Bonnie Doon didn’t just make a statement on Good Friday — they made it loud, fast, and impossible to ignore. They ran rampant over Benalla All Blacks 24.21 (165) to 3.2 (20) at the Bonnie Doon Recreation Reserve. From the first bounce, the Bombers were in control, mixing slick movement through the middle with ruthless finishing up forward to leave the visitors chasing shadows all afternoon. The opening term set the tone, with Bonnie Doon booting 4.7 while keeping Benalla to a modest 3.0. Joel Sanford, Flynn Butterworth, Cody Azzopardi, and Thomas Sheahan were early standouts, winning the contested ball and delivering clean entries into the forward 50. By halftime, the Bombers had turned the contest into a procession, going to 9.10 for a commanding 64-18 lead. Mitch Forgiarini and Judd Stower were key through the midfield, driving play and continually feeding their forwards with precision. After the main break, Bonnie Doon’s dominance only intensified. The third term alone yielded 9 more goals, a mix of classy set shots, opportunistic snaps, and running goals from Jackson Sole, Beau Smith, and James Law. The All Blacks offered little resistance, their defence repeatedly exposed by the Bombers’ relentless pressure and pace. The final quarter was more of a formality, with the Bombers tacking on another 4.7 to finish with a staggering 145-point margin. Coach Marcus following the game said he was really happy with the result. "It was good to see everything put into practice that the boys had trained for - great the way they played," he said. "Debutantes Tom Sheahan (transferred from Mansfield), Mitch Forgiarini and Seth Dean all played a great game with the team. Cody Azzopardi finished the day with five goals, Flynn Butterworth three, and a host of others contributing majors to the scoreboard. Best for Bonnie Doon included Joel Sanford, Flynn Butterworth, Mitch Forgiarini, Cody Azzopardi, and Thomas Sheahan. It must be mentioned that Blair Kipping played his 151st game for the club - his 150th was played at Tarrawingee the week before. The All Blacks’ best efforts came from Sam Cox and Lachlan Norman, but they were largely spectators as the Bombers’ wave of skill, speed, and sheer scoring power swept them aside. Bonnie Doon’s Reserves were equally ruthless, running out 28.10 (178) to 1.0 (6) winners over Benalla. From the first bounce, the Bombers dominated every contest, piling on goals in waves while the All Blacks could barely get near the scoreboard. Tyler Chisholm (returning to the club), Sean Purcell, Anton Brkljacic, Andrew Neil Walker, and Lachlan Cripps stood tall, with the forward line firing freely and midfield supply relentless. Coach Mason Tait was thrilled with the win. "This was a great confidence booster for the boys," Tait said. "The first quarter was everything I asked for. "The second quarter the boys were a little over-confident, but after I talked with them at half time they bounced back and came out firing again. "After half time they just blew the game away - Shaun Purcell in his first game for the club was fantastic and Andrew Walker was a little rocket around the field. "With a win like this I am hoping it will give the boys more confidence with a lot more to come for the remainder of the season." By halftime, the game was all but over, and the Bombers cruised home to cap a perfect Good Friday sweep across the club. With a rest ahead and Goorambat in two weeks, the Bombers will head into the break confident, sharp, and ready to keep their momentum rolling into the next clash.
