CALDER piled on seven unanswered goals in the second quarter to set up a 33-point road win over Bendigo on Saturday. The Cannons trailed at quarter time but quickly clicked into gear to set up a comfortable victory in their Round 11 clash at Queen Elizabeth Oval. Now 2-0 against Bendigo in 2026, Calder is back to parity with a 4-4 record, while the Pioneers fall to 2-6-1 after their fourth loss in a row.

We took note of the top prospects and performers from either side.

BENDIGO PIONEERS 2.2 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 8.8 (56)
CALDER CANNONS 1.3 | 8.6 | 11.9 | 13.11 (89)

GOALS:
Bendigo Pioneers: S. Beasy 2, M. Kiel 2, L. Pigdon 2, S. Brown, O. Stewart
Calder Cannons: M. Darwish 2, J. Watkins 2, C. White 2, A. Abdallah, C. Gordon, T. Lincoln, C. Roberts, R. Spillane-Russo, B. Taylor, C. Tudor

BEST:
Bendigo Pioneers: B. Warfe, M. Thompson, S. Beasy, J. Kelly, M. Connick, S. Barnett
Calder Cannons: J. Watkins, G. Holderhead, J. Fleming, C. Tudor, S. Harris, M. Darwish

BENDIGO PIONEERS:

#4 Cruz O’Sullivan
Defender/Wing | 183cm | 04/12/2008

Stats: 17 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50s

O’Sullivan reliably held his width and provided an outlet in space throughout the day, where he could use his foot skills to send Bendigo up and down the line. While many of his possessions were uncontested, O’Sullivan was still able to showcase his ability to cut through traffic or side-step opponents to deliver an unpressured kick. He was poised not to blaze away but sent the ball long when required.

#7 Max Thompson
Wing/Midfielder | 174cm | 06/03/2009

Stats: 27 disposals, 7 tackles, 5 clearances, 6 inside 50s

Capable of playing just about every position on the ground, Thompson started out on the wing before shifting on-ball. He was full of energy as usual, scrapping and chasing in the early wet weather before getting his running game going. The bottom-ager showed remarkable work rate to get dangerous in the attacking phase, involved in plenty of combination work between the arcs and sneaking inside 50 to have chances at goal. His ability to put speed on the play and bite off risky kicks gave impetus to Bendigo’s ball movement.

#13 Sonny Beasy
Midfielder/Forward | 181cm | 18/03/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 8 marks, 2 goals

Returning to the side amid his school football commitments, Beasy played with power and authority. He was clean at the centre ball-ups, turning forward and consistently looking to take ground before launching inside 50. His ball use was terrific in the final third, although he saw a couple of kicks into the corridor cut off. Nonetheless, Beasy backed his foot skills and booted two goals in the third term. His strong hands overhead and ability to connect as a high forward were impressive.

#35 Jack Bell
Wing/Midfielder | 188cm | 15/04/2008

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles

Once again starting out on the wing, Bell had his moments and began to put the pieces together in a strong final term. He had shifted into a midfield-forward rotation by that point and won three clearances, showcasing his sharp turn of speed to exit the contest untouched. Bell’s ground coverage was also notable, though he tended to pop up in flashy bursts for the first three quarters. With a more sustained impact, he could have done some serious damage.

#36 Bailey Warfe
Key Defender | 193cm | 16/05/2007

Stats: 14 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles

Warfe was integral in Bendigo’s efforts to keep Calder at bay, patrolling the defensive 50. He seemed to always get a fist in when competing aerially, putting his body on the line to split contests before looking to mop up the ground ball. Quite mobile at 193cm, the over-ager recovered plenty of errant kicks and pack spills while getting involved as his side worked a way forward on the counter.

CALDER CANNONS:

#2 Sam Harris
Midfielder | 180cm | 17/01/2008

Stats: 23 disposals, 6 tackles, 6 clearances, 5 inside 50s

North Melbourne F/S

Harris was once again a steady workhorse for the Cannons, providing tackles and clearances in equal measure. He also leant on his work rate to accumulate around the ground, getting in positions to overlap or mark uncontested. At stoppages, Harris roved on the move and looked to crash his way into space, driving his legs with purpose. He absorbed and laid hard tackles along the way while having several opportunities to do damage heading inside 50.

#4 Tevita Rodan
Defender | 180cm | 18/02/2009

Stats: 31 disposals, 3 marks, 4 rebound 50s

Essendon NGA & Port Adelaide F/S

Another bottom-ager capable of playing in each third of the ground, Rodan was utilised off half-back this time out. He was Calder’s main playmaker out of defence, running clever patterns to gain ground while combining with teammates along the way. Rodan uncharacteristically turned the ball over at times, but the sheer weight of his productivity meant he had a major say on the contest. The bottom-ager also showed his smarts with several intercepts high up the ground.

#9 Moustafa Darwish
Midfielder | 180cm | 07/01/2009

Stats: 21 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles, 2 goals

Essendon NGA

Darwish seems to genuinely enjoy his football, probably best shown on Saturday when he torpedoed a set shot goal just before three-quarter time from about 25m out. The bottom-ager had a little less time to show his class in the early stages but became dangerous with his transition running as the game opened up. Involved in several end-to-end passages, Darwish bagged his first major on the run from long-range. He was clean in close quarters and willing to lay tackles, but also incredibly damaging in outside spurts during the attacking phase.

#20 Jackson Watkins
Midfielder/Forward | 185cm | 04/10/2008

Stats: 24 disposals, 5 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 2 goals

Another player returning from school football commitments, Watkins picked up where he left off. He showed a knack for roving the ball at speed and breaking away from stoppages cleanly, which led to both of his running goals. Watkins’ handling and power were features of his game, even when competing for several overhead marks. He weighted his forward 50 entries beautifully and was consistently a threat across half-forward, but also through the middle of the ground.

#21 Nicholas Staropoli
Wing/Defender | 190cm | 21/12/2007

Stats: 18 disposals, 9 marks, 3 clearances

After narrowly being overlooked at the midseason draft, Staropoli returned to action with the Cannons. He started up on the wing and spent plenty of time there, but arguably looked most comfortable when moved back behind the ball. The over-ager showcased his ability to read the play and intercept, using his athleticism to access the ball first. Staropoli was clean overhead and difficult to beat one-on-one. He’ll remain an end-of-season draft chance if he can continue his form.