Sport
19 August, 2025
Bulldogs bite hard, thumping Lions by 75 goals
Avoca put an exclamation point on their second consecutive undefeated regular season by scoring 100 goals against Har-court in a 75-goal demolition.
It’s the second time the Bulldogs have reached triple digits this season, looking to be in fine form as they begin their finals quest for the three-peat, starting with a qualifying final with the Maryborough Giants.
With both teams unchanged following their wins over Campbells Creek and Maldon respectively, Avoca looked to set its intentions early with its defence.
Faith McKenzie, Stacey Blair and Lucy Howell had the midcourt on lockdown. When Harcourt did get the ball into their attacking third, Keisha Tonzing and Caitlin Drummond were there to stop them in their tracks.
The Bulldogs allowed only three goals all quarter, storming out to a 19-goal lead by quarter time.
Maddy Egan was on fire from her first shot for Avoca, only missing one attempt on her way to scoring 16 goals in the first term. Her teammate, Gina Beavis, also started well with six makes of her own.
Credit to the Lions, they worked hard to kickstart their offence in the second quarter with the midcourt efforts of Ella Rule and Tamara Farr.
Their shooters, Gemma Papadimos and Jordan Bagley, made full use of Rule and Farr’s efforts, scoring all eight of their shots throughout the period.
Despite that, Avoca still managed to extend their advantage to 40 goals by half time thanks to a mammoth scoring effort from Egan and Beavis. Egan finished with 19 goals, while Beavis sank 10 shots.
Keen to finish their season with a competitive second half, Harcourt produced their most productive term in the third quarter.
Youngster Emma Smolak was holding her own in defence alongside Carly Chaplin, while their attack didn’t falter after the main break.
Even with the improved protection of Smolak and Chaplin, Egan still managed to net 16 of her 18 shots in the quarter, with Beavis assisting by converting four goals.
Bagley maintained her shooting touch she found in the second quarter, netting six goals to begin the second half, while Papadimos added two.
Even with a very secure 52-goal lead heading into the final quarter, the Bulldogs were barking for more, looking to make a statement to the rest of the MCDFNL ahead of finals.
They certainly did just that, matching their second-quarter score in the last term with 29 goals.
Coincidentally, the game’s final score of 100-25 is the same scoreline Avoca had when they last reached 100 goals back in round six away to Maldon.
With 17 goals in the final quarter, Egan surpassed the 62 goals she scored last week versus the Magpies to set a new benchmark in 2025, ending with 68 goals with a 90 percent conversion rate.
Beavis saved her best quarter for last, making the most of her extra chances by netting 12 goals in the final 15 minutes.
Bagley was Harcourt’s top scorer with 16 goals, with Papadimos close by with nine goals.