STRATHFIELDSAYE v SANDHURST
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A goal with 35 seconds left to Strathfieldsaye's Matthew Ladson secured the Storm not only a win against Sandhurst, but the club's first minor premiership.
In just its fifth season in the Bendigo Football League, the Storm can't be dislodged from top spot with one round to go following their 11.15 (81) to 11.11 (77) victory over the Dragons.
For Sandhurst, the four-point loss killed off the Dragons' hopes of finishing in the top three and now leaves them just percentage clear of the sixth-placed Gisborne.
The Storm appeared well on the way to victory when a 50m kick from wingman Jake Hall sailed through for a goal at the seven-minute mark of the final term to give Strathfieldsaye a 17-point lead.
However, with the game threatening to slip away, the Dragons responded with a three-goal burst in two minutes through Lachlan Ross, Ricky Symes and Mitch Dole to hit the frontat the 12-minute mark.
With both sides playing desperate football, no more than four points separated them for the remaining 17 minutes of the game.
Dole had an opportunity to put the Dragons seven points ahead late in the game when his shot on the run from 30m missed to the right.
The missed shot kept the Storm in the game, and they capitalised, transitioning the ball from defence to their forward line, where Sam Mildren ran onto it and from the flank kicked inboard, where he found Ladson in the goalsquare for the match-winning goal.
With 35 seconds left in the game, there was time for the Dragons to mount one last charge, but the Storm backline held firm in the dying stages as the siren sounded with the ball deep in Sandhurst's forward line.
"It was a hard, tough game of footy and we were fortunate to be in front at the right time," Storm co-coach Darryl Wilson said.
Better players for the Storm included co-coach Wayne Schultz, whose run and carry was a standout feature of his game.
Midfielders Ladson and Shaun Everington, particularly in the first half, key big man Michael Pilcher and defenders Ash Trollop and Leigh Prior were also named in the Storm's best players.
After missing a gettable shot with his first kick in the opening term, Symes finished with five goals for the Dragons, while livewire forward Dole added four.
Joel Wharton and Tom McCarthy across half-forward, ruckman Tim Martin, captain Blair Holmes in the midfield and defender Jake Ward, who held Mildren to one goal, were others to play well for the Dragons
"We had a few players out today, so we're not disappointed with that result," Sandhurst coach Shane Meade said.
"We're not going to finish top three now, but we're still confident with where we're at."
Strathfieldsaye .................. 3.3 4.6 8.13 11.15 (81)
Sandhurst ......................... 2.4 5.5 7.7 11.11 (77)
GOALS - Strathfieldsaye: R. Weeding, T. Bartholomew, L. Sharp 2, J. Hall, K. Lea, M. Ladson, S. Everington, S. Mildren. Sandhurst: R. Symes 5, M. Dole 4, T. McCarthy, L. Ross.
BEST - Strathfieldsaye: W. Schultz, M. Ladson, S. Everington, A. Trollop, M. Pilcher, L. Prior. Sandhurst: J. Wharton, T. Martin, R. Symes, J. Ward, T. McCarthy, B. Holmes.
GISBORNE v EAGLEHAWK
Gisborne kept its finals hopes alive with a thrilling eight-point win over Eaglehawk at Gardiner Reserve.
With their season on the line, the Bulldogs withstood a last-quarter fightback from the Hawks to win 14.15 (99) to 13.13 (91) at Gardiner Reserve.
After struggling to get over bottom side Kangaroo Flat the previous week, Gisborne produced some of its best football of the season in the first three quarters to build a 47-point lead at the final change, 13.14 to 6.9.
However, the game wasn't over as the Hawks, inspired by Brodie Filo, stormed home with the breeze in the final term, adding seven goals to one to cut the final margin to eight points.
"We played really well for three quarters, before they got a roll-on in the last quarter with the breeze," Gisborne coach Kevin Fitzgerald said.
"We tired a bit in the last quarter, but we'd done enough and it was a really good win.
"We got the game on our terms in those first three quarters and were able to play our style of footy and controlled the ball well, which was pleasing.
"One of the problems with having six guys in the side aged under 20 is they can go off the boil a bit, and that's what happened a bit in that last quarter."
The Bulldogs' best player was Ben Sonogan, who started on the wing before being moved onto Eaglehawk dangerman Kain Robins.
Anthony Belcher stepped up in the ruck in the absence of Tom Waters, who didn't play after injuring his ankle the previous week.
Midfielder Patrick Fitzgerald and defenders Cameron Medica and Tim Walsh, who held the Hawks' Matt Gretgrix to two goals, were other prominent players for the winners.
Matthew Knox kicked three goals before leaving the field during the third quarter
The electric Filo, who kicked three goals, was the Hawks' standout player, with others in the best including utility Darcy Richards, captain Luke Button in defence and young midfielder Kevin Archbold, who continued his good form.
Gisborne .......................... 3.4 9.9 13.14 14.15 (99)
Eaglehawk ......................... 3.4 5.8 6.9 13.13 (91)
GOALS - Gisborne: M. Knox 3, D. Farrugia, P. McKenna, L. Crosbie 2, J. Govan, H. Huntley, P. Fitzgerald, B. Sullivan, S. Comerford. Eaglehawk: B. Filo 3, M. Gretgrix, T. Hill, B. Rogers, K. Robins 2, G. Daly, D. Richards.
BEST - Gisborne: B. Sonogan, A. Belcher, P. Fitzgerald, C. Medica, T. Walsh, C. Summerfield. Eaglehawk: B. Filo, D. Richards, L. Button, K. Archbold, T. Hill, L. Matthews.
SOUTH BENDIGO v CASTLEMAINE
South Bendigo survived a massive scare from a rejuvenated Castlemaine to win by 11 points at a windy and wet QEO.
After an electric start, the Bloods saw an early 48-point lead reduced to just five points midway through the third quarter.
On the back of seven unanswered goals from the end of the second stanza to the 17-minute mark of the third, the Magpies changed the state of the game.
Admittedly, South was down to 17 men from two minutes into the third.
Ryley Barrack, who had been on fire with two early goals, was yellow carded after he slammed Lachie Ford into the hard centre wicket turf with a sling tackle.
Then Rhys Ford (three), Jordan Gilboy and James O'Brien kicked third quarter goals to add to skipper Zach Hansford's and Jack Timmins' late second-term majors to trim the margin to one straight kick: 8.5 (53) to South's 9.4 (58).
And those five third-quarter goals were kicked against the breeze at the Barnard Street end.
The Bloods re-grouped as three-quarter time loomed.
With midfielders Brady Childs and Aaron Connaughton providing the spark, Glenn Scholtes, Justin Maddern and Rory Alexander used the wind favouring the city end to nurse home steadying majors.
South coach Rick Coburn said leading nine goals to three at half-time should have indicated a solid win was coming up.
"You expect to have a good win, but the boys took the foot off the pedal and once you do that it's pretty hard to put it back when you've relaxed," he said.
"We were happy with the last quarter effort, but our third quarter was terrible. Our performance was pretty ordinary as they've kicked seven goals in a row."
Castlemaine coach Brett Fitzpatrick said his players had lost their way early on, from the 15-minute mark of the first quarter to the 20-minute of the second.
"That's about 4 0 minutes of footy where our endeavour had dropped off and therefore their free possessions and run and some of their goals came without a lot of pressure from us," Fitzpatrick said.
"Then we had to do something. To kick five goals into the wind was a massive effort, but you just can't keep that sort of momentum and intensity going for 100 per cent of the time."
South Bendigo ................. 7.1 9.3 12.7 12.11 (83)
Castlemaine ...................... 1.1 3.5 8.5 11.6 (72)
GOALS - South Bendigo: J. Maddern 5, R. Barrack, L. Burke, R. Alexander 2, G. Scholtes. Castlemaine: R. Ford 6, Z. Hansford, J. Gilboy, J. O'Brien, L. Ford, J. Timmins.
BEST - South Bendigo: N. Coad, B. Childs, L. Burke, R. Barrack, A. Connaughton, J. Maddern. Castlemaine: J. O'Brien, R. Ford, J. Gribben, J. Graham, J. Gilboy, L. Ford.
MARYBOROUGH v GOLDEN SQUARE
Although the margin blew out to 10 goals, Maryborough coach Jeff Brennan rated the performance against Golden Square as one of the team's best this season.
The Magpies teamed brilliantly on home turf at Princes Park to be within seven points at the start of the final quarter.
A more experienced and physically stronger Golden Square capitalised on the strong breeze in the last to kick away for a 127-67 victory.
Maryborough had first use of the breeze and scored 6.2 to 1.3 in the opening term.
Golden Square won the centre breaks, 7-1, but it was the Magpies who launched plenty of attacks from half-back.
The Pies led centre breaks, 6-2 in the second, but it was the Bulldogs who fought back to lead by five points at half-time.
"The first half was a great contest," Brennan said.
"We used the ball well and spread well to set up a lot of attacks. It was one of our best halves for the year."
A fired-up Golden Square scored a hat-trick of goals at the start of the third quarter.
Brennan said the rain in the final quarter also became a key factor as Golden Square's bigger and more experienced players started to take control.
The Bulldogs slammed on 8.7 and kept the Pies goalless in the final quarter.
Square's attack was led by James Bristow and Josh Filo on five goals apiece and Matt O'Toole added three.
A highlight for Bulldogs fans was back pocket Clayton Anderson slotting a goal.
Golden Square onballer Nathan Bell set up many attacks in a best afield performance and had great support from Filo, Bristow, Simon Rosa and coach Rick Ladson.
Best for the Magpies were midfielder Evan Hurse, Adam Hurse at centre half-forward, youngster Tom Cahill in a back pocket or half-back, and Matthew Bond against O'Toole or Bristow.
Golden Square ................. 1.3 7.8 10.12 18.19 (127)
Maryborough..................... 6.2 7.3 10.5 10.7 (67)
GOALS - Golden Square: J. Filo, J. Bristow 5, M. O'Toole 3, C. Anderson, N. Carter, J. Geary, D. Lowry, S. Rosa. Maryborough: A. Hurse, M. Johnston, L. Bucknall 2, C. Roscholler, J. Radlof, E. Smith, C. Rinaldi.
BEST - Golden Square: N. Bell, J. Filo, J. Bristow, S. Rosa, R. Ladson, C. Anderson. Maryborough: E. Hurse, A. Hurse, T. Cahill, M. Bond, N. Bond, C. Roscholler.
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