HDFNL: Two late goals clinch Grasshoppers hard-fought win over Saints

TWO late goals clinched Colbinabbin a hard-fought eight-point win over Heathcote in the Heathcote District league on Saturday.

In a low-scoring battle where just 17 goals were kicked, the Saints had their noses in front late and on the verge of claiming the big scalp they have been craving all season.

However, a pair of late goals to Matt Riordan, who was swung from defence to attack, and Stephen Tuohey delivered the Grasshoppers a 9.10 (64) to 8.8 (56) victory at home.

"Heathcote is a good side, but we were fumbly early and it felt again like we were still coming off that double bye," Colbinabbin coach Julian Bull said.

"We had a couple of guys pull out this morning with COVID (James Brain and Todd Clarke) and it just seemed to take us all day to get going and in the end, the game could have gone either way.

"I certainly wouldn't say we were the better team.

"We got two goals up in the last quarter and then made some really bad mistakes with 10 minutes to go and Heathcote got back in front.

"With four minutes to go Heathcote was three points up, but fortunately, we were able to kick the last two goals to get over the line."

Riordan, who played the bulk of the game at centre half-back, was the best for the Grasshoppers, who extended their winning streak over Heathcote to 16 in a row, but more importantly, retained a one-game break inside the top three.

Vice-captain Tuohey's sealing goal for the Grasshoppers was his third of the game.

For the fifth-placed Saints it was a second near-miss in a row against a side above them on the ladder after also going down to North Bendigo by eight points the previous week.

The Saints led at each of the first three breaks on Saturday, but weren't in front at the only time it mattered - the final siren.

"It's very much like last week in terms of being one that got away," Heathcote coach Andrew Saladino said.

"We were in front with five minutes to go and had an opportunity running into an open goal to go eight points up, but we missed it; Colbo was then able to go forward and kick a couple of goals.

"I feel like we played really well and deserved to win, but it's one that got away."

The Saints' two standout players were again gun mid/forward recruits Braden Padmore and Shaun Harrison, who both kicked three goals.

"Harro is getting that continuity into his footy now after being unavailable for a lot of the first half of the season and Padmore has been playing like this all year," Saladino said.

"They were both fantastic, but also well supported and that's the key for us - we need everyone chipping in and playing their role."

White Hills closed to within just percentage of the top five after notching its first win in over a month.

The Demons ended their four-game losing streak with a 13-point win over Elmore, 13.13 (91) to 11.12 (78).

"We made it hard for ourselves as we tend to do, but we were able to get there in the end," White Hills coach Jack Fallon said.

"We held the lead all day and got it out to four or five goals at one stage, but Elmore got back within about four points at during the last quarter.

"But we were able to hold our ground and it's obviously pleasing to get the win."

Veteran David Wright playing forward was the Demons' best player, while defenders Ben Bacon and Jake Dickens were also among the standouts.

The duo of Liam Bartels (four) and Matt Sawyer (three) combined for seven of White Hills' 13 goals.

The Demons got through the game unscathed and after a bye next week will then set their sights on a huge game against Heathcote in round 16 that will most likely determine who finishes fifth.

In what was Elmore's first game for 21 days after consecutive weeks off, Bloods' vice-captain Darcy Laffy was the leading goalkicker in the game with six, while Matt Nettlefold chipped in with three and was named his side's best player.

A game that had been in the balance at half-time ended up a blow-out 86-point win for North Bendigo against Leitchville-Gunbower.

The young Bombers served it right up to the Bulldogs at half-time and were just two points down at the main break, 8.7 to 8.5.

But after a half-time rev-up from North Bendigo coach Rob Bennett, it was all one-way traffic in the second half as the Bulldogs piled on 15 goals to three to win 23.21 (159) to 11.7 (73) at Atkins Street.

"Everything we did wrong in the first half we managed to turn around and get right in the second half," Bennett said.

"Our work-rate, attack on the footy and composure in the first half really let us down, but we were much better in the second half and our midfield group was able to get on top."

Gun forward Dylan Klemm's strong season continued for North Bendigo with a bag of eight goals - it could have been a dozen had he taken all his chances - while Matt Gray (four) and assistant coach Jordan Ford (three) also impacted inside 50.

The Bulldogs' goalkickers also included teenager Nathan Anderson with two in his senior debut.

Nick Waterson won a stack of ball to be North Bendigo's best.

"He would have easily had 40 possessions; he was great today," Bennett said.

For the Bombers, it was a similar story to the previous week against Mount Pleasant when they were competitive in the first half, but blown away in the second.

"We looked really good in the first half with some really good pressure around the footy, but we just switched off after half-time and North got a run-on," Bombers coach Tim Bannan said.

"It was disappointing for it to finish the way it did after being so good early."

Thomas Miechel became the latest senior debutant this season for the Bombers, who named Mitch Candy their best, while Hoby Bussey kept the Bulldogs' in-form Hakeem Johnson goal-less following three-consecutive hauls of six.

The game featured a clash of two of the competition's in-form ruckmen in Jeremy Lambden (North Bendigo) and Jobee Warde (Leitchville-Gunbower), with both featuring high in their teams best players.

Mount Pleasant co-coach Adam Baird returned from his injury lay-off in the Blues' 94-point win over Huntly, 20.17 (137) to 6.7 (43), at Toolleen.

Baird had missed the Blues' previous six games with a fractured fibula.

"We managed his game time today, but he got through the game fine, so it was good to have Skinny back in the side," Blues' co-coach Darren Walsh said.

The Blues were missing two of their key forward targets in Ben Weightman and Mitch Bennett, but had recruit Zac Featherby step-up to kick six goals, while vice-captain Jesse Tuohey, who was named best, and Fletcher White bagged three each.

The Blues were well on the way to their sixth win in a row by half-time when they led by 40 points, 8.9 to 2.5, with their next assignment a 1^st vs 2^nd clash against Lockington-Bamawm United.

It was the second time the Blues have got hold of the Hawks this season after winning their round five game by 101 points.

"We were obviously hoping we'd put in a better effort than we did today," Huntly coach Stacy Fiske said.

"Mounts is a classy side and was very good today; we're disappointed with how we played, but when you're trying to grow and evolve there will be ups and downs along the way."

Midfielder Tyler Miles was named best for the Hawks.

Mount Pleasant Seniors 5.3 8.9 14.12 20.17 (137)

Huntly Seniors 1.1 2.5 4.5 6.7 (43)

GOALS: Mount Pleasant Seniors: Z.Featherby 6, F.White 3, J.Tuohey 3, D.Tydell 2, N.Butler 2, Z.Murrell 1, L.Marchesi 1, C.Down 1, B.White 1; Huntly Seniors: B.Dimech 1, L.Gray 1, F.Campbell 1, T.Mercadante 1, J.Cowling 1, J.Cordy 1

BEST: Mount Pleasant Seniors: J.Tuohey, C.Down, S.Greene, B.Hinneberg, Z.Featherby, R.Mcnamara; Huntly Seniors: T.Miles, J.Cordy, M.Christensen, J.Cowling, J.McDonald, O.Downing

Colbinabbin Seniors 2.1 4.5 5.8 9.10 (64)

Heathcote Seniors 4.1 5.1 6.4 8.8 (56)

GOALS: Colbinabbin Seniors: S.Tuohey 3, M.Battista 2, M.Riordan 1, L.Fitzgerald 1, J.Brain 1, J.McMurtrie 1; Heathcote Seniors: B.Padmore 3, S.Harrison 3, J.Brooks 1, C.Hamilton 1

BEST: Colbinabbin Seniors: M.Riordan, L.Ezard, L.Fitzgerald, D.Brown, M.Battista, S.Tuohey; Heathcote Seniors: B.Padmore, S.Harrison, W.Direen, W.Long, J.Conforti, K.Cavallaro

White Hills Seniors 4.3 7.7 11.9 13.13 (91)

Elmore Seniors 2.3 5.3 8.7 11.12 (78)

GOALS: White Hills Seniors: L.Bartels 4, M.Sawyer 3, T.Conlan 1, J.Davies 1, B.Fallon 1, M.Dole 1, J.Fallon 1, R.Walker 1; Elmore Seniors: D.Laffy 6, M.Nettlefold 3, T.Amor Beale 1, K.Armstrong 1

BEST: White Hills Seniors: D.Wright, B.Bacon, J.Dickens, M.Dole, J.Davies, B.Fallon; Elmore Seniors: M.Nettlefold, D.Gordon, M.Curry, T.Amor Beale, D.Laffy, Z.Laffy

North Bendigo Seniors 2.6 8.7 17.13 23.21 (159)

Leitchville Gunbower Seniors 3.4 8.5 8.6 11.7 (73)

GOALS: North Bendigo Seniors: D.Klemm 8, M.Gray 4, J.Ford 3, M.Thalasinos 2, N.Newlan 2, N.Anderson 2, N.Waterson 1, J.Somerville 1; Leitchville Gunbower Seniors: J.Regan 3, N.McLellan 3, B.Hawken 2, L.Hogan 1, L.Shenfield 1, M.Candy 1

BEST: North Bendigo Seniors: N.Waterson, D.Klemm, J.Lambden, T.Devereaux, M.Thalasinos, S.Giri; Leitchville Gunbower Seniors: M.Candy, J.Warde, M.McLellan, N.McLellan, B.Hawken, X.Colvin

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