Dogs top and tail blitz stitches up Bloods

BRILLIANT first and final quarters ensured Golden Square’s winning run against South Bendigo rolled on in Saturday’s start to the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League’s senior footy season.

The Bloods and Bulldogs met at Queen Elizabeth Oval where the visitors scored seven unanswered goals before South replied.

Although Golden Square dominated play, South Bendigo added another three goals to end the second term and kept the Dogs to just two points to trail 4.8 to 7.4 at half-time.

The Nathan Horbury-coached Bloods won the third term, 20-18, to keep the pressure on.

Dogs’ full-forward Joel Brett led the early onslaught and was to the fore in a final term blitz as the blue and gold scored 6.3 to a point to run out 103-53 victors.

Brett’s seven goals earned best afield honours in a match where Alex Jenkyn and Braydon Vaz were the other multiple goalkickers for the winners on two apiece.

It was an outstanding game by Brett as the Christian Carter-coached Bulldogs were without the marking power of Jayden Burke.

Up against his former club, Brock Harvey was a livewire in South’s attack and finished on three goals.

The Bloods’ major focal points for much of last season, Kaiden Antonowicz and Michael Herlihy were held to a goal each.

Key players in the Bulldogs’ run included onballers Terence Reeves and captain Jack Geary who capitalised on the play of ruckman Matt Compston.

Others to play well for the Bulldogs included Tom Strauch, Zack Shelton and Liam Duguid.

The son of a Golden Square great in Dean Strauch and brother of Olympic swimmer Jenna, Tom Strauch’s contested marking and workrate inside the forward 50m arc was a highlight.

Recruited to Square from Bridgewater, Jarrod Fitzpatrick and Liam Jacques both kicked a goal.

It was a tough start for South Bendigo which had several key players missing after being injured in the practice matches.