Castlemaine FNC sides made the trek to the Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo on Saturday where they faced another test against top-of-the-table Sandhurst.
It was a big day for the Magpies with senior player Liam Wilkinson notching up his 50th game.
Liam has been an integral part of the club’s rebuild since he came on board in 2021. Steadfast and reliable, his depth of experience and on-field leadership is an asset to the squad. A versatile player, he has spent the majority of his time at the club in the backline, putting his body on the line time and again in challenging circumstances.
Liam is a role model and club leader off-field, having had a significant impact on the club over the past four seasons. He was awarded Best and Fairest in 2021, and in 2023 was named joint Club Person of the Year for the additional work he undertakes to support the success of the CFNC.
The Magpies took the game right up to Sandhurst in the first term holding the Dragons to five for the quarter and kicking one at the other end to be down by 25 points at quarter-time.
The Magpies lifted their intensity in the second bolting Sandhurst to the ground and holding them to just one goal for the term, while kicking four of their own to be within eight points at half-time.
Sandhurst found their running game in the third and managed to shake off the Pies and kick four goals to the Magpies’ one to lead by 24 at the last change.
The Magpies continued to work hard in the last term but Sandhurst had all the answers smashing on another five goals to win by 51 points.
Wilkinson was once again a standout in his 50th game, as were Bailey Henderson with two goals, Michael Hartley and Ryan Eyre.
It was also a tough day for the Magpie Reserves and Under 18s going down to polished Sandhurst sides.
On the netball court the A-grade 45 lost to Sandhurst 89, A-reserve 35 lost to Sandhurst 70, B-grade 29 produced a valiant performance against the Dragons 53 in the closest game of the day, B-reserve 27 lost to Sandhurst 77 and 17 & Under side lost 41 to 70 despite a top effort.
On Saturday the club also watched on with pride as former Magpie Dustin Martin played his 300th AFL game with the Richmond Tigers.
The local club is very proud to have played a small role in Martin’s ascent to the AFL.
When Dusty first joined the Castlemaine Magpies in 2008 it was after a short stint in Sydney where he was helping his dad after playing juniors at Campbells Creek Football Netball Club. He played his first game of senior footy at just 16 years of age and club members say it was evident from the get-go that his skill and ability was well above others of his age.
That season Dusty came Runner Up Best and Fairest and won the goal kicking award (22 goals) despite missing several games late in the season while playing for Bendigo Pioneers.
The Magpie Women and Under 18 Girls football sides hosted Sandhurst at the Camp Reserve on Sunday. The Under 18s kicked off the day with a fantastic 24-point win over the Dragons. Sandhurst got the jump on the Magpies in their first term. But to their credit the young Magpie side held their resolve and fought back to claim the win. Best were Tegan Barry, Olivia Muscat, Piper Marshall, Chloe Butcher, Isabella Carter and Lori Whaley.
The Magpie Women once again produced a dominate performance in their match up with the Dragons claiming another big win to the tune of 79 points.
This weekend the Caslemaine FNC sides head to Maryborough, while the Under 18 Girls and Women hit the road to tackle Woorinen.
