SOUTH Bendigo overcame a slow start and a plucky Sandhurst side to win Saturday's Bendigo Bank BFNL QEO co-tenants' clash by 30 points.
On their way to a 16.5 (101) to 10.11 (71) victory the Bloods regained second spot on the senior ladder and retained the Graeme Wright Memorial Cup.
The Dragons had the opportunity in the first quarter to set South an almost impossible task. But a return of 3.5 at the Barnard Street end let South, which could muster just one goal, off the hook.
The Bloods rebounded strongly in the second term, banging home seven majors while restricting Sandhurst to just two.
The Dragons looked really pumped in the first 30 minutes. With Simon Weekley hauling in some towering marks, Lee and Jon Coghlan and David Millard driving the ball into attack Sandhurst controlled the play.
But conversion wasn't the Dragons' strongpoint. They had four minor scores on the board before on-baller Ben Deuscher nailed a major from a goalmouth scramble.
Even though South's Alex Galea replied with a clever snap off the side of his right boot at the city end, the Dragons weren't finished.
Nathan Meade hit the post from straight in front, 20 metres out, but then Weekley and big spearhead Sam McGee found the range with vital majors.
With Tom Hartney and Jake Wilkinson shutting down South's forward line, McGee's goal left the Dragons 17 points up at the first change: a situation which South coach Rick Coburn used to fire up his players.
With Michael Leech and Shane Lefevre controlling the half-back line, Aaron Connaughton on top in the midfield contests and Danny O'Bree passing accurately to leading teammates the Bloods started to fire.
Big full-forward Dayne Frew booted three of his four goals for the day in the second term. Livewire small forward Steven Stroobants, midfielder Ryan Connaughton and O'Bree himself all added majors as the Bloods grabbed the lead and then powered ahead of the Dragons.
Skipper John Hardinge, so important to South's structure, steered home a major from a free kick to add to Sandhurst's problems.
Needing a lift and facing a 14-point deficit as the third quarter opened Sandhurst fell further behind. Leech, now in the front half, and Aaron Connaughton from a move started by O'Bree both goaled to extend the Bloods' lead.
The busy Deuscher capped off a thrust featuring Lee Coghlan and Tom Summerhayes with a major --- a much-needed one for the Dragons.
Lefevre ran hard and his pass found Leech in the city end's rotunda pocket. Leech brought the shot back cleverly from left to right as South answered and careered away.
Weekley finally steered home a Sandhurst goal from a set shot at the 25-minute mark to reduce South's lead to 19 points at the last change.
The Dragons tried desperately but could not make any inroads into the South lead in the last term. Goals to Nick Stagg and Deuscher were answered by the Bloods' Frew, Leigh Davies, Aaron Connaughton and Leech as South controlled the midfield.
After the match, South coach Rick Coburn said his team still had a "little window of opportunity" at quarter time after Sandhurst had failed to bury the Bloods.
"Our conversion was good today and it had to be because we hadn't been so good at that in recent history.
"And Michael Leech can play a number of roles for us, either in defence or the midfield and up forward as he did for us later in the game," Coburn said.
Sandhurst coach Keiran Nihill said accurate goalkicking all hinged on confidence.
"It's been a bit of a story of our season of late, missing a few goals. You can't berate players for missing shots because we need to encourage them to keep taking those kicks.
"But we did really miss the opportunity of earning respect by beating a side above us. We need to get over one of those teams, so we need to stick at it to see whether we can beat a Golden Square or an Eaglehawk in a few weeks time," Nihill said.
SOUTH BENDIGO 1.0 8.3 11.4 16.5 (101)
SANDHURST 3.5 5.7 7.9 10.11 (71)
GOALS - South Bendigo: Dayne Frew 4, Michael Leech 3, Aaron Connaughton 2, Alex Galea 2, Danny O'Bree, Leigh Davies, Ryan Connaughton, John Hardinge, Steven Stroobants. Sandhurst: Ben Deuscher 3, Nick Stagg 2, Simon Weekley 2, Sam McGee 2, Tom Summerhayes.
BEST - South Bendigo: Aaron Connaughton (best afield), Shane Lefevre, Michael Leech, Brady Childs, Tom Hams, Pascale Craig, Steven Stroobants. Sandhurst: Tom Hartney, Simon Weekley, Jake Wilkinson, David Millard, Tom Summerhayes, Ben Deuscher.
VOTES in Bendigo Advertiser Player of the Year award
5: Aaron Connaughton (South Bendigo)
4: Shane Lefevre (South Bendigo)
3: Tom Hartney (Sandhurst)
2: Michael Leech (South Bendigo)
1: Simon Weekley (Sandhurst)
By Richard Jones
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