Lancaster co-caotain Charlie Mclay avoids the clutches of a desperate Stuart Trevena as the Wombats overcame a slow start to win by 76 points.
There were strong signs of life for Stanhope’s 2024 season at half time of Saturday’s game against reigning Kyabram District League premier Lancaster.
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The Lions trailed by just four points and had kept the Wombats to just three first half goals. The ambitious attempt to be solely focussed on the defensive output had dour results in the second half.
By the final siren, however, the fear of being knocked out of the top six became reality and the Lions now face sitting out the September action unless there is an unlikely final round result.
Lancaster kicked 13 goals to the Lions’ two in the final half and won the game by 76 points.
By losing the penultimate home and away round to the Wombats on Saturday the Lions are relying on Dookie United beating now sixth-ranked Tallygaroopna and must also win their own game against an improved Girgarre team - with absolutely nothing to lose.
Tallygaroopna did struggle against Girgarre on Saturday, but eventually took a 13-point win and joined Stanhope on nine wins (along with fifth-placed Nagambie) for the season.
Both Nagambie (168.98%) and Tally (159.51%) only need to win in the final round to go through to the finals. An in-form Nagambie, which lost by just five points to top team Murchison-Toolamba, faces 12th-ranked Merrigum in its final home and away match.
Morrie Serra lands awkwardly in this marking duel with Stuart Trevena, but he recovered to kick two goals and now has 13 from his five games for the season.
Lancaster has its own set of concerns this weekend. In order to finish second on the ladder, and claim the all important double chance, it must beat Shepparton East.
When the teams met in round two it was a 37-point win for the Wombats, but since then the Eagles have not lost a game - like the Wombats finishing in a draw with Murchison-Toolamba.
Lancaster had four of its premiership stars missing on the weekend, but one has not played since round five (Lachlan Boscarini).
From its strongest line up the Wombats were also missing Cameron Simpson, Coby O’Neill, Adam Vick and Paul Newman - who has played just five games this season since coming out of retirement to join the Wombats.
Vick will not return this season, but Boscarini will be back this weekend. O’Neill withdrew from the selected side due to illness on the morning of the game.
Morrie Serra, who has also only played five games, appears to be back in the swing of things and now has 13 goals from his four goals since coming back from injury.
Boscarini has not played since round five, while Newman has missed the last three weeks. He will return for the Shepparton East game.
Against Stanhope on Saturday promoted reserve grade key position player Wez Hill kicked three goals in his second good game for the Wombats.
Both the Cerrones, Zac and Tannar, kicked two goals apiece, as did Riley O’Neill, Sam Vick and Serra as responsibility for the winning score was shared around.
The Wombats brought Troy Mansbridge in for his first senior game of the season, while Jordan O’Neill played his second game for the year and Ricky Thomson only his third.
Nick Ryan is back in the swing of things, now with five games under his belt since starting his season in round 11. The experienced Sam Spedding and Noah Sewell were also stars, along with Shannon Fleming.
For Stanhope the early defensive work of Jack Donnell, coach Adam Lovison and Brady Wileman was a highlight.
Co-captain Jonathan Pearson did his bit and inside bull Blake McAuliffe also had another solid game.
– Girgarre fell only two goals shy of climbing another two rungs on the ladder when it matched finals-bound Tallygaroopna in the second half of the weekend’s game.
The Kangaroos trailed by 13 points at quarter time and by 15 at the long break, marginally outscoring its opposition with some off target kicking (5.9) in the second half.
They sit 10th on the ladder with one round remaining and are due to face Stanhope this weekend. A win would take them to eighth on the ladder and hammer shut the “coffin’’ for the Lions.
Key goalkickers Ethan Palma-Ludeman and Steve Phillips both kicked two goals in the loss, along with the consistent Josh Wheeler, while captain Harry Browning-Briese was again the team’s best player.
– Facing a team buoyed by the inclusion of two former AFL stars, St Kilda’s Stephen Milne and Rushworth-born North Melbourne player Daniel Harris, the Merrigum side was up against it from the start.
Add to the mix a huge crowd celebrating the Tigers’ greatest single day in its Kyabram District League history (its only senior football premiership) and the momentum was well and truly with the home team.
Rushworth won the game 15.12 (102) to 5.7 (37) after the Bulldogs had scored a 26-point win against it in the opening round of the season.
Only 15 points separated the teams at quarter time, but there was a 39-point break at half time and after the long break Merrigum added only three goals to its total.
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