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GOLDEN Square is bracing for two weeks of redemption matches in the Bendigo Football-Netball League starting on Saturday against arch-rival Sandhurst.
The Bulldogs have lost only two games for the season and get a crack at their conquerors in consecutive weeks - Saturday's clash with the Dragons at Wade Street followed by an away trip next week to play reigning premier Strathfieldsaye at Tannery Lane.
Golden Square and Sandhurst produced one of the games of the season in their inaugural Ron Best Shield match in round three when the Dragons withstood a fierce last quarter surge from the Bulldogs to win by two points, 15.3 (93) to 13.13 (91).
Golden Square captain Jack Geary certainly needs no reminding of the missed opportunity by the Bulldogs that day given they had eight more scoring shots and gave the Dragons a 30-point headstart at three quarter-time before booting 6.4 to 2.0 in the last term to almost pinch an unlikely victory.
The following week the Bulldogs were again slow out of the blocks and forced to play catch-up in a 15-point loss to Strathfieldsaye.
"We were talking this week that the two teams we've lost to are the next two we've got coming up, so they are obviously two we're really looking forward to having another crack at," Geary said on Friday.
"We feel that last time we played Sandhurst and lost by two points it was a game we probably should have won given we had eight more scoring shots than them, so we feel like we owe them a bit.
"We lost the next week to Strath and have had a fairly decent run since then, but these next two weeks can really set up our season.
We were talking this week that the two teams we've lost to are the next two we've got coming up, so they are obviously two we're really looking forward to having another crack at
- Jack Geary - Golden Square captain
"The way the season is there's the bottom four teams in Kyneton, Kangaroo Flat, Maryborough and Castlemaine and then the rest of the games feel like eight-point games because it looks like any of those top six teams could beat each other on any day."
With their 8-2 record the third-placed Bulldogs under first-year coach Christian Carter sit one game behind ladder-leader Sandhurst (9-1), with Strathfieldsaye (8-2) sandwiched in between the long-term foes.
While Geary - the BFNL's most decorated current day player - is putting together another consistent season for the Bulldogs, he's relished the impact fellow midfielder Ryan Hartley has been able to have.
"Harts has been absolutely killing it and, hopefully, he keeps coming on. He's a great player who is selfless and one of those true centremen," Geary said.
"He's not super fast or anything like that, but knows how to find the footy and is strong around the contest. He has been massive for us."
Geary has also been super impressed with the way another of the Bulldogs' key on-ballers, Terry Reeves, has adapted to the BFNL after making the step-up from the Loddon Valley league at Mitiamo.
"Terry has been really good all year, but probably the past month in particular he has been massive," Geary said.
"His ability to adapt to Bendigo footy has been great. Like Harts, he is really strong around the footy and a good user of the ball as well, so he has been a great inclusion for us.
"Matt Compston in the ruck is another who has been going really well for us and I'd say this has probably been his best year at the club.
"We don't have a back-up ruckman, so every week he is battling away all game. Last week against Kyneton he went up against Jordan Mangan all day and it was a great battle between the two."
The Bulldogs' defence has been bolstered for Saturday's clash with the returns of Will Lee and Liam Duguid, while down the other end, Sandhurst full-back Sean O'Farrell is back for the Dragons.
Golden Square
B: W. Lee, Z. Shelton, H. Burke
HB: L. Barrett, J. Coe, L. Duguid
C: B. Welsh, R. Hartley, W. Thrum
HF: H. Morcom, T. Strauch, J. Brett
F: Z. Murley, J. Burke, A. Jenkyn
R: M. Compston, J. Geary, T. Reeves
Int: B. James, H. Donegan, D. Lowry, J. Merrin
In: W. Lee, Z. Murley, J. Merrin, L. Duguid
Out: R. Monti, J. Stewart, P. Symons, L. Humphrey
Sandhurst
B: T. Nally, M. Leyden, B. Montague
HB: N. Walsh, L. Ireland, L. Ross
C: J. Mittell, S. O'Farrell, I. Carracher
HF: L. Zimmer, O. McKinley, J. Wharton
F: N. Stagg, M. Thornton, M. Rovers
R: C. Down, J. Coghlan, L. Coghlan
Int: B. Holmes, J. McLean, A. Wharton, I. Ruff
In: S. O'Farrell
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