North Heidelberg have snapped their four-game losing streak in Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1, claiming a 46-point victory over Whittlesea at Shelley Reserve.
Desperate to return to the win column, the Bulldogs were able to break out of a tight contest during the second term, grasping a lead they wouldn’t let go of to secure a 19.13 (127) to 12.9 (81) win.
Jesse Tardio continued his midfield dominance as one of the Bulldog’s best on the day. Along with Liam Nunan, both men lead the charge for entries up forward that kept their side rejuvenated throughout.
Billy Hogan shined once again as one of the competitions most prolific goal-kickers, booting six majors and making it a difficult day for Eagles defenders.
For the visitors, Paul Higgins and Jaron Murphy kept the scoreboard ticking with three majors each.
From first bounce both teams were eager to make their mark on the game. Hogan opened up the scoring for the Bulldogs followed by goals from Adam Braendler, Shane Harvey and Brock Chircop, the latter kicking true from the edge of the boundary to push the margin to 18 points.
The Eagles were able to quickly respond thanks to Higgins, who kicked two of his three majors for the afternoon, leading the way to give the visitors a one point lead at quarter time.
In a second term that was dominated by North Heidelberg, Hogan continued to tear apart the structure of the Eagles backline, kicking two majors, including a goal assist to Corey McKay that flipped the momentum of the game.
On the other end, defender Charles Le Fanu’s composure throughout the match saw him stepping up to create multiple turnovers that broke apart multiple attacks from the Eagles, limiting them to only one major for the quarter.
Opportunities continued to turn into goals for North Heidelberg as Kieren Jaksic slotted through his first before Harvey’s second goal of the day gave the Bulldogs a 25 point lead heading into halftime.
Whittlesea tried to step things up at the beginning of the second half, with Christian Prestopino opening the third term by producing a high-arching major that would reduce the deficit to 19-points
But Braendler was quick to answer for the Bulldogs as he slotted one between the posts for his second of the match before goals by Jaksic, Bradiyn Hirt and Jesse Tardio expanded the lead to a game high 45 points.
The Eagles did make the most of the opportunities that were given to them as they quickly converted two set shots thanks to Bulldogs free kicks before Prestopino’s second major kept his team within four-goals.
A comeback was in reach for Blair Harvey’s side, but it was the Bulldogs that had all the answers in the fourth, kicking two goals in the first two minutes, the second being an impressive running snap from Nunan.
Hogan ensured North Heideberg’s second win of the season by equalling the Eagles three goal quarter with three of his own, while Jared Crosbie electrified the crowd for a major that would cement the Bulldogs’ 46 point win.
