Match: North Ballarat 21.16 (142) def. Bendigo 9.9 (63)
Venue: Eureka Stadium
Conditions: Freezing cold but no rain

In action:
Liam Anthony - 28 disposals, 6 tackles 11 clearances
Brad McKenzie - 23 disposals, 6 inside 50s
Aaron Mullett - 30 disposals, 2 goals
Eric Wallace - 54 hit-outs
Max Warren - 9 disposals
Mitch Wilkins - 10 disposals, 2 goals

Story of the game
It was a very congested game in the first half until the game opened up in the second, allowing the Roosters to score more easily. Bendigo likes to get a lot of numbers at each stoppage and can some times outnumber its opposition by 2 to 3 players around the ball.

Points of interest
1. Liam Anthony is receiving a lot of attention at VFL level.

"He had a heavy tag again and some big numbers around the stoppages made it hard for him to get into the game. After half-time, he managed to work his way through it and was effective for us with 28 disposals and some good work inside with eleven clearances" - Development Manager Ben Dyer

2. Aaron Mullett again responded well from being dropped from the senior side during the week.

"It shows good character that he's able to deal with the disappointment and put in a good performance straight away. He played on the wing today and finished with 30 touches. As we know, he can really hurt the opposition with his rebound and attack."

3. Brad McKenzie looked a class above.

"His ball use was fantastic as we've come to expect and he managed to put the ball inside 50 on several occasions."

4. Mitch Wilkins added some spark up forward.

"He didn't have big numbers as far as the possessions were concerned but he hit-up at the ball well and was rewarded when he did. He's trying to put into practice the things we've been working on at training during the week and it was pleasing to see."

5. Josh Drummond was caught out by the conditions.

"He came into the rooms at one point and his lips were blue. He clearly thought it was going to be warmer given his dress sense."

Next week: Bye