August 25, 2010

Bendigo Football League....

GOLDEN SQUARE threw down a direct challenge to other Bendigo Bank BFNL finalists with a 142-point drubbing of Strathfieldsaye at Country Vet Oval on Saturday.
With Grant Weeks banging home 12 goals for a home-and-away tally of 145 and pacy flanker Shaun Young adding seven the Bulldogs were in ominous form.
Skipper Christian Carter made a successful return to senior ranks, nailing a second term goal in Square’s 30.19 (199) to 9.3 (57) victory.
To the Storm’s credit they kept pace with the Dogs in the fourth quarter. Both clubs scored six goals as the match petered out, with Strathfieldsaye’s Lachlan Sharp booting two to give him four majors for the day.
The Bulldogs scored 8.5 in both the first and second terms, with an extra behind – to give them 8.6 – in the third.
Midfielder Simon Rosa was in blistering form, setting up wave after wave of forward moves. He kicked a first quarter goal when he collected the spillage from a Storm defensive error.
Jack Geary, who started on Sharp, and Brayden Dorrington were busy Square rebounding defenders while Luke Hammond added three goals and was a fine midfield contributor.
The pattern of the match was set early on. Hammond, flanker Josh Baird, Simon Rosa and Shaun Young carved up the young Storm defence with scything runs through the centre of the ground and the Wade Street end half-forward line.
The Dogs had eight goals on the board before Sharp scored Strathfieldsaye’s first goal in time-on of the first term.
The Storm didn’t add to that goal tally until the third stanza. Golden Square was already 97 points in front at the long break.
Weeks and Young continued to add to their personal goal tallies. For Weeks, half of his 12 majors came from snaps or deliberate grubber kicks with just six landed from set shots.
Young also was sensational with his snaps, although in the second term he hauled in a one-handed mark at centre half-forward to go back and convert from a deliberate shot.
Strathfieldsaye did add eight goals after half-time as Ryan Pedrotti, Dermott Smythe and Troy McLachlan provided some run and carry.
But the effects of a long season and the relentless attack on the ball from the Dogs was just too much for the youthful Storm.
Brenton Hall battled hard to contain Weeks but the supply of ball from Simon Rosa, Hammond and Geary was just overwhelming.
Square coach Nick Carter said the team goal was to play four, top quarters and although it was even in the last term he was pleased with the performance.
“I was happy with our urgency, our attack on the footy and the tackle pressure from the team was right up. Even though it wasn’t a complete four quarter game I was really happy with the effort.”
And Carter said that forward Matt O’Toole, defender Anthony Holdstock, who will play his 150th game next outing, and possibly Bombers-listed James Bristow were still to come back into the line-up.
Storm coach Clint Whitsed said it was encouraging to keep pace with the Dogs in the last term and string some good passages of play together.
“It’s always difficult in the last couple of games when you’re trying to find something to play for, so it was pleasing to finish that way.”
Whitsed said pre-season training for 2011 could start in late November although the group had to come together first to discuss the programme and the starting date.

GOLDEN SQUARE      8.5     16.10     24.16     30.19 (199)
STRATHFIELDSAYE   1.2      1.3         3.3          9.3   (57)

GOALS
Golden Square: Grant Weeks 12, Shaun Young 7, Luke Hammond 3, Adam Baird 2, Mark Lloyd, Simon Rosa, Christian Carter, Josh Baird, Michael Bateman, Luke Rosa. Strathfieldsaye: Lachlan Sharp 4, Clint Whitsed 2, Andrew Thompson, Dermott Smythe, Cameron Ross.
BEST
Golden Square: Simon Rosa (best afield), Grant Weeks, Shaun Young, Jack Geary, Brayden Dorrington, Luke Hammond, Adam Baird. Strathfieldsaye: Ryan Pedrotti, Dermott Smythe, Andrew Thompson, Brenton Hall, Jaryd Wishart.

VOTES in the Bendigo Advertiser Player of the Year award

5: Simon Rosa (Golden Square)
4: Grant Weeks (Golden Square)
3: Shaun Young (Golden Square)
2: Jack Geary (Golden Square)
1: Brayden Dorrington (Golden Square)

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