Strath storms to big victory

A TALLY of seventeen goalkickers reflected Strathfieldsaye’s dominance of the senior footy match against Maryborough in Saturday’s start to Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL’s split sixth round.

It was a daunting task for Maryborough against a team on the rebound from defeat for the first time since a one-point loss on April 10, 2021 at Gisborne.

A midfielder or half-back flanker for a lot of his career, Kallen Geary played a permanent role in the forward 50-metre arc and kicked a match-high seven goals.

Storm led 35-2 at quarter-time and then slammed on 7.7 to nil in the second.

It was a ruthless performance from the Darryl Wilson and Shannon Geary-coached Storm as it scored 12 goals in the third and nine in the last to complete a 33.21 (219) to 1.5 (11) victory.

The Magpies’ sole goal was off the boot of Damon Lewis.

Baxter Slater earned best afield honours as Kallen Geary and Jake Moorhead also won plenty of the footy.

Malik Gordon kicked four goals to be among Storm’s best, along with Brady Hore and Thomas Bennett.

On another tough afternoon for the Rick Andrews-coached Magpies it was ruck-rover Aidan Hare, Kya Lanfranchi, Patrick Chard and Lachlan Hull who were best.

In other matches around the league, Kyneton scored a thrilling seven-point win at home against Golden Square.

The Bulldogs led by three points at half-time and by two at a quarter to go, but it was the Paul Chapman-coached Tigers who finished brilliantly in front of a parochial crowd at Tigerland to win 95-88.

A dominant third quarter set up Kangaroo Flat’s win at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.

The Roos led 34-28 at half-time and then scored 4.7 to 1.1 in the crucial third term to gain a five-goal lead.

The classy Mitch Rovers kicked four goals in a best afield performance for the James Flaherty-coached Kangaroos.

Gisborne thrashed South Bendigo by 106 points on the Bulldogs’ turf at Gardiner Reserve.

The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne led 21-15 at quarter-time and then scored 7.4 to a goal in the second on the way to a 152 to 46 victory.