IT'S only round two of the Bendigo Football Netball League, but there is a "Super Saturday' feel about the four matches on offer this weekend.
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Following the departure of Kyneton to the Riddell District league the BFNL is back to a nine-team competition that throughout the pre-season looked like it could be grouped into three tiers.
At the pointy end it looks to be Sandhurst and Gisborne as the two teams earmarked to be the pace-setters, while at the other end of the ladder it looks likely to be a grind for both Maryborough and Kangaroo Flat.
And in between falls five teams - in alphabetical order Castlemaine, Eaglehawk, Golden Square, South Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye - and just how do they all stack up against each other in the pecking order?
One of the big knocks on the BFNL for far too long has been the predictable nature of the competition in terms of the finals participants that so often could be confidently penciled in well before the opening bounce.
Not so this year given there's a sense of uncertainty around the competition following the raft of player turnover many of the clubs that have been in the top echelon for so long experienced during the off-season.
The drain of high quality talent out of the competition over the off-season, particularly from teams that made the finals last year, has been well documented, but with that comes a sense of the unknown that the BFNL has long been lacking.
Saturday's round two though will help to paint an early picture of the landscape, starting at the QEO when Sandhurst hosts Gisborne in an April blockbuster.
Having fallen from premiers in 2022 to missing the finals last year when they tumbled to seventh, the signs are there that the Bulldogs will bounce back in a big way this year.
The Bulldogs' starting on-ballers on Saturday are former Essendon VFL-listed duo Brad Bernacki, who is back full-time with Gisborne this year, and recruit Jackson Cardillo, and clearance king Flynn Lakey, who will be joined in the centre square by the competition's No.1 ruckman Braidon Blake.
That midfield battle as the Bulldogs' stars take on the likes of the Dragons' Lachlan Tardrew, Noah Walsh, James Coghlan, who plays his 100th club game, and Nick Stagg will be worth the price of admission alone.
There's goalkicking options galore in the front half with a fit Pat McKenna back, a refreshed Jack Scanlon returning after a year off plus the likes of Zac Denahy and Harry Luxmoore, while down the other end a potential match-up of key defender Jack Reaper on star Dragons' forward Fergus Greene would be an absorbing battle if it comes to fruition.
But it's not just Greene in that Dragons' forward line. There's also Cobi Maxted and Lachie Wright as targets for opposition defenders to combat, with the trio last week combining for 25 marks.
After a bye in the opening round there's no better opportunity for the Bulldogs to make a first-up impression than by travelling up the Calder to the QEO and showing their wares against the Dragons, who got their season off to a flyer with a 142-point demolition of Kangaroo Flat last Saturday.
All teams at this time of year are looking for early evidence of where they're at and what better way for both the Dragons and Bulldogs to do an audit on their game then against each other on the QEO given the high expectations upon both in 2024.
Then there's the Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye and South Bendigo v Castlemaine games and just what will these results tell about these four teams?
All four teams have new coaches this season, so it will take a little bit of time for new gameplans and new players to gel and given there's unlikely to be room come September for all four of these teams to play finals, it's days like this that are ultimately going to be pivotal in shaping the make-up of the top five down the road.
Plenty of eyes will be on what Castlemaine can deliver against South Bendigo at Harry Trott Oval.
New coach Michael Hartley has made no bones about the fact this year is about the Magpies not only improving, but improving to the extent of playing in their first finals series since 2005.
The Magpies took step one on that journey with a 69-point Good Friday win over Maryborough, but if the Magpies are finally going to break that September hoodoo they need to be able to win away from Camp Reserve.
Apart from Marybrough's Princes Park, the Magpies haven't won at any other away venue since 2016.
Plenty to like about what the Magpies showed first-up against Maryborough. Bailey Henderson (31 possessions, five goals) and the returning Kalan Huntly (36 possessions) were both superb in the midfield and while new coach Hartley showed just what a presence he will be up forward with 11 marks and five goals, fellow forward Zac Greeves (four goals, nine marks) is also an exciting addition to the Magpies' front half.
Castlemaine did what it was expected to on Good Friday. Now at Harry Trott Oval against a finalist of the past two seasons in the Bloods - who the Magpies haven't beaten since 2016 - is a big opportunity for the Magpies to affirm the direction they are headed.
And while it hasn't got the hype of the other three games, the clash between Maryborough and Kangaroo Flat at Princes Park is significant for as a genuine chance for both to get an early win on the board and some reward for all the hard work put in over the pre-season.
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT
No doubt there would have been a strong sense of relief at Leitchville-Gunbower after the Bombers notched their first win of the season last week to split their first two games 1-1.
Remember last year when the Bombers - coming off a wooden-spoon in 2022 - started 2023 with four-consecutive losses under new coach Shannon Keam.
Yet from 0-4 the Bombers went on a stunning 9-3 run that propelled them into the finals where, although they lost to eventual premier Mount Pleasant by 26 points in the elimination final, entered this season as a team to watch on the back of their significant spike last year.
The first two weeks of the season have yielded a 38-point loss to Lockington-Bamawm United followed by a grinding six-point win over Colbinabbin and now comes one of the HDFNL's great tests - playing North Bendigo at Atkins Street.
Although they have gone 0-3 in the finals over the past two years, the Bulldogs have maintained Atkins Street as a fortress.
The Bulldogs were unbeaten at home last year and 7-1 in 2022, highlighting the challenge that is hand at for the Bombers, particularly with North Bendigo expected to be right in the top-three frame again this year.
After an up-and-down first two weeks keen to see how the Bombers stand up in this contest against an opponent they have plenty of history with (four consecutive grand finals against each between 2015 and 2018).
LODDON VALLEY
Welcome to the 2024 LVFNL season Inglewood.
After a bye in the opening round the Blues take to the field for the first time on Saturday at home against Bears Lagoon-Serpentine.
The Blues created plenty of headlines last season for finally breaking their 20-year finals drought and they straight up get the chance to take on a side that is tipped to be around the mark in Bears Lagoon-Serpentine.
New coach Fergus Payne takes the helm from Darrell Billett, which are some big shoes to fill given he was the coach who finally led the Blues back to the finals for the first time in 20 years.
Looking forward to seeing what the Blues can produce first-up against a quality opponent in the Bears.
BENDIGO LEAGUE: ROUND 2
SANDHURST v GISBORNE
2.20pm Saturday at QEO.
SANDHURST
B: D.Mills, M.Campbell, I.Ruff
HB: L.Ireland, H.Free, C.Smith
C: C.Connick, J.Mclean, L.Tardrew
HF: J.Wharton, L.Wright, N.Stagg
F: C.Maxted, Z.Pallpratt, F.Greene
R: J.Coghlan, N.Walsh, C.Sexton
Int: L.Hood, A.Wharton, O.Perez, S.O'Farrell
GISBORNE
B: J.Reaper, F.Schipano, J.Lynch
HB: J.Denahy, Z.Vescovi, L.Spear
C: D.Johnstone, M.Merrett, B.Bernacki
HF: R.Bourke, H.Thomas, J.Scanlon
F: H.Luxmoore, Z.Denahy, P.McKenna
R: B.Blake, F.Lakey, J.Cardillo
Int: J.Ainsworth, J.Gray, M.Lord, S.Graham
.......................................................
MARYBOROUGH v KANGAROO FLAT
2.20pm Saturday at Maryborough.
MARYBOROUGH
B: B.Snelling, K.Lanfranchi, L.Bursill
HB: J.Britten, A.Brown, A.Medlyn
C: J.Swatton, D.Reece, A.Humphrey
HF: C.Nyhuis, M.Mcclure, K.Constable
F: T.Myers, R.Castiglia, F.Russell
R: T.Stewart, B.Edwards, C.Perry
Int: L.Dunne, C.Read, B.Trahar, J.Leathan
KANGAROO FLAT
B: Z.Rouse, K.Symons, C.Ash
HB: T.Balcke, J.Bateson, A.Lothian
C: L.Ellings, J.Leersen, L.Dalziel
HF: J.Mayes, J.Hywood, A.Grant
F: D.Stagg, E.Roberts, H.Whitty
R: T.Roberts, C.Smith, B.Savy
Int: J.Halsall, D.Symons, H.Bourke, A.Nevins
.......................................................
SOUTH BENDIGO v CASTLEMAINE
2.20pm Saturday at Harry Trott Oval.
SOUTH BENDIGO
B: Z.Hare, B.Poyser, T.Poyser
HB: J.Francis, A.van Heumen, I.Miller
C: B.Haddow, A.Avery, W.McCaig
HF: A.Smith, W.Marks, C.Brooks
F: B.Harvey, S.Stroobants, M.McNaughton
R: R.Walsh, Z.Sims, A.Zimmerman
Int: R.Harvey, Z.Holmes, P.Sheahan, N.Murley, Z.Lockwood
CASTLEMAINE
B: L.Wilkinson, T.Hickey, J.Watson
HB: N.Woodman, J.Sutherland, Z.Murley
C: A.Rixon, B.Henderson, D.Semmens
HF: A.Frankling, M.Hartley, B.McConachy
F: Z.Greeves, B.Keogh, W.Moran
R: B.Moran, C.McConachy, K.Huntly
Int: B.Byrne, E.Hein, H.Sheahan, M.Filo, D.Slingo, J.Hood, L.Butcher
VIDEO (DAILYMOTION)
.......................................................
GOLDEN SQUARE v STRATHFIELDSAYE
2.20pm Saturday at Golden Square.
GOLDEN SQUARE
B: D.Barrett, Z.Shelton, J.Burke
HB: T.Strauch, J.Coe, L.Humphrey
C: Z.Tickell, J.Rosengren, H.Burke
HF: H.Freckleton, L.Thomas, J.Stewart
F: D.Hird, K.Daniels, M.Eaton
R: T.Rayner, L.Holt, J.Threlfall
Int: L.Monti, X.Carter, H.Kelly, Z.Wescott
STRATHFIELDSAYE
B: S.Geary, B.Lester, P.Blandford
HB: J.Jackson-Leahy, L.Ratcliffe, C.Jones
C: C.King, D.Clohesy, D.Mulquiny
HF: S.Siu, R.Wilson, J.Schischka
F: M.Gordon, C.Sheahan, A.Sheahan
R: G.Simpson, M.Harvey, L.Gill
Int: E.Featherby, C.James, J.Reinheimer, Z.Charles
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT: ROUND 3
NORTH BENDIGO v LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER
2.15pm Saturday at North Bendigo.
NORTH BENDIGO
B: M.Gray, S.Giri
HB: D.Klemm, B.Robertson, M.Thalasinos
C: A.Brohm, R.Hartley, B.Cain
HF: A.Craig, T.Findlay, R.Alford
F: J.Quirk, J.Dean, C.Riddick
R: W.Gilmore, N.Waterson, N.Newlan
Int: H.Johnson, J.Ford, S.Barnes, J.Hall
LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER
B: A.Windridge, C.Hislop, C.Horman
HB: C.Hancock, H.Bussey, L.Sverns
C: T.Brereton, M.Hagan, J.Warde
HF: J.Hawken, J.Brereton, W.Brereton
F: T.Guerra, M.Candy, J.Keath
R: N.McLellan, B.Green, B.Hawken
Int: Z.Ellwood, C.McGregor, D.Jardine, X.Colvin
.......................................................
COLBINABBIN v HEATHCOTE
2.15pm Saturday at Colbinabbin.
COLBINABBIN
B: C.Aldous, H.McMurtrie, N.Knight
HB: J.Ryan, A.Basile, A.Martin
C: N.Basile, A.Van Ruiswyk, J.McMurtrie
HF: J.Wilson, J.Carn, A.Carr
F: C.Shields, C.Ryan, L.Fitzgerald
R: P.Taban, W.Lowe, J.Brain
Int: J.Ilsley, S.Coughlin, L.Fitzgerald, J.Bull
HEATHCOTE
B: L.Freeman, W.Direen, J.Kelly
HB: C.Hamilton, B.Price, D.Johnstone
C: L.Piccolo, R.Bolton, H.McCarthy
HF: B.Padmore, Z.Saad, C.Webber-Mirkin
F: L.Birch, C.Grindlay, C.Birch
R: J.Orr, C.Price, L.Jacques
Int: W.Long, M.McLean, J.Conforti, B.Connelly
.......................................................
LBU v WHITE HILLS
2.15pm Saturday at Lockington.
LOCKINGTON-BAMAWM UNITED
B: M.Hore, C.Hinks, B.Stone
HB: E.Bruns, T.Phillips, J.Wolfe
C: T.Eade, T.Butler, J.Collins
HF: S.Taylor, M.Laursen, A.McMahon
F: L.Tenace, C.Sidebottom, J.Mundie
R: B.Holman, S.Fiske, B.Collins
Int: J.Howe, T.Leech, R.Wissell
WHITE HILLS
B: P.Crawford, C.Taggert, B.Bacon
HB: J.Pallpratt, N.Warnock, T.Brereton
C: S.Lowes, R.Irwin, L.Bartels
HF: J.Davies, J.Miller, C.Kekich
F: P.Eefting, K.Antonowicz, J.Lawton
R: C.Crisp, J.Fallon, R.Walker
Int: J.Sheean, P.conlan, J.Dickens, N.Wallace
.......................................................
MOUNT PLEASANT v HUNTLY
2.15pm Saturday at Toolleen.
MOUNT PLEASANT
B: M.Whiting, S.Greene, O.Bish
HB: J.Craig, D.Frame, F.White
C: B.White, T.McNamara, R.McIvor
HF: B.Bisset, C.Hatzis, D.Whiting
F: M.Rovers, C.Smith, M.Bennett
R: C.Down, J.Hickman, R.McNamara
Int: Z.Murrell, C.Moore, J.Mackenzie
HUNTLY
B: M.Avard, J.Hull, S.Kairn
HB: D.walsh, B.Fry, B.Daley
C: N.Grace, D.Lowry, J.Violi
HF: H.Morcom, F.Campbell, H.McCormick
F: B.Holt, L.Wilson, A.Sladden
R: J.Fry, J.Spry, T.Ferguson
Int: H.Whittle, J.Stone, M.Egan, M.Edwards
LODDON VALLEY LEAGUE: ROUND 2
NEWBRIDGE v MARONG
2.15pm Saturday at Newbridge.
NEWBRIDGE
B: L.Costelow, D.Lloyd, T.McLeod
HB: E.Aujard, M.McArthur, J.Hufer
C: T.Constable, B.Etherington, J.Clark
HF: J.Murray, A.Padbury, S.Gale
F: C.Sanders, C.Dixon, C.Argus
R: R.Cathie, J.Aujard, W.Daly
Int: C.hoye, B.Harris, K.Friswell, W.Copland
MARONG
B: J.Gretgrix, M.Willox, B.Hartland
HB: S.Dean, R.Tibbett, S.Knott
C: M.Grant, D.Johnstone, C.Hale
HF: R.Taylor, J.Davis, R.Wellington
F: N.Devanny, N.McCaig, K.Robins
R: M.Bradbury, B.Gregg, J.McCaig
Int: L.Frankel, L.Lee, T.Davies, W.Gadsden
.......................................................
PYRAMID HILL v CALIVIL UNITED
2.15pm Saturday at Pyramid Hill.
PYRAMID HILL
B: J.Hickmott, Z.Dingwall, D.Morison
HB: T.Mcgregor, S.Relouw, G.James
C: B.Ladson, D.Hemphill, B.George
HF: J.Cowling, B.Morison, S.Gunther
F: Z.Alford, T.Brennan, J.Sheahan
R: A.Holland, B.Knight, D.Collis
Int: H.Goodes, B.Scott, M.Gunther, E.Caburnay
CALIVIL UNITED
B: S.Green, A.Dennis, D.Thompson
HB: L.Fisher, H.McGregor, B.Baker
C: J.Maher, J.Lea, J.Mulquiny
HF: M.Stephens, T.Rial, C.Thompson
F: K.Shelton, S.Maher, B.Wagner
R: D.Canfield, H.Wall, R.Sheehan
Int: R.Lourie
.......................................................
INGLEWOOD v BL-SERPENTINE
2.15pm Saturday at Inglewood.
INGLEWOOD
B: C.March, C.Stobaus, J.Mills
HB: S.Polack, W.Allen, G.Nevins
C: L.Matheson, F.Payne, C.Love
HF: M.Rowe, M.Conlan, L.Ford
F: L.Marciano, J.Nevins, K.Payne
R: W.Allen, T.Kennedy, D.Polack
Int: B.Cauchi, J.Barnett, J.Lea
BEARS LAGOON-SERPENTINE
Not supplied
.......................................................
MAIDEN GULLY YCW v BRIDGEWATER
5pm Saturday at Maiden Gully.
MAIDEN GULLY YCW
B: J.Magnusson, T.Birch, J.Covington
HB: M.Whitham, J.McHutchison, B.Franzini
C: L.Sobina, L.Deslandes, D.Turner
HF: R.Strauch, R.Crothers, A.Monfries
F: W.Noden, T.Delahey, J.Johnson
R: D.Phyland, M.Crooks, J.Worsley
Int: J.Doolan, H.Minnis, J.Fry
BRIDGEWATER
B: J.Symons, J.Naughton, B.Holt
HB: B.Derrick, J.Mayes, J.Neylon
C: N.Naughton, A.Collins, C.Hindle
HF: J.Martyn, H.McKinley, B.Alexander
F: L.Sharp, H.Conway, H.Donegan
R: O.Muggleton, L.Coghlan, X.Walsh
Int: P.Rothacker, A.McDowell, A.Pollock, T.Estrada
