Round 6 Bendigo Pioneers v Eastern Ranges, Saturday May 7th, Kyabram Recreational Reserve, 1.00pm
The Eastern Ranges will head up to Kyabram this weekend looking to extend their dominant winning streak over the Bendigo Pioneers.
The last time the Pioneers got the win over the Ranges was back in Round 8 2001, when the likes of Nick Dal Santo (Bendigo), Nick Malceski and Kade Simpson (both Eastern) were running around. Since then the sides have met 18 times, most recently in Round 16, 2015, when the Ranges were victors by 124 points, with Blake Hardwick (now at Hawthorn) kicking 12 goals.
This season Eastern find themselves sitting at 6th position on the ladder with a 3-2 win-loss record after five rounds of football, and will be looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat to the Geelong Falcons last week. Jordan Lynch, Jaidyn Stephenson, and Thomas Jacotine return to the side; with Hamish McGowan, Joshua Robertson and Oscar Anderson also included on an extended bench. Out of last week’s team are Joel Garner, Callum Brown, Jamie Shaw and Lachlan Sheppard. Mitchell Jones is the 23rd player.
Last week it was an inconsistent performance from the Ranges, as they dominated parts of the match, including the majority of the first and third quarters; but the game also saw their opponents dominate at other stages, including the final 15 minutes that helped Geelong seal the win. Coach Darren Bewick and his staff will be hoping for a more even four quarter performance on Saturday.
Eastern’s opponent, the Pioneers, are 12th with one win and four losses. They are coming off the back of a 70 point loss to North Ballarat, and will be looking for their first win since defeating the Gipplsand Power in round 2. Although the Ranges will go into this match with confidence, they will also be wary of a side that almost defeated them in Round 6 of 2015, with Eastern coming from behind to pinch a three point win.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Joshua Begley
Since making his Eastern Ranges debut in Round 4, Begley has kicked nine goals in the past two rounds; including a six goal haul on debut. This follows 13 goals for Upper Ferntree Gully’s senior team in the Eastern Football League. Begley, along with his teammates, will be hoping the strong forward can continue his rich vein of form this week.
Last Modified on 06/05/2016 13:05