Saints brace to face Demons heat

HEATHCOTE is bracing for a red-hot contest with White Hills in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL senior footy second semi-final on Saturday at Colbinabbin.

At stake is being first to the grand final to be played on 16 September at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.

After finishing the home and away series on top of the ladder, Heathcote had the luxury of a rest as the finals kicked off last weekend.

Saints’ coach Andrew Saladino was a keen observer as White Hills dismantled North Bendigo in the qualifying final at Pigeon Park in Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve.

The Demons set up a showdown with the Saints by beating the Bulldogs by 40 points.

“Most of their A-grade players were in top form,” Saladino said of a White Hills team that includes gun forwards Kaiden Antonowicz and Liam Bartels.

This season’s meetings between the Saints and Demons stand at one-all.

In round three, White Hills won a two-point thriller on its turf at Winslow Constructors Oval.

The return match in the 12th round ended in a 29-point for a Heathcote team which was without key forwards Corey Grindlay and Shannon Dowsett.

Both will be primed for the second semi-final.

“A key to our game will be playing a consistent four quarters,” said Saladino. “We had one bad quarter in a six-goal loss to North Bendigo.

“A bad second quarter by North Bendigo in the qualifying final meant White Hills was able to control most of the second half.”

There will be many crucial matchups in Saturday’s showdown with the Demons.

Among them will be Bill Direen against Antonowicz who kicked off the finals by kicking a match-high four goals.

“Bill put in a great effort to keep Kaiden goalless last time we played White Hills.

“It will be another big test for Bill, but for all of our defence.”

A talented on-ball division for Heathcote is brilliantly led by Braden Padmore, Jesse Davies and Liam Jacques.

The pace and skill of captain Codie Price off half-back is another major weapon for a Heathcote team which had a 13-3 record in the run to the finals action.

In week one of the finals, Heathcote’s under 18s were in action on Pigeon Park, going down to White Hills by 28 points.

It’s not all lost for the young Saints, though, with the club having the double chance and back in action at Elmore on Sunday against Huntly.

Under 18s

White Hills 8.9 (57)

Heathcote 4.5 (29)

GOALS: White Hills: H. Sheilds 6, P. Conlan 1, M. Johnson 1

Heathcote: J. McCarthy 1, E. Hurley 1, T. Johnson 1, C. Cronin 1

BEST: White Hills: I. Meersbergen, H. Sheilds, P. Conlan, O. Edmiston, B. Talbot, S. Boyd

Heathcote: R. Foster, S. Creevey, T. Johnson, D. Butler, J. Pringle, E. Hurley