Top Dogs’ day this weekend

TWO breeds of Bulldog, Gisborne and Golden Square, will fight it out in this Saturday’s eighth round of senior footy in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football Netball League’s season.

Gisborne will have home-ground advantage at Gardiner Reserve as first takes on third.

The Rob Waters-coached Gisborne marked a seventh consecutive victory in a 99-point triumph in the Indigenous Round match at Kangaroo Flat.

After being on the sidelines for a few weeks, Gisborne captain Pat McKenna marked a brilliant return by kicking 11 goals.

A powerful team in red, white and blue includes Morrish medallist Flynn Lakey, Sam Graham, Braidon Blake in the ruck, Jack Reaper in defence, and Matt Panuccio.

Golden Square won the feature match of Indigenous Round against Castlemaine by 180 points as Joel Brett booted 14 goals in a best on ground performance and Jayden Burke added five.

Best for the Christian Carter-coached Square were Burke, Jarrod Fitzpatrick, Liam Barrett and captain Jack Geary.

The games sets up two of the league’s most exciting forward lines to go head to head.

Another big match will be at Kyneton where the Tigers take on Sandhurst.

The Paul Chapman-coached Kyneton scored a 21-point victory on Eaglehawk’s turf.

Cameron Manuel kicked five goals in the Tigers victory to be among the best with Louis Thompson, Mitch Comben and Hamish Yunghanns.

The sixth-placed Sandhurst kept the heat on after an 18-goal win at Maryborough where Matt Thornton and Joel Wharton booted five apiece for the Dragons.

A talented Sandhurst line-up includes Noah Walsh, Zach Pallpratt, Alex Wharton and Lee Coghlan.

After a one-point loss to Strathfieldsaye, South Bendigo is back at the QEO to take on Maryborough.

The Bloods were without two of their best, Liam Byrne and Cooper Leon, but took it right up to Storm.

Brock Harvey led the attack with four goals as Alexander Smith, coach Nathan Horbury, Isaiah Miller and Braydan Torpey starred for the red and white.

It was another tough afternoon for Maryborough, although the play of ruck-rover Aidan Hare, key defender Kya Lanfranchi, Liam Murphy and Brady Neill were highs for the Pies against Sandhurst.

Lastly, Strathfieldsaye take on Kangaroo Flat at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane, and Castlemaine faces a fired-up Eaglehawk at Camp Reserve.

The Darryl Wilson and Shannon Geary-coached Storm, and the Travis Matheson-coached Hawks should take the points in those matches.