Saints great bags five as ex-Hawk & Bomber slots seven in Montagna appearance

This weekend saw the Bellarine FNL, Horsham & District FNL, Millewa FNL, Mornington Peninsula Nepean FNL Div 2, South West DIstrict FNL and the Warrnambool & District FNL leagues finish home and away seasons and head into their 2024 finals series.

While for those leagues already into finals we have our first team into a season decider with Cudgewa FNC in the Upper Murray FNL booking a Grand Final spot after a close win against Bullioh FNC 13.12 90 to 12. 6 78. Bullioh will now face Tumbarumba FNC in this week's upcoming Preliminary Final.

With finals the focus for some leagues and clubs, others are firmly looking at what’s in store for next year. Dookie United FNC in the Kyabram and District FNL have finalised a move back to the unaffiliated Picola and District FNL, returning to the league they left in 2017. Another return could be on the cards as well with Melton South FNC, currently in the Ballarat FNL, eyeing off a potential return to the Riddell and District FNL which they left in 1998. The club, who currently have the fourth longest active losing streak in Victorian country football sitting on 37 straight losses, will meet later this month to discuss their future.

At this stage it will be business as usual in the Mid Gippsland FNL and North Gippsland FNL in 2025 with the three clubs looking to switch competitions, Newborough FNC, Yinnar FNC and Morwell East FNC all having their bids to move knocked back by the member clubs of the North Gippsland FNL. As mentioned last week, it has also been confirmed that the Broadford FNC, who are currently in recess this season, have been in discussions with the Bendigo FNL about returning with them in 2025.

Another club who came out of recess this year, Rushworth FNC in the Kyabram and District FNL, had their fifth win for the season helped by former Saint Stephen Milne who kicked 5 goals in their 65-point win over Merrigum. Whilst this was a welcome return, another former Saint had a less than spectacular weekend. Leigh Montagna, who lined up for Castlemaine FNC in the Bendigo FNL match against Kangaroo Flat FNC, lasted less than 15 minutes after injuring his quad with his first kick. His Castlemaine teammate and coach, former Bomber and Hawk Michael Hartley, kicked 7 in their 89-point win.

Speaking of wins, a 28-game losing streak came to an end in the Ovens and King FNL when the Benalla All Blacks FNC got up in their game against Tarrawingee FNC by 17 points, enabling them to sing the song for the first time since round 6 2023. Whereas in the Bendigo FNL Gisborne FNC’s 12-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of Strathfieldsaye FNC, who managed a 23-point win, 14.8 92 to 10.9 69, moving to third on the ladder with two rounds to go.

We welcomed two more players to the 100-goal club this weekend. Swifts FNC Paul Summers bagged 12 in his side's big 116-point win against Edenhope Apsley FNC, to move to a total of 105 for the season in the Horsham and District FNL with two rounds to go. In the Warrnambool and District FNL, six goals in the final home and away game to Allansford FNC’s Robbie Hare enabled him to get to 103 for the season and walk away with the league award.

However, this weekend's games has seen a change in the overall statewide goal kicking leader again with a big bag of 14 goals to Bridgewater FNC’s Lachlan Sharp taking him to 120 so far for the season. Sharp sits four ahead of Murchison-Toolamba FNC’s James Lloyd who has 113, while Summers’ 105 has him in third. All three now have one remaining game for the year next week to add to their totals and to see who takes out the crown as Victorian country footy’s goal kicking king.

Image by Rechelle Zammit of the Shepparton News.

For all the latest in country footy, head to Country Footy Scores.