Ryley Cowley is among several Kangaroos midfielders who have rotated between on-ball and forward line duties, kicking eight goals in his 10 games this season.
Tom Davies has taken a glass half-full approach to his assessment of Lancaster’s first defeat of the 2024 Kyabram District League season against fifth-placed Nagambie on Saturday.
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The Lakers have not only surrendered top spot, but have dropped to third on the ladder due to a series of draws involving the other two top teams – Murchison-Toolamba and Shepparton East.
Lancaster lost by 20 points to the Lakers, who up until the upset win had been involved in a three-way struggle for the final two spots in the finals, managing just two goals in the first half and facing a 27-point half-time deficit.
Davies said it was nice to be playing sides “in the hunt” at this time of year, which enabled his players to identify inefficiencies in their own game plan.
“They were close to full strength and played a really good brand of footy. We didn’t respond fast enough to their ball movement on transition,” he said.
Lancaster was without premiership captain Adam Vick, goal-kicking midfielder Morrie Serra, big-bodied back-up ruckman Ricky Thomson, premiership star Lachlan Boscarini, key defender Phil Carroll and GVL Hall of Famer Paul Newman on Saturday.
They are all expected back for this weekend’s game against sixth-ranked Stanhope and Davies hopes to have a fortnight with his strongest team when the Wombats play now second-ranked Shepparton East in the final home and away round.
Winning both games is vital to the Wombats securing what is a vital double chance advantage by finishing in the top two.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the premier of the past two seasons, outscoring Nagambie five goals to two in the final term after facing a three-quarter time deficit of 40 points. They lost the game 11.14 (80) to 8.12 (60).
Veteran Rikki Busch was promoted from the reserve grade team for his first senior game of the season, while another reserves regular Wez Hill was the pick of the Wombats’ forwards in his fourth game of the season.
Jordan O’Neill, younger brother of winger Riley, played his first senior game for the Wombats in defence and worked alongside the Wombats’ best player Logan Demasi.
Nick Ryan and Coby O’Neill worked in tandem in the ruck and captain Charlie McLay continued his good form by being the Wombats’ only multiple goal-kicker for the game.
Steve Phillips has kicked 24 goals in 13 games for Girgarre, since crossing from Lancaster after two reserve grade premiership wins.
· Girgarre coach Brendan Baumann is hoping to make the final two home and away games of the 2024 Kyabram District League season as a launching pad for next year.
The Kangaroos have improved to ninth on the ladder and face seventh-placed Tallygaroopna and sixth-ranked neighbour Stanhope in the final two rounds.
They started slowly against Rushworth on Saturday, but dominated the second half to win by 28 points.
Girgarre can still play a part in deciding who plays off in the finals if it can cause an upset in either of the remaining games, although Baumann said that was not at all a focus.
“We’re less focused on what us winning those games would do to the opposition and more on what it would mean to our guys,’’ he said.
“To win 6-7 games after winning just the two last year really helps build a platform over the summer. We will look to add a couple of key position players to the group and try to improve on that win number again next year.”
Rushworth led the Kangaroos by one point at half-time, despite Girgarre having had two more scoring shots.
However, in the second half it was a 10-goal-to-two result in favour of the home team and despite continuing its inaccuracy it was a 14.14 (98) to 7.8 (50) win.
Kyle McLeod kicked three goals from centre half-forward, while the combination of Steve Phillips, Ethan Palma-Ludeman and Ryan Butler accounted for six of the remaining 11 goals.
“Our forward line has really got going in the last few months. In the second half we controlled the game more and it was less of an end-to-end game, which didn’t suit us in the first half,” Baumann said.
Key defender Joe Jackson and vice-captain Brock Pierce stepped up in the absence of the team’s most consistent midfielder this season, Josh Marino.
Marino will be back next week after missing due to family commitments.
This weekend is Rushworth major reunion event, 20 years since winning its only Kyabram District League title and two special players will join its ranks for the match – former St Kilda star Stephen Milne and Rushworth-raised former North Melbourne star Daniel Harris.
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