Lancaster is one of only two unbeaten teams in the competition after five rounds (the other is Violet Town) and they are ahead of the Kangaroos and Shepparton East, who have both lost one game apiece.
Girgarre’s 26-goal win against previously third-ranked Nagambie was its most impressive result of the season.
It won the match 57-31, while Lancaster comfortably accounted for Murchison-Toolamba in its match.
The Kangaroos, now sitting third on the ladder, are a well-organised team that regularly uses all nine members of its squad.
That was the case on Saturday in the 57-31 victory, which came after they built a three-goal quarter-time lead and had a nine-goal advantage by half-time.
A dominant second half saw the team score 31 goals to 14, the defensive team of Allana Adams and Abigail Sergienko (which remain unchanged for three-and-a-half quarters) dominant throughout.
Jacqui Gahan only spent a short time in the second term off the court and finished with 36 goals, supported by Kimberley Hanna for most of the game and by Darcie Stammers for the last term.
Stammers shot six goals in the final term and Hanna finished with 15 goals.
Holly Nelson and Sheree Starling again shared the centre bib, with Starling playing three different positions during the round five victory.
The team has Murchison-Toolamba, Merrigum and Longwood in the next three weeks, the former the only team that sits within the top six ranked teams so far this year.
– Double figure returns for goal shooting star Chiquita Vick, from each of the four quarters against Murchison-Toolamba on Saturday, was the highlight of a 11-goal win for the Wombats.
Vick finished with 46 goals for the afternoon, working in tandem with Lexi Thomas (12 goals) for the entire game as the Wombats took a little while to shake their opposition.
Sixth-ranked Murchison-Toolamba trailed by just one goal at quarter-time and by just four at the long break. They battled gamely in the third, but the Wombat’s defensive duo of Charli Westerveld and Phillipa Inglis took control.
Inglis spent the first quarter on the interchange, then replaced Cassie-Lee Westley in the centre before moving to her regular defensive post.
Westley returned to the court and the Lancaster team won the second half 29-22.
Lancaster has Merrigum and Longwood in the coming two weeks before the blockbuster battle with the highly ranked Violet Town on June 15.
– Merrigum has scored its second win of the season at Longwood.
The 43-31 win is the pre-cursor to a meeting with unbeaten ladder leader Lancaster and a battle with third-ranked Girgarre a week later.
This tough draw gets a little easier after that when the Bulldogs face Dookie United (10th) and Avenel (eighth) in successive weeks.
The win against second-from-the-bottom Longwood has the team sitting ninth on the ladder, but equal on premiership points with sixth-ranked Murchison-Toolamba.
– Stanhope sits eighth on the ladder after a 50-goal win against winless second-from-the-bottom team Undera on Sunday.
They remain only one game outside the top six after securing a second win for the season 71-21.
The Lions face 10th ranked Tally this weekend, but have the unbeaten Violet Town a week later.
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