Another weekend of gripping action in the Heathcote District Football League has come and gone, with the competition slowly revealing who the finals contenders will be in 2026.
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The pick of round six was Mount Pleasant and North Bendigo playing out a thrilling draw, while Lockington-Bamawm United continued its great run of form against Huntly, Colbinabbin bounced back by beating Leitchville-Gunbower and Elmore fell at Heathcote.
RESULTS
Round six
Mount Pleasant 13.12 (90) drew with North Bendigo 12.18 (90)
Huntly 8.7 (55) lost to Lockington Bamawm United 11.12 (78)
Leitchville-Gunbower 9.4 (58) lost to Colbinabbin 15.13 (103)
Heathcote 15.11 (101) d Elmore 10.12 (72)
White Hills bye
In a rematch of last year’s grand final, Mount Pleasant — top of the ladder with a perfect record — hosted a North Bendigo side that had made a slow start to its season.
The Bulldogs had the opportunity to not only rectify losing the 2025 decider but prove they were still a threat to Mount Pleasant and started the better at Toolleen Recreation Reserve, edging the first quarter with three goals to the Mounts’ two.
The reigning premiers have shown no signs of letting go of the rope after their flag win, being particularly dominant recently, and they responded with authority in the second term, kicking four majors to two but still marginally trailing 6.3 (39) to 5.12 (42) at half-time.
The Mounts’ more clinical execution in front of goal kept it within touching distance of North Bendigo, with the visitors wasteful, although both sides were slightly inaccurate in the third quarter, with Mount Pleasant kicking 4.5 to the Bulldogs’ 3.4.
The extra goal in that period had the hosts leading by four ahead of the final term, with the fourth seeing the sides swap their production as North Bendigo edged the final stint with four majors to Mount Pleasant’s three.
In a nail-biting finish, neither team could find an extra score to claim a narrow victory as the grand final rematch ended in a thrilling draw, the Mounts kicking 13.12 (90) to the Bulldogs’ 12.18 (90).
Ben Weightman was once again in excellent goal-scoring form for the hosts, kicking a season-best five majors, while William Wallace, Jack Hickman, Joshua Hann, Deklan Wille, Hugo Gibson and Mitchell Bennett were named as the Mounts’ best.
Still undefeated and top of the ladder, albeit now without a 100 per cent winning record, Mount Pleasant travels to White Hills this weekend.
Huntly vs Lockington-Bamawm United
After an inconsistent opening three games, Lockington-Bamawm United has found a new level recently, as the Cats entered an away clash with winless Huntly chasing a third straight win.
LBU started well at Strauch Reserve, holding Huntly goalless in the first quarter while kicking two majors of its own, with the one knock being five behinds as inaccuracy prevented a bigger early lead for the Cats.
The second term was much more competitive as the Hawks dialled into the match, booting their first three goals, but a more clinical LBU still edged the quarter with another four majors, leading 6.7 (43) to 3.4 (22) at half-time.
Huntly continued to improve as the match wore on and matched LBU’s output to begin the second half, with both sides kicking 3.3 in the third quarter.
The Cats making the faster start proved the difference as the final term was again tightly contested, Huntly and LBU both booting two majors as the latter ended up maintaining its solid lead built during the first half, running out an 11.12 (78) to 8.7 (55) winner.
LBU’s third consecutive victory was headlined by a season-best three goals from Brayden Hull and aided by Jack Jansen and Nick Smart kicking two each, while Hull, Charlie Hinks, Patrick Keele, Bowden Stone, Jack O’Callaghan and Marcus Angove were named as the best Cats on the day.
LBU has the bye this weekend, which arguably comes at a bad time given the disruption to a strong form, with the third-placed Cats currently on their longest winning streak since a run of five straight victories between rounds eight and 13 in 2023.
Leitchville-Gunbower vs Colbinabbin
Finals contender Colbinabbin had experienced a difficult couple of weeks ahead of its fixture against Leitchville-Gunbower, with Mount Pleasant having proven too strong in round four before the Grasshoppers fell to a shock home loss to Heathcote in round five.
Linton Jacobs’ side needed a response against the Bombers, and it made a strong start at Gunbower Recreation Reserve, booting four goals to L-G’s one and taking a 22-point lead into the first change.
Colbo’s lead could have been bigger with more accuracy in front of goal, although that improved in the second quarter, the Hoppers kicking 5.1 while the Bombers started to find their feet with 3.2. But the visitors still held a commanding 9.6 (60) to 4.3 (27) advantage at half-time.
A relatively dominant first half set Colbinabbin up to secure a comfortable victory during the final two quarters, although both were quite even as the two sides traded three goals each in the third term.
Colbo held the hosts off from threatening its solid margin, despite L-G’s improvement, and the Hoppers edged the final quarter with three goals to the Bombers’ two, returning to the winners’ list with a 15.13 (103) to 9.4 (58) victory.
Jimmy McMurtrie and Nathan Basile contributed more than half of Colbo’s 15 majors with five and three, respectively, with both also named in the best players alongside Isaac Carracher, Angus Martin, Jude Ryan and Connor Aldous.
Next up, Jacobs’ side — still sitting second — welcomes winless Huntly to Colbinabbin Recreation Reserve on Saturday, a fixture it will no doubt expect to win as it eyes consecutive victories.
Heathcote vs Elmore
Elmore has placed in the lower part of the ladder across recent seasons, and its start to 2026 was not suggesting it would be able to break into the finals mix, with the Bloods 1-3 ahead of a trip to Heathcote.
Wins would need to be stacked quickly should Luke Freeman’s side stay in the race to finish in the top five, and it made a solid start at Barrack Reserve, edging the first quarter with three goals to the Saints’ two.
Heathcote was already one win away from matching its 2025 total and is seemingly an improved outfit this year, with Elmore on the end of a strong response from the host, who booted four goals to two in the second term and took a slender 6.4 (40) to 5.5 (35) advantage into half-time.
After the sides each had a noticeably better quarter in the first half, the second would begin with the most even period of the game, as Heathcote kicked 3.1 to Elmore’s 2.5 to only increase its lead to seven points at three-quarter time.
The Bloods had kept themselves within touching distance entering the fourth term but they were be on the end of a Heathcote avalanche to finish, as the host produced its best period with six majors to Elmore’s three, Freeman’s side falling 10.12 (72) to 15.11 (101).
Despite a fourth loss from five games to open the season, Elmore had positives to point to in a five-goal haul from James Harney, while the side named Lachie Munro, Rhys Holmberg, Matthew Filo, Charlie O’Toole, Matt Gilmour and Xavier Coghill as its best on the day.
Only Huntly sits below the Bloods on the ladder, with Elmore hosting an also out-of-form Leitchville-Gunbower this weekend in a match both will be desperate to win.