There’s nothing quite like getting even after losing a match earlier in the year.

Such was the case on the court at the Tarrawingee Recreation Reserve, where the Bulldogs pegged one back by defeating Bonnie Doon 50-31.

The reigning premiers had the wood over Tarrawingee following a 59-50 result their way back in round seven, but the Bulldogs’ fast start put the pressure back on the Bombers.

Tarrawingee would shoot 12 goals in the opening term to Bonnie Doon’s seven to take a narrow five goal lead after 15 minutes, a margin which would push out to nine by the half.

Sensing momentum was headed their way, the Bulldogs surged after the half-time break, outscoring Bonnie Doon 11-8 to lead by 12 goals head into the final term.

Ultimately, Tarrawingee had enough in the tank to run the game out and secure the win comfortably by 19 goals.

Tarrawingee coach Tig White said they’d learnt from the earlier defeat to the Bombers.

“After our big loss to them early in the season, we had been focusing on this game a lot in the lead up,” she said.

“We were keen to prove to Bonnie Doon that we could match their skill level and were expecting a close game, so to come away with this win was fantastic for us.

“We knew we had to set the match up strong - there is no room for error with Bonnie Doon.

“Last time we met, we didn’t start well and they never let us back into the game.

“We didn’t want a repeat of that, so we worked on some systems to start with and ran with the ones that worked.”

Bonnie Doon’s shooters were kept adequately stymied, thanks to impressive defensive pressure across the court.

“The Bonnie Doon attack end is what caused us grief earlier in the season, we know their shooters are always accurate, so working to stop them from getting the ball within range was priority, and Mollie Shanley was able to deliver with this pressure,” White said.

“Her defensive efforts were strongly supported through the mid court with pressure on the ring from Paige [Warner], Casie [Peters] and Georgia [Long].”

Elsewhere, Whorouly and Milawa secured monster victories in their weekend games.

The Lions defeated North Wangaratta by 56 goals, 74-15, while Milawa handed Benalla All Blacks a 35-goal loss, 76-41.

Elsewhere, Moyhu continued their solid run of form with a 54-39 win over King Valley, while Bright were too good for Greta, 47-32.

The Demons lead the pack with an 18-point buffer on top of the A grade ladder on 42 points, with Whorouly (34 points), Tarrawingee (34), Goorambat (32), Bright (32), and Bonnie Doon (30) not far behind.

White praised the closeness of the competition.

“The top six this year is excellent,” she said.

“No team can be taken lightly so it creates a really high-pressure environment for everyone.

“It’s fantastic to have so many teams being so competitive, and not just in the top six, but throughout the league.”