Making a move: Stanhope co-coach Denis Grinton (right) re-adjusts the magnets as his Stanhope team narrowly missed on beating top-of-the-ladder Avenel on Saturday. The Lions have a week off before facing Merrigum on July 30.
Stanhope’s unbeaten run of 10 successive wins was broken — but only just — as Avenel continued its undefeated season after the battle of the Kyabram District League’s top two sides on Sunday.
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The Swans sneaked home by five points in a dour, low-scoring battle in windy and chilly conditions at Stanhope to stretch their winning sequence to 13.
Stanhope built a 16-point lead kicking with the breeze in the first term but Avenel had its nose in front at half-time.
With a three-goals-to-one third term the Lions won back the lead, entering the final stanza with a 10-point buffer.
But it just wasn’t quite enough to keep the Swans, who kicked three last-quarter goals to the home team’s three behinds, from winning the thriller.
Stanhope got top games again from Alex O’Reilly and the Semel brothers — Luke and Ryan.
Ryan Semmel and Jonathon Pearson kicked six of Stanhope’s seven goals between them.
Stuart Trevena was also good for Stanhope.
Jake Sutherland, with a five-goal haul, Tom Tobin, Mike Berry and Lachlan Watts were the players to get Avenel over the line.
Short back and sides: Jack Sinclair, in contrast to his AFL star namesake, has chosen to avoid the mullet. He has, however, something in common with the St Kilda mid-fielder as both have had brilliant seasons. Merrigum’s Sinclair has kicked 30 goals as a mid-fielder, including four on Saturday.
• In the other Sunday game finals aspirant Merrigum put up a plucky effort to go down by just 10 points to third-placed Murchison Toolamba.
In fact Merrigum can count itself unlucky to have lost the game, having five more scoring shots than the accurate home side which slotted 13.2 to the visitors’ 10.10.
Scores were locked up at half-time but the combine’s 7.1 to Merrigum’s 5.3 second half was enough to get it the win.
For Merrigum Jack Sinclair continued his stellar season with a four-goal haul and along Nathan Smith, who also kicked four goals, played key roles in keeping Merrigum in the game.
Jacob Martin also starred for Merrigum while Rohan Hearn, Jacob Chessels, Harley Constable and Kellan Robinson were also prominent.
Andrew Lloyd, Ashton Cashion, with three goals and Joshua Wild stood up for the winners and got great support from Michael Coad, Jamie Jones and Kallyun Sanders,
Merrigum has a tough run to the finals with Stanhope, Nagambie and Murchison Toolamba (for the second time) to meet in its last three games.
• Lancaster kept its top four chances — and double chance — alive with an 88-point win over Undera.
Wombats coach Tom Davies said his team produced an even performance across the board to get the desired result in the clash at Undera.
‘‘We had a lot of good players on the day,’’ said Davies.
Sam Vick with five goals and midfielder Zac Cerrone drifting forward with four majors were active in the Wombats forward half while experienced Phil Carroll was a standout in a disciplined defence.
Midfielders in coach Cerrone, Tom Davies, Cam Simpson, Sam Spedding and ruckman Coby O’Neill were also prime movers for the winners who host Girgarre in the second half of the split round on Saturday week.
Lancaster has Girgarre, Rushworth and Dookie United in the run to the finals and will need to win them all to be a chance to grab a top-four spot and a double chance in the finals.
Tongue-in-cheek: Girgarre vice captain Ryan Butler took his season’s goals tally to 28 on Saturday with a bag of six as the Kangaroos scored a 200-point-plus victory against Rushworth.
• Girgarre kept its faint finals hopes alive with a 209-point demolition of Rushworth on Saturday.
’Roos coach Damien Cupido bagged 11 goals and Ryan Butler and Jordan Clarke six each in the runaway win.
Cupido’s haul takes his season’s tally to 74 and to the top of the league goal-kicking table.
Ash Hughes, Corey Wanganeen, Tom Walsh and Talbot Varcoe set up a lot of forward chances for the home side which had Rushworth on the back foot throughout the clash after banging through nine goals in the first term.
James Martin was best for the Tigers and got most support from Layne Baker, Cam Dalrymple and Hayden Gray in the wipe-out.
• Nagambie pulled off the surprise of the round and showed it could still be a major finals player with an easy and upset win over fourth-placed Shepparton East.
The Lakers made a flying start, sustained the pressure all game, and ran out winners by 89 points.
Nathan and Blake Fothergill, with four goals each, were able to cash in on the dominance of Trent Laverie, Brayden Briggs, Will Dalton and Trent Gladwin.
Justin Davies, Tyler Pedretti, Ryan Pfieffer and Shannon Campbell tried hard to inspire their East teammates but got little support.
• Violet Town joined Shepparton East in fourth place after disposing of Tallygaroopna by 91 points on the back of a 13-goal haul from Jack Exell.
The Towners were again without their other goalkicking machine Josh Mellington but had no worries in brushing Tally aside after a first-quarter scare.
Tally was up by 16 points at quarter-time but The Towners blew the game open with an eight goals second term.
