It was a huge weekend of senior football in the Kyabram District League, with both Longwood and Avenel claiming wins in pursuit of finals football, while Nagambie fell back in the top four scrap and all eyes turned to a boilover at the top.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
A jam-packed round 13 saw Shepparton East hand Nagambie a big blow, with the Lakers’ hopes of contending now seemingly dashed after big defeats to each of their top-three rivals.
It was a red-hot start from the Eagles at Central Park, with a blistering seven-goal opening term setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
After a dominant first half saw Shepparton East lead 71-28 at the main break, it was a much more competitive showing from Nagambie in the third term, keeping pace with the Eagles as both sides slotted three goals, although the home side did eke the margin out by a couple of points to lead by 45 at the final change.
Just as they had in the first term, however, the Eagles scored at will in the last, decimating the Lakers with a seven-goal-to-one final quarter to blow the margin out to 81 points by the final siren, a decisive result that keeps Shepp East third on the ladder, now a game clear of Nagambie in fourth, with the Lakers now having lost to each of the top three by more than 50 points.
Elsewhere, Longwood had a crucial win in the race for the top six, sitting fifth and moving a game clear of Rushworth in sixth after defeating the Tigers at home on Saturday.
It was a dominant victory, with the Redlegs leading from first bounce to final siren, extending the lead at every break to notch a big 12.12 (84) to 6.7 (43) win that could prove pivotal come round 18.
Avenel remains hot on Longwood’s heels, having notched a mammoth 19.14 (128) to 4.15 (39) victory over Violet Town on Sunday to remain seventh, finishing the round outside the top six on percentage, but remaining well and truly within touching distance of finals.
However, all eyes were fixed on a massive first-versus-second fixture at the weekend, with Lancaster shaking up the pecking order with a shock victory.
In a heavyweight clash at Lancaster Recreation Reserve, the Wombats toppled reigning premier Murchison-Toolamba by 17 points to hand the Hoppers their first loss since the 2023 finals series and upend the status quo little more than a month out from finals.
With Murchison-Toolamba looking untouchable across the first 12 rounds of the season and seemingly well on the way to a second consecutive premiership, the Wombats’ 11.13 (79) to 10.2 (62) triumph has brought the Hoppers back to the pack, with the premiership race now blown wide open.
“Yeah, really impressed by the way the boys performed,” coach Nick Ryan said of his troops following the big win.
“We’re starting to get some guys back on the park now and still a few to come back in, but the 21 that turned up, we had every bloke perform, so couldn’t have asked for much more.”
In a statement of intent, Lancaster burst out of the blocks in the first quarter at the weekend, booting four goals to one to enjoy a 12-point lead at quarter-time. However, an errant 2.5 in the second term kept Murchison-Toolamba in the contest, with the Hoppers kicking three straight to trail by 11 at the main interval.
As the teams emerged after half-time, it remained to be seen whether the Hoppers had any punches left to throw. But the Wombats quelled any such attacks, even extending the margin again slightly as both sides managed two goals for the term, leaving Lancaster with a 57-44 lead to defend heading into the final term.
Peppering the goal face with seven scoring shots for the quarter, Lancaster once again extending its lead in the fourth, booting 3.4 to Murchison-Toolamba’s three straight goals to seal a victory that sends a message to the rest of the competition.
However, it came as no surprise to Ryan and his troops, who have only lost one game — by a solitary point — all season.
The brilliant victory ensures Lancaster moves level with Murchison-Toolamba at the top of the ladder on 44 points, sitting second only on percentage as the race for the minor premiership well and truly heats up.
But the Wombats aren’t focusing too much on that, preferring to stay in the moment.
“We hope that with the run home we are as close to locking up a top-two spot as we can be,” Ryan said.
“We’ve put ourselves in a really strong position, so looking towards finals we are in a really good spot.
“But when we reflect back on (Saturday), I think we can get a bit caught up in looking towards finals and trying to win a flag and sort of forget to enjoy the home-and-away season too much.
“So, (we are) just trying to take the enjoyment out of the wins like we got (on Saturday) and just keep moving forward.”
Elsewhere, Girgarre handed out a 17.13 (115) to 6.6 (42) thumping to Tallygaroopna, while Stanhope proved too strong for Undera with a 16.12 (108) to 9.13 (67) victory.
Netball
Following round 13, Shepparton East has now played each team in the Kyabram District League A-grade netball competition once.
All have failed to topple the standalone leader.
The latest challenger — and arguably the closest, having sat second on the ladder heading into the clash — to walk away with its tail between its legs is Nagambie, with the Lakers no match for the peerless Eagles at Central Park on Saturday.
A clinical performance from the Eagles saw the home side claim a 50-39 victory to remain unbeaten through 13 rounds, snapping an 11-game unbeaten run by the Lakers in the process.
The Eagles now move two games and 90 percentage points clear on top of the ladder as the march towards finals continues to gather momentum.
The Lakers slip to third following the defeat, level on points and less than one per cent behind Rushworth, who had a big win of its own on Saturday.
It was a punishing display from the Tigers against the Redlegs, cruising to a huge 54-22 victory at Longwood Recreation Reserve, as their surprise rise up the ladder looks set to carry on deep into a finals campaign.
Reigning premier Girgarre recorded a strong 45-33 victory over Tallygaroopna to heap pressure on those ahead of it on the ladder, with the Roos sitting a game back from second and third at 9-3 for the season, although with a vastly superior percentage.
Meanwhile, the loss leaves the Redlegs teetering at 6-6 in sixth, with challengers breathing down their neck.
Murchison-Toolamba has closed back in on a finals appearance after a brilliant win over Lancaster, with the Hoppers claiming a 39-25 triumph over the 2024 runner-up.
It was an eight-goal game that could prove costly for the Wombats, with the Hoppers now moving up to seventh with a 5-7 record, leaping Lancaster which possesses a 4-8 record after the loss.
Stanhope and Undera faced off in a battle of the Lions, with Stanhope coming out on top at home with a 43-36 win, keeping its season alive at 5-7 and knocking on the door of the top six, ending the round in eighth spot.
On Sunday, Violet Town had the better of Avenel, winning 39-33.