Nagambie's Blake Fothergill gets his kick away under pressure from Shepparton East's Jaycob Kerambrun. Photos: Rechelle Zammit.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The final round of the home and away season is done and dusted in the Kyabram District League senior football competition, with round 18 serving to confirm the top six that will battle it out for premiership glory over the coming month.
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And while there weren’t too many surprise results on Saturday, with the top six seeing no changes to how they entered the round to confirm Nagambie as minor premier, the biggest shock was perhaps the manner in which the Lakers did so.
Coming up against fellow top four side Shepparton East in what was expected to be a fiercely contested clash, the Lakers flexed their considerable muscle to send out a warning sign to its fellow contenders on the eve of finals – not that one was needed.
The Lakers capped a dominant regular season campaign with a 19.12 (126) to 3.3 (21) trouncing of the Eagles at Central Park Recreation Reserve, the 104-point demolition further enhancing their already rock-solid premiership credentials.
While initially the contest played out in expected fashion, with the Eagles remaining in touching distance at the quarter-time huddle, trailing 3.1 (19) to 5.0 (30), the Lakers flicked the switch at the start of the second term, and things took a drastic turn.
Having established a formidable reputation for its ability to score quickly this season, Nagambie did exactly that after quarter time, generating 10 scoring shots to two in the second term to pile on 6.4 to Shepp East’s two behinds, as the margin rapidly ballooned to 49 points by half time.
To score quickly is only half of it, though, and the Lakers proved in the second half they can defend just as well, suffocating the Eagles in a supreme show of strength.
Holding the home side scoreless – that’s right, scoreless – after half time, Nagambie piled on another 8.8 of its own to close out a remarkable 104-point victory, one that oozed the confidence of a side that knows its best football is better than the rest.
Tom Preece led the way for the Lakers in the win, with Mitchell Lusted not far behind, while Will Dalton and Luke Duffy each booted a team-high four goals.
Nagambie's Tayte Lewis boots the Lakers forward.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
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Nagambie's Jonathan Moore and Shepparton East's Boyd Reddrop wrestle for position in the ruck.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The victory ensures the Lakers secure the minor premiership for the first time since 2023 with a 15-1 record, edging out Lancaster - which also coincidentally finished second in 2023 - with the Wombats finishing with an identical record but an inferior percentage.
The Wombats wrapped their home and away campaign with a big 20.13 (133) to 8.6 (54) victory over Undera, while reigning premier Murchison-Toolamba (13-3) wrapped up third spot with a 20.18 (138) to 3.3 (21) victory over Tallygaroopna.
Shepparton East (12-4) remains fourth despite the weekend’s defeat, ahead of fifth-placed Avenel (10-6), the Swans securing a mammoth 23.26 (164) to 2.3 (15) triumph over Violet Town on Saturday, while Stanhope (9-7) put an exclamation point on its season with a 19.13 (127) to 6.10 (46) win over Merrigum, locking in sixth spot.
Elsewhere, Rushworth finished the 2026 season on a high note, beating Longwood 22.12 (144) to 14.6 (90) in a shootout at Longwood Recreation Reserve.
All eyes now turn to Violet Town Recreation Reserve for the opening day of the finals series this coming Saturday, August 22, with Girgarre Recreation Reserve to host the second lot of elimination finals the following day.
