By Richard Jones

SANDHURST stormed into the Bendigo Football League's top three following a 57-point victory over Kangaroo Flat in Saturday's match at Dower Park.

The Dragons had to withstand a spirited second quarter fightback from the Roos before unleashing an eight-goal third term to seal the four, premiership points.

On a very firm, dry surface at Dower Park Sandhurst skipped out to a 31-point lead by the first change with marking forwards Simon Weekly and Sam McGee in sparkling form.

Weekly (10 marks for the day) and McGee (eight marks) nailed five of the Dragons' six first term goals as link players Kieran Nihill, Tyson Findlay and Mark Vigus pumped the ball into attack.

 

Coach and centreman Nathan Gilliland was outstanding throughout the match, garnering 40 possessions for the Dragons -- 21 kicks and 19 handballs -- while wingman Zac Perez's long raking kicks into the front half were also telling.

The Roos bounced back into contention in the second term. Controlling the stoppages the Green and Whites added 7.1 to 4.2 in an encouraging turn-around.

Marty Warry booted three goals and Ty Zantuck two as the Roos closed to an eight-point margin only moments before half-time.

After Kieran Nihill had kicked the goal-of-the-day with a running checkside shot off the side of the right boot, Zantuck showed he could replicate the performance. Zantuck sliced though an opportunist major at the Station Street end with an identical shot to Nihill's -- an off-the-side of the boot snap.

 That made it eight points between the clubs -- 9.4 to 8.2 -- before Lucas Ruedin banged home a vital goal for the Dragons at the scoreboard end.

 

However, the play which started the Sandhurst move seemed to have come from a throw at the centre clearance. The errant handball was not halted by the central umpires and the ball ended up with Ruedin for the major which stretched the Dragons' lead to 14 points at the long break.

Sandhurst sealed victory with a scintillating eight-goal third term burst.

 

Back in control of the stoppages and with ruckman Matt Thornton again in charge of the centre square duels, the Dragons made all the running. Gilliland booted two goals himself and set up others with his run from the midfield area. Mark Fitzgerald chipped in with two goals, as well, as the Dragons extended their lead to 62 points by the last change.

Matt Keown and captain Wayne Mitrovic shut down the Roos' attack and Mitrovic was also on top in a willing push-and-shove on the Tabaret flank in the third term.

Kangaroo Flat's only goal during the Dragons' blitz was posted by Ryan McNish who marked a centring ball from Jarryd Weiegard at the scoreboard end.

Weekly took his goal tally for the day to five with a major in the last term, but it took three attempts before he got it right. The first shot had sailed through for a point before the second failed to make the distance.

Gilliland said he wasn't concerned about ladder positions just yet. "We've got Kyneton next round and we're concentrating on that.

"Today we knew once we opened the game up and started knocking the ball orward our talls would get on top. And we knew we had to take charge of he toppages again, and we did by addressing that problem at half-time"

Flat coach John Rombotis -- a late withdrawal from Saturday's side – said e "was more than happy" with the team's effort. By half-time both teams had gone into their forward 50 metres 20 times, o  was pleased with that.

"Twenty minutes of footy cost us but when you consider we had seven nder-18 layers in the team they'll learn and we're definitely getting better."

SANDHURST                 6.2          10.6          18.11                     204 (134)
KANGAROO FLAT        1.1           8.2            9.3                12.5  (77)

GOALS -- Sandhurst: Simon Weekly 5, Matt Fitzgerald 3, Sam McGee 3, Nathan
Gilliland 2, Mark Vigus 2, Lucas Ruedin 2,  Seamus Young, Michael Cornish,
Kieran Nihill. Kangaroo Flat: Ty Zantuck 5, Marty Warry 4, Mitch Holt, Ryan
McNish, Tyson Holt.
BEST -- Sandhurst: Nathan Gilliland (best afield), Kieran Nihill, Simon
Weekly, Matt Keown, Tyson Findlay, Mark Vigus. Kangaroo Flat: Ty Zantuck,
Denis Hickey, Jarryd Wiegard, Aiden Moore, Marty Warry, Tim Brooks