Spinning the wheels: A rain-soaked Stanhope oval doesn’t present a problem for Jason Leocata, as he swings on to his left boot in the team’s win against Nagambie.
Stanhope has inflicted Nagambie’s fourth loss for the season, recording a 19-point win as it gets its Kyabram District League season back on track after a slow start.
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The Lions overcame a slow start and wore down the visitors in the last quarter to earn the premiership points.
The Lakers had their nose in front by apoint at half-time in the dour, low-scoring struggle but Stanhope kicked five second-half goals to the visitors’ two to get the win.
Star recruit Ryan Semmel and Nathan O’Reilly were in the thick of the action for Stanhope along with ruckman Dan Flynn while Tom Rennie was again the most productive of its forwards with five majors, which was a huge contribution.
Lachy West also turned in another good game for the winners.
Safety in numbers: Josh Dickerson is surrounded by teammates early in the clash with Nagambie. Stanhope started slowly, but ran out a 19-point winner. In support of Dickerson are Nathan O’Reilly, Matt Gill and Jack Young.
For Nagambie Tyrone Muir, Nathan Fothergill, Mark Wilson and Jonno Moore showed the way.
Stanhope faces another big challenge this weekend with a road trip to meet the improving Dookie United.
• Girgarre found Shepparton East a bit too strong but still produced some heartening signs in the loss on the road.
East was always in control on the scoreboard but the ’Roos kept at it and prevented a blow-out loss with some determined football.
Michael Smith, Talbot Varcoe and Jarrad Kellock were prominent for Girgarre who again had their most potent forwards in coach Damian Cupido and Jack Oogjes, who each booted four goals.
Ryan Butler and Kellock also added scoreboard pressure, with two goals each.
But the work of East’s experienced campaigners in Tom McCluskey, Adam Barolli and Matt Redina in particular was able to ensure the home side always had a handy buffer.
Girgarre faces another huge challenge this Saturday when it hosts the unbeaten Avenel.
• Unbeaten Lancaster kept cellar dweller Longwood goalless in a lopsided clash at Longwood.
Eighteen Wombats helped themselves to goals, with Zaid Besim with six, Riley O’Neill with five and Nic Ryan and Tim Strapp with four each leading the way in the 302-point percentage-boosting whitewash.
Luke Davies, Jack Donnell, Sam Vick and Kyler Kidd also got plenty of the ball for Lancaster, which starts meeting finals and flag contenders from this Saturday when it hosts big improvers Shepparton East.
Final instructions: Steve Lawlor directs his charges at three-quarter-time, but the speech was in vain as Violet Town stormed home to beat the Bulldogs.
• Merrigum was run over in the last quarter by the visiting Violet Town after a close struggle for three quarters.
The Towners banged on six goals to one in the final stanza to claim a 39-point win.
The Martin boys — Ryan and Jacob — were prominent again for the Bulldogs in the midfield and Tom Cooper, Kieron Hubble and Darcy Collins worked hard in defence.
Collins kept Towners goalkicking ace Josh Mellington to two goals.
It was Merrigum’s second successive loss but it gets a chance to return to the winner’s list this Saturday against struggling Undera.
Six-goal star: Jack Exell’s six majors for Violet Town were the difference in the end — half-time and three-quarter-time Merrigum leads eventually counting for nothing. He was opposed to Tom Cooper for the afternoon.
• Murchison-Toolamba scrambled home by eight points against a determined Dookie United, which had surprised Merrigum the previous week.
Scores were locked up at the last change after three evenly fought quarters but the home side dug a little deeper in the last term to get over the line.
Ash Cashion’s six goals for the combine proved the difference in the dour contest.
Adam McGibbon also starred for the home side, which had other fine contributors in Kallyun Sanders, Jye Borg and the consistent Luke Cecchin.
Murchison-Toolamba will be looking to continue its unbeaten season to date when it takes on Violet Town away this Saturday.
• Avenel outclassed Undera by 123 points to continue its unbeaten season.
Mitch Tobin, Jack Myers, Kyle Maynard, Tim Karolidis and Brendan Jack engineered the big win, set up with a seven-goal opening quarter blitz.
Best for Undera were Logan Campbell, Nathan Frizzell, Rhys McKenzie and Dylan Moncur.
Undera hosts Merrigum this Saturday.
• In the Sunday game Rushworth led Tallygaroopna at half-time after an enthusiastic start.
But it kicked only three goals to the home team’s 10 in the second half to go down by 37 points.
Coach Damian Wust, Kyle Zass, Daryl Walker and Tom McKay had a big influence in the Tigers’ fighting first half, with assistance from Josh Newton and Layne Baker.
But the Tigers’ spirited early form couldn’t be sustained when Tally upped the ante in the second half.
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