ANOTHER five-goal haul for Lachlan Smart has helped Wallan to a thumping 67-point win over Melton South in a Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) twilight matchup on ANZAC Day.
Members of the senior men’s football and A-grade netball teams from both towns paid their respects in a ceremony before games got under way.
On the footy field, it was the Magpies who got the scoreboard moving early, kicking the first two goals of the game. The Panthers kicked the next but the home side got on a roll after that, kicking seven straight majors to push the lead to 50 midway through the second term.
Dion Hill was instrumental early in the game, using his run and physicality to surge the ball forward, as was Smart who had already registered four majors by the 12th minute mark of the second quarter.
He kicked his fifth straight after the half-time break and things were getting ugly for the visitors.
Inaccuracy from the Pies was the only thing slowing the scoreboard, so when they started to straighten up with red-time goals to Dion Hill (two), Chris Stewart and Ryan Lovegrove-Hudson, the scoreboard disparity grew rapidly.
An even final term wouldn’t have bothered the big crowd in attendance at all, with Wallan winning 137-70.
The Magpies remain unbeaten across their senior football sides so far this season, after Wallan’s reserves got the job done by 30 points despite kicking inaccurately in front of goal. A three-goal performance from Alastair Clarke helped the under-19.5s to a 3-0 start of their own, winning by eight goals.
The winning ways spread to the netball court where the A-grade netballers handled their opponents with ease, winning by 33 points.
Once again it was Maeve Donegan capitalising on good entries into the goal circle from her teammates, notching up 47 goals to help the Magpies to first place on the ladder after three rounds.
The B-grade team also sits atop the table after it dealt with the Panthers 54-36, while results didn’t go the way of the lower grades, nor the 19-and-under squad.
Down the road, Lancefield hosted Kyneton under the lights at Lancefield Park, and were joined by the vice-president of the Romsey Lancefield RSL Ron Cole who spoke at the pre-game ceremony.
The sun had well and truly set by the time the women hit the netball court for the Battle of the Tigers, and it made for an exciting atmosphere as Lancefield got the jump early.
Kyneton got their game up and going towards the end of the first quarter to reduce the margin to two goals, and hit the lead not long after.
The home side got the momentum back with some midcourt steals, but couldn’t shake their opponents who were utilising their height advantage in attack.
Mia Daly and Chloe Hodgson were dynamic working the ball to Shanae Brundell and Lilli Florance in the goal circle, and their sharpshooting meant Lancefield held a three-point lead at the midway point of the game.
Kyneton fought back again to win the third quarter by four goals, meaning it was all to play for in the last period.
But with two wins already under their belt for the season, Lancefield out-pointed the winless Kyneton when it mattered to win by two.
The home Tigers swept the away Tigers in the other netball grades, including an 88-13 romp in B-grade.
Meanwhile out on the oval, the difficult start to the season continued for Lancefield, with a third straight loss anchoring the senior men to the bottom of the ladder.
Kyneton was clinical from the start, and led by 29 at the first break.
Andreas Boukouras’ first quarter goal and Reuben Schembri’s attack on the ball were flashes in the pan for the home team as they tried to keep the scoreboard in check, but the visitors piled on nine goals in a row to stretch their lead to 80 near the end of the third term.
By the time the final siren sounded, the score read 134-43.
Riley Omeara and Leroy Ristevski were once again in the best alongside Schembri and Boukouras, while Thomas Sayers carried over his goal kicking form from last week to bag two.
Lancefield’s reserves fell just short of an upset, going down by five points in a thriller. The home side kicked a late goal to give themselves a shot, but couldn’t get a clean possession in the forward 50 to kick the winner.
The under-19.5s suffered their second consecutive 100-point loss.
In the women’s footy competition, Lancefield got their first win of the season with a comprehensive 73-point win over Mount Alexander in Harcourt.
Thanks largely to bags of goals to Meaghan Lyons (five) and Harriet Ziedaitis (four), the Tigers led from start to finish.
Harmony Cassar was awarded best on ground for her hard work which included a goal, and was joined in the best by Ziedaitis, Emily Williams, Alice Bromley, Lyons and Caitriona Goldsworthy.
Romsey’s men return from a week off next Saturday to face Woodend-Hesket at home, while Lancefield and Wallan are on the road, travelling to Riddell and Kyneton respectively. The Lancefield women will play Riddell on Sunday.