SCOREBOARD
KDFL ROUND FIVE
LANCASTER v MERRIGUM
Lancaster 7.3, 12.12, 16.16, 20.22 (142)
Merrigum 2.1, 2.1, 4.1, 4.1 (25)
GOALS, Lancaster: Z. Cerrone 4, C. O’Neill 3, C. Simpson 2, S. Vick 2, M. Serra 2, J. Donnell 1, T. Davies 1, K. Kydd 1, S. Jackson 1, M. Fleming 1, R. O’Neill 1, T. Cerrone 1. Merrigum: H. Tyler 1, J. Stiles 1, J. Pertzel 1, H. Lomas 1.
BEST, Lancaster: L. Davies, C. Simpson, C. O’Neill, J. Donnell, S. Jackson, K. Kydd. Merrigum: J. Stiles, Z. Parkinson, L. Cuthbert, B. Easton, K. Robinson, D. Collins.
Traditional rivals Lancaster and Merrigum are embroiled in battles at either end of the Kyabram district league ladder in the hunt to win a place in the league’s final six.
Last year’s final-eight format, which allowed Girgarre to sneak into the finals for the first time in 20 years, will return to a six-team finals series in 2023.
Ten teams in the league will still consider themselves a chance of playing finals this season, the Wombats and Bulldogs among them.
Reigning premier Lancaster brushed aside Merrigum to the tune of 117 points in a one-sided Kyabram District League clash at Lancaster on Sunday — leaving it fifth on the ladder and equal with three other teams on a trifecta of wins.
The round-five fixture was a third win for the Wombats against teams lower than it on the ladder. Lancaster won the match with 44 scoring shots to Merrigum’s five, a seven-goal opening term against the wind setting up the 20.22 (142) to 4.1 (25) result.
Merrigum was twice kept scoreless in the match when kicking into the wind.
Lancaster has had wins against Longwood (ninth), Stanhope (sixth) and Merrigum (10th) interspaced with defeats at the hand of third-ranked Murchison-Toolamba (by just one point) and undefeated ladder-leader Shepparton East (by five points).
The Wombats’ next opportunity to take the scalp of a team above it on the ladder will be on June 3, a week before the general bye, when it tackles the other unbeaten team of the competition — Nagambie — at the Lancaster oval.
Those two unbeaten teams, Shepparton East and Nagambie, are not due to meet until round 13 (July 29).
Lancaster sits fifth on the ladder and has another Sunday fixture this weekend when it meets eighth-ranked Dookie United, which also has a 3-2 win/loss record.
Only one win, and percentage, separates third-ranked Murchison-Toolamba and eighth-ranked Dookie.
Lancaster has the opportunity to send a message to the rest of the competition in its round-seven match with Nagambie on June 3, the Lakers having posted another big score in a 102-point win against Violet Town.
It first, however, has to overcome Dookie, which ran Nagambie to its closest result this season when the unbeaten team won the round four battle by 29 points.
Merrigum has a bye this weekend before facing-third-from-bottom Undera and then seventh-ranked Avenel (on June 17) when it will have Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan in its ranks.
Swan played with the Shellharbour City Suns in the AFL South Coast competition on the weekend and the team was beaten by 88 points.
It was the same weekend media personality and former Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes was also playing in the country (at Moyston Willaura in the Minnera and district league) and was thrashed 134-15.
Thirty-nine-year-old Swan played has made a series of special one-off appearances at clubs across Australia in the past few years and earlier this year played with Nangwarry in South Australia.
The 2010 Collingwood premiership player and 2011 Brownlow Medallist played 258 AFL games and will appear at a sportsman’s evening and special lunch of sponsors during his visit to Merrigum.
Until then, however, the Bulldogs are fighting to stay in the hunt for a top-six spot in the Kyabram district league.
They have two wins, against 12th-ranked Violet Town and 13th-ranked Girgarre (by a point in controversial circumstances when the scoreboard incorrectly showed a draw), but have the chance to improve in round seven against Undera.
There is only one game difference between fifth-ranked Lancaster and 10th-ranked Merrigum after five rounds.
Lancaster coach Tom Davies said he felt his team had control for most of the game.
‘‘We played really well at times and were able to control most positions even though we had no bench in the second half,’’ Davies said.
Merrigum had trouble picking its way through the Lancaster defence led by Luke Davies who made continual intercepts. He got a lot of support from Like Donnell off the other back flank who provided a lot of rebound for the winners.
Coby O’Neill in the ruck and forward where he kicked three goals was also dominant for the Wombats, while midfielders in Cam Simpson and Zac Cerrone also had decisive impacts.
Cerrone also hurt Merrigum going forward, netting four goals.
Tom Davies also led his side from the front, while ruckman Sam Jackson and Kyle Kidd were also good contributors on the day for the winners.