Golden Square and South Bendigo won top-notch semi-finals on the second weekend of the finals series in 2006.

Square bounced back from a 25-point deficit close to time-on in the first quarter of the Saturday night second semi before downing Gisborne by 14 points.

And the Bloods cemented their preliminary final date by overwhelming Sandhurst with an 11-goal first half in Sunday’s first semi-final.

Taught a lesson early in application, the Square Dogs fought back under the QEO lights to earn a spot in their 29th grand final. Of course after a run of five, straight flags since that 2006 season the Square granny total is now closing on 40.

Richard White (2), James McFarlane, Matt Fitzgerald and Luke Saunders all had their name on Gisborne’s goal-kicking sheets by the 20-minute mark of the opening stanza.

Finally the Wade Street Dogs responded with Klein-Breteler finding Glenn Keast for a Square goal as Gisborne’s lead was reduced to 17 points by quarter time.

Golden Square’s midfielders won a lot more of the contested possessions in the second term with Jason Griffin, Mark Lloyd and Klein-Breteler prominent while in the back half Anthony Holdstock and Dillon Anderson were spoilers in the marking duels.

Gisborne’s only second term goal came from a snap by mercurial Darren Farrugia as James Walsh capitalized on a Stacy Fiske pass to nail Square’s second of the quarter.

AS THE third term began Square closed the margin to a single point, thanks to rapid-fire majors from the boots of Fiske and Klein-Breteler inside the first 60 seconds.
Wes Pye dominated the centre square tap-downs and from one hit-out Adrian McErvale capped off a thrust with a soccered goal to hand Square the lead. Playing coach Darren Walsh widened the margin with another Wade Street Dogs’ major.
Gisborne needed a lift. After Matt “Tooley” O’Toole had stretched Square’s lead Gisborne’s “Rolls Royce” Luke Saunders goaled on the run to reduce the Square lead to nine points.
Further early last term majors to Daniel Sipthorp and Ollie Messaoudi --- and then a beauty from Farrugia from the swimming pool pocket --- cut Square’s lead to seven points at the 21-minute mark.
Square responded when skipper Adam Bovalino goaled deep into time-on and the Square had won the second semi by 14 points.
Square coach Darren Walsh said Gisborne’s attack on the football early on had been far superior to the efforts of his players.
“Fortunately for us, our workrate lifted in that second quarter while our defence has been great so far in both finals and their rebounding work has been fantastic.”

SOUTH Bendigo ensured the last day of David Collins tenure as senior Sandhurst coach wouldn’t be one for the Dragons to remember as the Bloods eliminated Hurst from the 2006 finals series.
Jared Keely and Ricky Coburn led the in-and-under statistics for the Bloods while Marty Shadbolt across half-forward, big Leigh Rees in the ruck and Grant Tasca in defence were South standouts.
The Bloods skipped out to a three-goal lead by the first break with late inclusions Michael Leech and Zane Taylor (replacing injured pair Julian Lake and Brad Wright) getting better as the first semi-final wore on.
South’s Nick Knight, Leech and Brendan Jennings all hit the scoreboard with only Blair Holmes able to respond for the Hurst.
By the long break South Bendigo had opened up a five-goal advantage and then dominated early in the third term. Luke Beattie’s goal was followed by another from Rees as he floated across a goal square pack to mark and kick truly.
Lining up against his former club Lucas Ruedin kicked the Dragons’ sole third term major, but it was 22 minutes in before Ruedin scored.
The Dragons did boot four goals in the final term with Coghlan, Fitzpatrick and Mitrovic (2) reducing the margin to 28 points.
But South responded. Knight took his sem-final goal tally to four with two, quick majors while Aaron Noonan goaled on the run to seal a preliminary final berth for the Bloods against Gisborne.

Second semi-final
Golden Square 2.3 4.6 10.9 13.10 (88)
Gisborne 5.2 6.7 7.11 10.14 (74)
Goals – Golden Square: Matthew Klein-Breteler 2, Adrian McErvale 2, Matthew O’Toole 2, Darren Walsh 2, James Walsh 2, Adam Bovalino, Stacy Fiske, Glenn Keast. Gisborne: Darren Farrugia 2, Luke Saunders 2, Richard White 2, Daniel Sipthorp, Mathew Fitzgerald, James McFarlane, Ollie Messaoudi.
Best – Golden Square: Wes Pye, Anthony Holdstock, Matthew Klein-Breteler, Dillon Anderson, Clayton Anderson, Adrian McErvale, Mark Lloyd. Gisborne: Michael Dillon, Ollie Messaoudi, Cameron Medica, David Power, Rod Sharp, Anthony Belcher.
First semi-final
South Bendigo 6.4 11.10 15.13 19.20 (134)
Sandhurst 3.2 7.4 8.9 12.10 ( 82)
Goals – South Bendigo: Luke Beattie 4, Nick Knight 4, Marty Shadbolt 2, Brendan Jennings 2, Ricky Coburn 2, Aaron Noonan, Brad Rohde, Leigh Burke, Ryan Connaughton. Sandhurst: Wayne Mitrovic 3, Travis Fitzpatrick 2, Jon Coghlan 2, Blair Holmes 2, Michael Cornish, Brenton Hall, Lucas Ruedin.
Best – South Bendigo: Jared Keely, Luke Beattie, Simon Beattie, Leigh Rees, Grant Tasca, Marty Shadbolt, Linc Sullivan. Sandhurst: Rob Thornton, Jon Coghlan, Travis Fitzptrick, Blair Holmes, Malcolm Borchard, Michael Cornish.
Netball semi-finals, first semi: Kangaroo Flat 12 30 41 (53) def. Maryborough 15 25 40 (51). Second semi: Sandhurst 11 20 35 (50) def. G. Square 8 22 31 (41).

AROUND the traps the same weekend and Calivil United made it four consecutive premierships in the Loddon Valley league with a massive 2006 grand final win over Pyramid Hill.
The Demons – who celebrated 125 years this season -- blew Pyramid away in the second term slamming home 8.6 to no score on their way to winning 15.20 (110) to 9.4 (58). Calivil had the all-important wind at their backs as half-time loomed.
But Pyramid won the A grade netball granny 35-32 over Marong. It was windy on the Mitiamo netball courts, as well as out on the footy field.
Undefeated Harcourt won the MCDFL second semi over Newstead on a blowy day at Princes Park -- 18.23 (131) to 12.10 (82) -- while Carisbrook downed Rovers by 12 points in the Sunday first semi: 13.7 (85) to 10.13 (73).
And in the HDFL Elmore marched into its first grand final since 1997 with a 33-point win over Mount Pleasant, 14.22 to 10.13, with LBU far too good for Colbo in the knockout first semi: 19.7 (121) to the Grasshoppers’ 8.16 (64).
Boort won a close North Central second semi-final 10.13 to Donald’s 8.12 and out in the Lexton Plains Skipton beat current regular MCDFL finalists Natte Bealiba 18.16 to 13.9.
Redan and East Point won the Ballarat semis: Redan 25.22 def. Darley 14.13 while East Point 17.12 def. Ballarat 13.11.

MEANWHILE over at BFNL club Maryborough senior footy coach Steve Thomson was weighing up his options.
He’d coached the Magpies to three wins in 2005 even after an exodus of leading players and had done even better nine years ago with the Pies winning six games to finish seventh on the 2006 ladder.
Thomson’s uncertainty was caused by the Maryborough committee announcing its decision to advertise all coaching positions for the 2007 season. Current Western Bulldog Stewart Crameri was still on the Magpies list in 2006.
Maryborough president Mick Reid acknowledged Thomson had done “a great job” but the club’s preference was for a playing coach.
“A playing coach would be nice to give us a little bit of extra leadership out on the ground,” Reid told the Advertiser.
“We may have lacked on-field leadership over the past 12 months or so, missing the likes of Jamie Bond and Geoff MacIlwain. So that’s one option for us.”
However compared to the 2015 Magpies’ stone motherless last placing, Thomson’s mid-2000s achievements look extremely good from a distance of close to a decade on.

Richard’s tips for Week 2, 2015 finals – Strath Storm by 41 pts. vs. Golden Square, 2nd semi-final, Sat. evening. [winner straight to September 26’s grand final]
Sandhurst by 29 pts. vs. Eaglehawk, 1st semi-final, Sunday afternoon.
2015 tips tally to date: 76. Current finals tally: 2 out of 2.

By Richard Jones