Despite the wet conditions, Avenel raised a single flag from the goal umpires just once while slotting nine goals, as the Lions booted 4.5.
Stanhope slipped from sixth to eighth spot on the ladder with its defeat but should return to the winning list — and possibly the top six — when its meets struggling Ardmona this Saturday in the first weekend of the split round.
Coach Kasey Duncan showed the way for the Swans, with most support from Dean Giles and Brayden Avola.
Alec Young was in everything for Stanhope and got a lot of support from Craig Emmett, Drew Haebich and Jamie Spencer.
Jack Crockcoft and Shannon Anysley also held their own but Avenel’s accuracy at the goalmouth proved the killer for the Lions.
■While Avenel kicked with uncanny accuracy the same couldn’t be said about Lancaster.
The fifth-placed Wombats overwhelmed Violet Town to the tune of 98 points in the game at Lancaster — and kicked 26 behinds in the process.
Jack Donnell, with five goals, and Jamie Scapin with four were able to do the finishing-off work from Tom Davies, Logan Demasi, Zac and Tanner Cerrone and Zaid Besim in particular.
Lancaster has the bye over the split round, which means it won’t play for three weeks. It has top teams Tallygaroopna and Nagambie to meet in two of its three games after the break, which could be season-defining clashes for the team.
■Merrigum was back on the winners’ list, disposing of Dookie United by 73 points at Dookie.
Star recruit Locky Dillon again inspired the Bulldogs with his fearless play while Josh Smith, Tyler Schoots, Ryan Hearn, Jake Ross and Zac Parkinson all made telling contributions to their team’s dominance.
■Girgarre kept itself in finals reckoning with a 100-point win at home over Longwood.
The Girgarre defence held Longwood to two behinds for the match while at the other end of the ground the elusive Ryan Butler, with six goals, and Bill Barnes (five) were unstoppable.
They were able to finish off the work of Lochy Hill, who revelled in the conditions, Adam Scoble, Ash Hughes, Tom Walsh and Josh Marino.
■Undera arrested its slide down the ladder, thumping Ardmona by 192 points to record its first win in five games.
Gun players in Kane Herbert and Tom Durward along with Shaun Standley all kept the scoreboard ticking over for Undera with four goals each.
Ash and Shannon Hockey were also prominent again along with the reliable Jack Hajro.
■An improving Rushworth led Nagambie at quarter time but by game’s end was trailing by 67 points.
Once Nagambie’s big guns in Tyrone Muir, David Comi, Mick Shiels and Ben Hutton put the foot down, the Tigers dropped off the pace.
But Tualau Vave, Josh Newton, Jordan Hageman and James Martin fought to the end for the Tigers, with support from Ty Parsons and Shaun Young.
■Tallygaroopna remains unbeaten after a 68-point win over Shepparton East in the remaining game.
■Most interest in this week’s start of the split round of games will be in fourth-placed Merrigum’s bid to beat second-placed Nagambie in a blockbuster at Merrigum.
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