North Central, Hume, Hampden: Birchip-Watchem downs star studded Nullawil in season opener
Birchip-Watchem missed a berth in the North Central country footy league grand final last year, but has started 2024 with a bang.
Birchip-Watchem went a small way towards atoning for its preliminary final loss to Nullawil last season with a 24-point first round win in the North Central league first round on Saturday.
In a top standard encounter, the Bulls broke the game open in the second quarter to lead by 23 points at halftime.
Ben Edwards, who finished second on the league goal kicking table last year with 87 goals, started the season in ominous form.
He booted seven goals, reigning Feeny Medal winner Nic Rippon starred in the centre and defender Dale Hinkley was also a key player in the victory.
Birchip-Watchem star recruit Hamish Hosking was serviceable on debut.
Nullawil, which was runner-up in its first season in the league, has also been active in the off-season and rolled out plenty of new faces including Central Murray league star Matthew Wade, defender Peter Faulks and Bendigo league pair Hunter Lawrence and Nic Keogh.
Wade, David Isbister and Dean Putt were among Nullawil’s best players.
Jack Exell, another late signing from the Bendigo league, booted three goals on debut before suffering a hamstring injury late in the match.
Nullawil played on its player points limit of 42 in round one with Birchip-Watchem using 38 of its 42 points.
Nullawil’s merger partner in 2025, Wycheproof-Narraport lost to Donald by 27 points.
Former Richmond player Andrew Browne has joined Donald from Mininera District premiers Tatyoon and was in the best players.
Reigning premier Sea Lake-Nandaly beat Boort by 41 points with Josh Jenkins booting eight goals in the season opener.
Jenkins kicked 49 goals from only eight games last year with his lowest haul being four in the grand final win.
HUME
Hume league 2023 premiership coach Joel Mackie had the perfect start to his latest coaching job with Jindera by beating flag fancy Holbrook by six points.
Mackie reluctantly moved on from the Osborne coaching job at the end of last season due to a little known club rule on a maximum length of tenure someone can serve in the role.
He was snapped up by Jindera before last season ended with Osborne atoning for its 2022 grand final loss to Holbrook.
Mackie didn’t play against Holbrook on Saturday, but he watched on as Jindera kicked three goals to one in the last term to record a come-from-behind victory.
Key forward Trent Castles kicked two of his five goals for the match in the last term with Crawshaw kicking the other one.
Jindera has bolstered its line-up that missed finals last year with Luke Garland, who captained Lavington to the 2019 Ovens and Murray league premiership in a 250-match career that also included three best and fairests.
Osborne started the season with a 65-point win against Howlong under its new coach Myles Aalbers, who played alongside Garland at Lavington for a large part of his career.
Osborne and Jindera meet in round three.
HAMPDEN
Triple Maskell Medal winner Levi Dare has played a starring role in Hamilton’s upset win over Camperdown on Saturday.
Dare won his three Hampden league medals playing for rival club Cobden and played for Alvie in the Colac District league last year.
But he was a shock late addition for Hamilton, which won only two matches last year with Camperdown narrowly missing finals.
Hamilton broke the game open in the third term with seven goals to one.
Co-captain Darcy Russell finished with four goals and Hamish Cook booted three.
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