BFNL MID-SEASON REVIEW PART 1: Magpies, Hawks, Bulldogs and Roos in focus

Position - 9th

Record - 1-8

Percentage - 33.2%

Average for - 44

Average against - 132

Attack rank - 9th

Defence rank - 9th

Quarters won - 6 of 36

Goal conversion - 51.8%

1st half scoring - -434

2nd half scoring - -359

Top 5 best player votes:

Tommy Horne - 41

Riley Pedretti - 22

Brendan Josey - 19

Liam Wilkinson - 18

Tom Cain - 16

Top 5 goalkickers:

Jack Chester - 8

Tommy Horne - 8

Brad Keogh - 7

Bailey Henderson - 6

Callum McConachy - 6

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PREMIER DATA STATISTICAL NUMBERS:

Top 5 ranked players:

Tommy Horne - 1072

John Watson - 780

Declan Slingo - 680

Jackson Hood - 655

Callum McConachy - 606

Averages per game:

Disposals - 269 (9th)

Contested - 77 (9th)

Uncontested - 191 (10th)

Kicks - 175 (9th)

Handballs - 93 (10th)

Marks - 75 (8th)

Clearances - 37 (5th)

Inside 50s - 33 (10th)

Hit outs - 26 (10th)

Tackles - 40 (7th)

Frees for - 22 (5th)

Frees against - 25 (3rd)

Season started with plenty of optimism at Camp Reserve that it would be a year of vast improvement for the Magpies.

While it has been another grind - the Magpies have five losses by more than 100 points in the first nine rounds - there was a win of tremendous relief in round two when they beat Maryborough by 50 points to finally break a 48-game losing streak.

And were also stiff not to pull off a massive upset when they lost by one point to Eaglehawk in round eight.

One of the returning players to the club this year has been Tommy Horne, who has had a ripping season in the midfield averaging 27 touches and seven tackles a game and is also the side's equal leading goalkicker with eight.

Need to get out of the blocks better with the Magpies having only won one quarter in a first half (the second-term against Kangaroo Flat in round six).

READ MORE: PREMIER DATA: Kyneton key defender Driscoll tops round nine player rankings

Position - 5th

Record - 5-4

Percentage - 114.7%

Average for - 86

Average against - 75

Attack rank - 7th

Defence rank - 5th

Quarters won - 17 of 36

Goal conversion - 51.4%

1st half scoring - +62

2nd half scoring - +47

Top 5 best player votes:

Billy Evans - 31

Noah Wheeler - 27

Kobe Lloyd - 18

Dillon Williams - 18

Oscar Madden - 16

Top 5 goalkickers:

Darcy Richards - 17

Liam Marciano - 15

Ben Thompson - 12

Lewin Davis - 9

Shaun Knott - 8

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PREMIER DATA STATISTICAL NUMBERS:

Top 5 ranked players:

Noah Wheeler - 1040

Billy Evans - 903

Ben Thompson - 792

Sam Dean - 745

Liam Marciano - 695

Averages per game:

Disposals - 345 (5th)

Contested - 104 (2nd)

Uncontested - 240 (5th)

Kicks - 222 (3rd)

Handballs - 123 (6th)

Marks - 93 (3rd)

Clearances - 35 (8th)

Inside 50s - 48 (7th)

Hit outs - 40 (8th)

Tackles - 38 (8th)

Frees for - 27 (1st)

Frees against - 29 (1st)

Hard to disagree with the Hawks' fifth place in the pecking order given they have beaten the five teams below them, but lost to the four above them.

Are only a game off third position, but also just a game clear of seventh-placed Sandhurst ahead of two big weeks coming up against Strathfieldsaye and South Bendigo.

Depth has been tested with last weekend's team that lost to Gisborne by 63 points the most inexperienced coach Travis Matheson has fielded during his Canterbury Park tenure that started in 2019.

Bullocking midfielders Noah Wheeler and reigning best and fairest Billy Evans have been the Hawks' two standout players combining for 54 touches, 11 clearances and eight tackles a game.

The Hawks earn the most free kicks a game with 27, but also give away the most with 29 per match.

READ MORE: BFNL RD 9: Stats what I'm talkin' about

Position - 1st

Record - 9-0

Percentage - 292.5%

Average for - 130

Average against - 44

Attack rank - 1st

Defence rank - 1st

Quarters won - 29 of 36

Goal conversion - 57.3%

1st half scoring - +373

2nd half scoring - +395

Top 5 best player votes:

Braidon Blake - 22

Sam Graham - 19

Jaidyn Owen - 17

Brad Bernacki - 15

Josh Kemp - 13

Top 5 goalkickers:

Pat McKenna - 32

Josh Kemp - 23

Matt Merrett - 19

Jack Scanlon - 13

Matt Panuccio - 13

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PREMIER DATA STATISTICAL NUMBERS:

Top 5 ranked players:

Brad Bernacki - 1156

Seb Bell-Bartels - 897

Sam Graham - 837

Liam Spear - 829

Ben Eales - 810

Averages per game:

Disposals - 377 (2nd)

Contested - 125 (1st)

Uncontested - 251 (3rd)

Kicks - 229 (2nd)

Handballs - 147 (3rd)

Marks - 89 (4th)

Clearances - 46 (1st)

Inside 50s - 60 (1st)

Hit outs - 46 (4th)

Tackles - 49 (3rd)

Frees for - 21 (8th)

Frees against - 27 (2nd)

So far so good for the Bulldogs, who have answered every challenge thrown at them to reach the halfway mark of the season unbeaten.

The Bulldogs' 9-0 record is their best to this point of the season since 2004, with their wins including inflicting a rare loss on Strathfieldsaye at Tannery Lane in round five.

That six-point win over the Storm was one of three big challenges the Bulldogs have absorbed after also being pushed hard by Sandhurst in round one (won by 26) and Golden Square in round eight (won by 15).

Their other six games have all been wins by 10-goals plus.

Not surprisingly given their unbeaten record accompanied by a monster percentage of 292.5 the Bulldogs boast the best attack and defence, while they are also the No.1 ranked side for contested possessions (125 per game), inside 50s (60 per game) and clearances (46 per game).

Look for star midfielder Brad Bernacki to be an early leader on Michelsen Medal night before his VFL call-up to Essendon, while if the Bulldogs ever get their complete forward line on the park together - Pat McKenna, Jack Scanlon, Josh Kemp, Ethan Foreman, Matt Merrett, Braidon Blake and co - good luck to opposition defences.

Position - 3rd

Record - 6-3

Percentage - 235.9%

Average for - 121

Average against - 51

Attack rank - 2nd

Defence rank - 2nd

Quarters won - 27 of 36

Goal conversion - 52.7%

1st half scoring - +284

2nd half scoring - +344

Top 5 best player votes:

Liam Barrett - 22

Jack Geary - 21

Joel Brett - 20

Jayden Burke - 14

Braydon Vaz - 13

Top 5 goalkickers:

Joel Brett - 45

Jayden Burke - 26

Braydon Vaz - 17

Tom Strauch - 10

Hamish Morcom - 9

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PREMIER DATA STATISTICAL NUMBERS:

Top 5 ranked players:

Jack Geary - 1035

Jake Thrum - 958

Liam Barrett - 918

Joel Brett - 915

Ryan Hartley - 832

Averages per game:

Disposals - 335 (6th)

Contested - 95 (7th)

Uncontested - 240 (6th)

Kicks - 210 (7th)

Handballs - 125 (5th)

Marks - 87 (5th)

Clearances - 38 (4th)

Inside 50s - 53 (4th)

Hit outs - 41 (7th)

Tackles - 41 (6th)

Frees for - 20 (10th)

Frees against - 21 (6th)

Any gloss the Bulldogs may have lost when they were beaten by Sandhurst (12 points), Kyneton (7 points) and Gisborne (15 points) in a four-week block during rounds five to eight was certainly restored last weekend with their demolition job on Strathfieldsaye.

A 58-point win over the Storm, who were held to the lowest score in their history - 3.4 (22) - was a strong statement win from the Bulldogs that has them sitting in the top three at the halfway mark.

Boast the competition's leading goalkicker in the classy Joel Brett, who has booted 45 from 114 kicks, with a season-best haul of 14 against Castlemaine.

Brett is among a quartet of exciting forwards for the Bulldogs alongside Jayden Burke (26 goals) and the emerging Braydon Vaz (17) and Tom Strauch (10), with the four having combined for 98 goals and 220 marks across the first nine rounds.

The best side at taking care of the ball, averaging the competition's least amount of turnovers (62).

Position - 8th

Record - 2-7

Percentage - 51.8%

Average for - 60

Average against - 116

Attack rank - 8th

Defence rank - 8th

Quarters won - 10 of 36

Goal conversion - 41.5%

1st half scoring - -200

2nd half scoring - -304

Top 5 best player votes:

Liam Collins - 35

Ryan O'Keefe - 23

Mitch Rovers - 20

Nick Keogh - 14

Patrick Murphy - 12

Top 5 goalkickers:

Lachlan Wilson - 15

Mitch Rovers - 12

Sam Barnes - 8

Mitch Holt - 5

Ethan Roberts - 5

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PREMIER DATA STATISTICAL NUMBERS:

Top 5 ranked players:

Liam Collins - 1048

Nick Lang - 769

Mitch Collins - 747

Nick Keogh - 733

Mitch Rovers - 596

Averages per game:

Disposals - 269 (9th)

Contested - 72 (10th)

Uncontested - 197 (9th)

Kicks - 169 (10th)

Handballs - 99 (9th)

Marks - 59 (10th)

Clearances - 32 (10th)

Inside 50s - 40 (8th)

Hit outs - 43 (5th)

Tackles - 36 (10th)

Frees for - 21 (9th)

Frees against - 20 (8th)

The Roos have comfortably won the two games they were favourites in against Maryborough (71 points) and Castlemaine (38), but have gone down by at least 46 points in their other seven games, so still plenty of work to be done to bridge the gap to the next tier above them.

Liam Collins has been a prolific ball-winner in his return from Mount Pleasant averaging 28 touches a game as well as 10 clearances - big numbers in a side that is averaging just 269 disposals and 32 clearances as a whole.

Reckon coach James Flaherty would want to see a marked improvement in the second half of the year on the Roos' average of 36 tackles.

ROUND 1:

Kyneton 18.15 (123) def Castlemaine 7.6 (48)

Kangaroo Flat 16.19 (115) def Maryborough 6.8 (44)

Golden Square 15.13 (103) def South Bendigo 7.11 (53)

Gisborne 10.12 (72) def Sandhurst 6.10 (46)

Strathfieldsaye 12.13 (85) def Eaglehawk 10.12 (72)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Bradley Bernacki (Gisborne) - 199

2. Tanner Nally (Sandhurst) - 163

3. Noah Walsh (Sandhurst) - 155

4. Cooper Leon (South Bendigo) - 138

5. Callum McCarty (Strathfieldsaye) - 133

6. Joel Brett (Golden Square) - 133

7. Bailey Henderson (Castlemaine) - 128

8. Jackson Geary (Golden Square) - 127

9. Liam Collins (Kangaroo Flat) - 126

10. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 125

ROUND 2:

Golden Square 21.25 (151) def Kangaroo Flat 6.6 (42)

Gisborne 24.12 (156) def Kyneton 10.7 (67)

Eaglehawk 19.8 (122) def South Bendigo 9.12 (66)

Castlemaine 21.10 (136) def Maryborough 12.14 (86)

Strathfieldsaye 16.12 (108) def Sandhurst 12.10 (82)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Jake Thrum (Golden Square) - 205

2. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 204

3. Tommy Horne (Castlemaine) - 195

4. Jackson Geary (Golden Square) - 173

5. Nathan Horbury (South Bendigo) - 170

6. Josh Kemp (Gisborne) - 170

7. Bradley Bernacki (Gisborne) - 164

8. Cameron Manuel (Kyneton) - 147

9. Cooper Leon (South Bendigo) - 146

10. Jayden Burke (Golden Square) - 144

ROUND 3:

Gisborne 34.21 (225) def Castlemaine 0.2 (2)

Golden Square 36.19 (235) def Maryborough 2.5 (17)

Eaglehawk 21.11 (137) def Kangaroo Flat 12.16 (88)

Strathfieldsaye 18.14 (122) def Kyneton 11.11 (77)

South Bendigo 14.10 (94) def Sandhurst 12.14 (86)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Pat McKenna (Gisborne) - 258

2. Bradley Bernacki (Gisborne) - 236

3. Braydon Vaz (Golden Square) - 190

4. Jayden Burke (Golden Square) - 177

5. Coby Perry (Maryborough) - 157

6. Jake Moorhead (Strathfieldsaye) - 156

7. Tom Strauch (Golden Square) - 151

8. Joel Brett (Golden Square) - 145

9. Noah Wheeler (Eaglehawk) - 144

10. Scott Walsh (Gisborne) - 140

ROUND 4:

Gisborne 24.14 (158) def Maryborough 2.5 (17)

Strathfieldsaye 18.12 (120) def Castlemaine 2.7 (19)

Sandhurst 20.11 (131) def Kangaroo Flat 8.11 (59)

Golden Square 13.16 (94) def Eaglehawk 6.11 (47)

South Bendigo 13.12 (90) def Kyneton 13.9 (87)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Jake Moorhead (Strathfieldsaye) - 195

2. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 179

3. Nathan Horbury (South Bendigo) - 177

4. Cobi Maxted (Sandhurst) - 174

5. Jackson Geary (Golden Square) - 159

6. Josh Kemp (Gisborne) - 149

7. Jake Thrum (Golden Square) - 148

8. Tommy Horne (Castlemaine) - 139

9. Michael Herlihey (South Bendigo) - 137

10. James Orr (Kyneton) - 131

ROUND 5:

Eaglehawk 20.20 (140) def Maryborough 2.6 (18)

South Bendigo 23.13 (151) def Castlemaine 5.7 (37)

Kyneton 19.12 (126) def Kangaroo Flat 6.11 (47)

Sandhurst 12.10 (82) def Golden Square 10.10 (70)

Gisborne 11.17 (83) def Strathfieldsaye 12.5 (77)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Cooper Leon (South Bendigo) - 185

2. Frazer Driscoll (Kyneton) - 178

3. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 161

4. Tanner Nally (Sandhurst) - 150

5. Jackson Hood (Castlemaine) - 148

6. Hamish Yunghanns (Kyneton) - 137

7. Bradley Bernacki (Gisborne) - 131

8. Liam Bryne (South Bendigo) - 131

9. Joel Mullen (Eaglehawk) - 127

10. Isaiah Miller (South Bendigo) - 127

ROUND 6:

Strathfieldsaye 33.21 (219) def Maryborough 1.5 (11)

Gisborne 23.14 (152) def South Bendigo 7.4 (46)

Kangaroo Flat 11.15 (81) def Castlemaine 6.7 (43)

Eaglehawk 14.13 (97) def Sandhurst 11.16 (82)

Kyneton 15.5 (95) def Golden Square 12.16 (88)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Bradley Bernacki (Gisborne) - 183

2. Kallen Geary (Strathfieldsaye) - 178

3. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 171

4. Lachlan Gill (Strathfieldsaye) - 171

5. Braidon Blake (Gisborne) - 162

6. Scott Walsh (Gisborne) - 157

7. Malik Gordon (Strathfieldsaye) - 156

8. Jake Moorhead (Strathfieldsaye) - 149

9. Angus Nolte (Kyneton) - 145

10. Hamish Yunghanns (Kyneton) - 142

ROUND 7:

Golden Square 33.9 (207) def Castlemaine 4.3 (27)

Sandhurst 25.14 (164) def Maryborough 8.7 (55)

Gisborne 22.12 (144) def Kangaroo Flat 6.9 (45)

Kyneton 11.14 (80) def Eaglehawk 7.17 (59)

Strathfieldsaye 12.18 (90) def South Bendigo 13.11 (89)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Joel Brett (Golden Square) - 220

2. Pat McKenna (Gisborne) - 205

3. Flynn Lakey (Gisborne) - 169

4. Noah Wheeler (Eaglehawk) - 153

5. Nathan Horbury (South Bendigo) - 146

6. Braidon Blake (Gisborne) - 144

7. Jayden Burke (Golden Square) - 142

8. Jake Moorhead (Strathfieldsaye) - 142

9. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 136

10. Hamish Morcom (Golden Square) - 134

ROUND 8:

Strathfieldsaye 27.14 (176) def Kangaroo Flat 2.5 (17)

South Bendigo 15.12 (102) def Maryborough 7.9 (51)

Gisborne 11.11 (77) def Golden Square 8.14 (62)

Kyneton 9.19 (73) def Sandhurst 9.8 (62)

Eaglehawk 9.6 (60) def Castlemaine 9.5 (59)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Riley Wilson (Strathfieldsaye) - 191

2. Frazer Driscoll (Kyneton) - 172

3. James Schischka (Strathfieldsaye) - 171

4. Jake Moorhead (Strathfieldsaye) - 165

5. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 162

6. Nathan Horbury (South Bendigo) - 156

7. Michael Herlihey (South Bendigo) - 149

8. Jacob Lohmann (Maryborough) - 141

9. Declan Slingo (Castlemaine) - 139

10. Callum McCarty (Strathfieldsaye) - 138

ROUND 9:

Sandhurst 19.21 (135) def Castlemaine 3.6 (24)

Kyneton 18.10 (118) def Maryborough 5.13 (43)

Gisborne 14.16 (100) def Eaglehawk 5.7 (37)

Golden Square 10.20 (80) def Strathfieldsaye 3.4 (22)

South Bendigo 13.15 (93) def Kangaroo Flat 6.11 (47)

Top ranked players of round:

1. Frazer Driscoll (Kyneton) - 191

2. Nathan Horbury (South Bendigo) - 171

3. Liam Collins (Kangaroo Flat) - 165

4. Braidon Blake (Gisborne) - 162

5. Isaiah Miller (South Bendigo) - 159

6. Coby Perry (Maryborough) - 155

7. Callum McCarty (Strathfieldsaye) - 154

8. Liam Latch (Maryborough) - 149

9. Nicholas Keogh (Kangaroo Flat) - 141

10. Aiden Hare (Maryborough) - 141

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