Grasshoppers face test against Saints

COLBINABBIN cannot afford to take Heathcote lightly when the Grasshoppers and Saints clash in Saturday’s fourteenth round of the Bendigo Bank Heathcote District Football Netball League’s senior football season.

The Grasshoppers will have home-ground advantage at M. J. Morgan Reserve when they welcome the Saints who put in a superb effort in an 82-90 loss to North Bendigo at Barrack Reserve last Saturday.

Braden Padmore kicked six goals to be Heathcote’s best, as Shaun Harrison, Will Long, Codie Price, Jackson Jones and Alex McIvor won plenty of the ball.

Colbinabbin took the points in a spirited contest with White Hills at the Scott Street ground.

The Grasshoppers led 45-43 at three quarter-time and then scored 5.2 to nil in the last.

A major strength of the Colbo line-up is its spread of goalkickers with seven in the win against the Demons as Logan Fitzgerald, David Price, Todd Clarke and Stephen Tuohey led the green and gold to victory.

After a bye, Elmore is back on its turf to take on White Hills.

It’s a must-win for the Demons who are four points and 6.5 per cent behind the fifth-placed Heathcote.

Key players for the Jack Fallon-coached White Hills include Ben Bacon and David Wright in defence, Liam Bartels and Mitch Dole in attack.

The Demons will be wary of Elmore’s Darcy Laffy who kicked eight goals in a 17-point loss at White Hills in the fifth round.

It’s been a lengthy break for the Bloods whose most recent game was on 18 June against North Bendigo at Elmore.

Meanwhile, Mount Pleasant takes on Huntly at Toolleen.

The Blues won their latest hit-out with Leitchville-Gunbower by 70 points as ruck-rover Billy Mahony, ruckman Chris Down, Sam Greene and Zebb Murrell led the way.

Huntly played well against the ladder leading Lockington Bamawm United as Flynn Campbell and Brandon Dimech kicked three goals apiece for the Hawks.

After a hard-fought win on Heathcote’s ground, North Bendigo is back at Hibo Hotel Oval in Atkins Street to take on Leitchville-Gunbower.

The signing of Hakeem Johnson is one of the recruiting coups of the year.

Johnson kicked six goals in the Bulldogs win against the Saints and looms as a major danger to the Bombers defence, along with Dylan Klemm, Jordan Ford and Matt Gray.

The LG line-up will look for big games from Blake Azzopardi, Hoby Bussey, Matt and Nathan McLellan, Oskar Smartt and Jobee Warde.

Lockington Bamawm United has the bye.