Saturday’s fourth round of Kyabram District League A-grade netball matches will pit two of the three unbeaten teams in the competition against one another as the much-improved Lancaster fronts up against perennial finalist Nagambie.
Less than a per cent separates top team Nagambie from the Wombats at the top of the ladder, with Violet Town also winning three straight to start the season.
Lancaster’s 67-goal win against winless Rushworth has catapulted it to equal top, its 82-15 result coming on the back of 50 goals from gun recruit Chicquita Vick.
Vick even spent part of the third term in the centre as winger Jadeja Davies shot 10 goals in the third term in the slowest of the Wombats’ four-quarter effort.
Lancaster finished last season in 11th position, clearly better than the bottom three teams in the competition, but three wins and percentage off the face from being a finalist.
Nagambie finished the home and away season fifth, losing in the first week of the finals to Girgarre.
On Saturday at Lancaster the Wombats used eight players in the win, leading by 39 goals at half-time on the back of brilliant defensive work from Phillipa Inglis and Charli Westerveld.
The pair rebounded brilliantly and combined with Cassie-Lee Westley and captain Caddison Mulholland in the midcourt to provide Vick and Lexi Thomas ( 22 goals for the game) to dominate their opponent.
Taya Hayes came onto the court in the second half, playing through the midcourt and restoring order with a 23-4 final term for Lancaster.
Nagambie also sharpened its claws with a 55-goal win against Longwood, having won its first two games against Merrigum (by 25) and Murchison-Toolamba (by 24).
· Merrigum fell nine goals shy of registering its second win of the season against Murchison-Toolamba on Saturday, but remains just outside the top six.
The Bulldogs have an extremely tough draw, however, facing two of the three top teams (second-ranked Lancaster and third placed Violet Town) in the next three weeks.
A slow start to Saturday’s game left Merrigum 12 goals behind at half-time, trying Tayla Moore and Emma Pommeroy in the goaling circle alongside Georgie Wilson.
The Bulldogs responded in the second half by outscoring Murchison-Toolamba 21-18, but were still beaten 44-35.
Georgia Wilson shot 15 of those second-half goals and finished with 22 for the match.
Nine players were used by the Bulldogs, with only defenders Breanna Baker and Latia Doherty wearing the same bibs from start to finish.
In the opening game of the season Merrigum was a 16-goal winner against bottom team Rushworth, 10 players used by new coach Maddie Wilson to test her squad.
The 45-29 scoreline came after Georgia Wilson was the most productive goal shooter with 24 and the defensive partnership of Breanna Baker and Latia Doherty dominated the rebounds at the opposite end.
Merrigum led by eight at three-quarter time before a 15-7 final term doubled its eventual winning margin.
The following week the Bulldogs started strongly against top team Nagambie, trailing by one at quarter-time before managing only five goals in response to Nagambie’s 19 in the second term.
After half-time it was a 25-15 scoreline, in favour of Nagambie, as Merrigum lost 56-31 — despite the strong start.
Georgia Wilson shot 26 goals to again be the dominant goaler, while Gabbey Beveridge and Maddy Wilson were the top midcourt contributors.
Merrigum again used nine members of its squad during the game, with Baker and Doherty again unchanged in defence.
· Stanhope’s winless start to the season continued on Saturday and the team now sits 12th on the ladder — one of four clubs yet to break through for a win.
On Saturday the Lions lost to Dookie United 53-36.
Dookie sits comfortably inside the top six with two wins and Stanhope has now lost to three teams which look likely to challenge for a place in the finals — unbeaten Lancaster, fifth-ranked Dookie and Girgarre (seventh).
Murchison-Toolamba, Undera and Rushworth are the other clubs yet to break through for a win.
A slow start to the game against Dookie saw Stanhope shoot just three goals and by half-time the margin was 18 goals.
After half-time Jemma-Marie Wright and Jinaya Nurse combined strongly in the goaling circle and Stanhope actually outscored its higher-ranked opponent by a goal — 25-24.
Rhylee Prescott started on the interchange, coming onto the court midway through the first term and starting at goal defence before moving onto a wing and eventually into the centre.
Erin Hopkins and Taylor Sutton had a slow start, but finished strongly at the defensive end and Katelyn Power showed her versatility by spending time in attack and defence.
· Girgarre sits seventh on the ladder after almost causing an upset against Shepparton East, losing by a goal.
It lost 36-37, but has the chance to improve on its current ranking when it tackles bottom team Rushworth this weekend.