaging Pyramid Hill (again, these results are based off actual scores of the past).

RESULTS:

Using 2010-14 match-ups.

Pyramid Hill 22.16 (148) def Inglewood 7.7 (49)

Marong 16.11 (107) def Maiden Gully YCW 11.11 (77)

Newbridge 17.12 (114) def Mitiamo 12.13 (85)

BL-Serpentine 14.15 (99) def Calivil United 12.13 (85)

Bridgewater bye

LADDER:

1 - PYRAMID HILL

Record: 1-0 Pct: 302.0%

2 - MARONG

Record: 1-0 Pct: 139.0%

3 - NEWBRIDGE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 134.1%

4 - BL-SERPENTINE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 116.5%

5 - CALIVIL UNITED

Record: 0-1 Pct: 85.9%

.........

6 - MITIAMO

Record: 0-1 Pct: 74.6%

7 - MAIDEN GULLY YCW

Record: 0-1 Pct: 72.0%

8 - INGLEWOOD

Record: 0-1 Pct: 33.1%

9 - BRIDGEWATER

Record: 0-0 Pct: 0.0%

The headline out of round one of the North Central league is St. Arnaud coming from four goals down at three quarter-time to run over the top of Birchip-Watchem and win by 15 points in an upset.

Sea Lake Nandaly's premiership defence started with a 33-point win over Boort, while Wedderburn and Wycheproof-Narraport were also victorious after solid round one performances.

RESULTS:

Using 2010-14 match-ups. Sea Lake Nandaly game is 2016 & 17 match-ups.

Wedderburn 17.13 (115) def Donald 10.11 (71)

Sea Lake Nandaly 13.12 (90) def Boort 8.9 (57)

Wycheproof-Narraport 13.13 (91) def Charlton 11.9 (75)

St Arnaud 14.13 (97) def Birchip-Watchem 12.10 (82)

LADDER:

1 - WEDDERBURN

Record: 1-0 Pct: 162.0%

2 - SEA LAKE NANDALY

Record: 1-0 Pct: 157.9%

3 - WYCHEPROOF-NARRAPORT

Record: 1-0 Pct: 121.3%

4 - ST ARNAUD

Record: 1-0 Pct: 118.3%

.........

5 - BIRCHIP-WATCHEM

Record: 0-1 Pct: 84.5%

6 - CHARLTON

Record: 0-1 Pct: 82.4%

7 - BOORT

Record: 0-1 Pct: 63.3%

8 - DONALD

Record: 0-1 Pct: 61.7%

Carisbrook has exacted revenge on Natte Bealiba in the Maryborough-Castlemaine District league grand final re-match.

After stewing on their four-point loss in the grand final all summer, the Redbacks knocked off the Swans by 22 points in a clash with plenty of ferocity from both teams.

The biggest winner of round one was the 44-point margin in favour of Navarre over Harcourt, while there was plenty of elation among the Campbells Creek faithful after the Magpies came from 13 points down during the last quarter to defeat Dunolly by eight points.

Hopefully, round one is a sign of things to come in the Maryborough-Castlemaine District league, with four of the seven games decided by eight points of less.

RESULTS:

Using 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 & 2019 match-ups.

Navarre 17.11 (113) def Harcourt 10.9 (69)

Lexton 14.9 (93) def Talbot 10.7 (67)

Carisbrook 12.12 (84) def Natte Bealiba 9.8 (62)

Campbells Creek 15.14 (104) def Dunolly 14.12 (96)

Trentham 15.12 (102) def Avoca 14.11 (95)

Newstead 11.9 (75) def Maldon 10.11 (71)

Royal Park 13.11 (89) def Rovers 13.9 (87)

LADDER:

1 - NAVARRE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 163.8%

2 - LEXTON

Record: 1-0 Pct: 138.8%

3 - CARISBROOK

Record: 1-0 Pct: 135.5%

4 - CAMPBELLS CREEK

Record: 1-0 Pct: 108.3%

5 - TRENTHAM

Record: 1-0 Pct: 107.4%

6 - NEWSTEAD

Record: 1-0 Pct: 105.6%

7 - ROYAL PARK

Record: 1-0 Pct: 102.3%

8 - ROVERS

Record: 0-1 Pct: 97.8%

.........

9 - MALDON

Record: 0-1 Pct: 94.7%

10 - AVOCA

Record: 0-1 Pct: 93.1%

11 - DUNOLLY

Record: 0-1 Pct: 92.3%

12 - NATTE BEALIBA

Record: 0-1 Pct: 73.8%

13 - TALBOT

Record: 0-1 Pct: 72.0%

14 - HARCOURT

Record: 0-1 Pct: 61.1%

Using all-time match-ups.

Geelong 15.13 (103) def Port Adelaide 12.10 (82)

Brisbane 15.13 (103) def Gold Coast 12.11 (83)

Collingwood 14.12 (96) def GWS Giants 12.9 (81)

Carlton 12.13 (85) def St Kilda 10.11 (71)

West Coast 14.13 (97) def Richmond 13.12 (90)

Essendon 13.13 (91) def Western Bulldogs 12.12 (84)

Hawthorn 14.13 (97) def Sydney 13.13 (91)

Fremantle 14.11 (95) def Melbourne 13.12 (90)

Adelaide 14.13 (97) def North Melbourne 14.12 (96)

LADDER:

1 - GEELONG

Record: 1-0 Pct: 125.6%

2 - BRISBANE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 124.1%

3 - CARLTON

Record: 1-0 Pct: 119.7%

4 - COLLINGWOOD

Record: 1-0 Pct: 118.5%

5 - ESSENDON

Record: 1-0 Pct: 108.3%

6 - WEST COAST

Record: 1-0 Pct: 107.8%

7 - HAWTHORN

Record: 1-0 Pct: 106.6%

8 - FREMANTLE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 105.6%

.........

9 - ADELAIDE

Record: 1-0 Pct: 101.0%

10 - NORTH MELBOURNE

Record: 0-1 Pct: 99.0%

11 - MELBOURNE

Record: 0-1 Pct: 94.7%

12 - SYDNEY

Record: 0-1 Pct: 93.8%

13 - RICHMOND

Record: 0-1 Pct: 92.8%

14 - WESTERN BULLDOGS

Record: 0-1 Pct: 92.3%

15 - GWS GIANTS

Record: 0-1 Pct: 84.4%

16 - ST. KILDA

Record: 0-1 Pct: 83.5%

17 - GOLD COAST

Record: 0-1 Pct: 80.6%

18 - PORT ADELAIDE

Record: 0-1 Pct: 79.6%

Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye

Sandhurst v Maryborough

Castlemaine v South Bendigo

Eaglehawk v Kangaroo Flat

Golden Square v Kyneton

White Hills v LBU

Heathcote v Mount Pleasant

Leitchville-Gunbower v Colbinabbin

North Bendigo v Elmore

Huntly bye

Marong v Bridgewater

Newbridge v Pyramid Hill

Calivil United v Maiden Gully YCW

Inglewood v BL-Serpentine

Mitiamo bye

Sea Lake Nandaly v Charlton

Boort v Birchip-Watchem

Wycheproof-Narraport v Donald

Wedderburn v St Arnaud

Carisbrook v Maldon

Trentham v Natte Bealiba

Talbot v Avoca

Navarre v Lexton

Royal Park v Harcourt

Campbells Creek v Rovers

Newstead v Dunolly

Adelaide v Sydney

Richmond v Fremantle

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood

Carlton v West Coast

Geelong v Essendon

Gold Coast v North Melbourne

GWS Giants v St. Kilda

Hawthorn v Port Adelaide

Melbourne v Brisbane

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