Weekly Times |ONE of the longest winning streaks in country Victoria came to an end across a weekend littered with top-of-the-table clashes.
And a loss by one top-ranked side sent it plummeting to sixth position, as some results had teams stamping their claim as premiership frontrunners, while others made a favourite harder to pick.
In the Millewa league, reigning premier Bambill’s 19-game winning streak was ended by Nangiloc and District, the last side to defeat the Saints in Round 5 last year.
Nangiloc levelled the ledger at five wins-one loss between the league’s top two sides, even without several key personnel, including the league’s current leading goalkicker David Keens — who had surgery on an injured finger yesterday — and ruckman Ned Duthie.
“We know we’re the real deal now, we’ve just got to keep putting that hard work in,” Nangiloc president Brendan Cogdell said.
In the weekend’s other clashes between top-two sides, Bendigo league premier Strathfieldsaye remained undefeated for 27 games after downing Golden Square for the second time this season.
The Bulldogs held on to second place, with Round 10 to be completed this weekend.
Kerang’s winning streak in the Central Murray league remained intact after it defeated Tyntynder, reigning Colac and District premier Simpson thrashed South Colac, and North Gambier maintained its stranglehold on the Western Border competition by defeating South Gambier.
However, there were cases of the No. 2 side toppling the ladder-leader.
Berwick defeated Doveton in the South East league to claim top spot and the loss sent the Doves crashing to sixth.
The league’s top six sides sit on 24 points, but only Berwick, which sits out this weekend, has won six matches.
“It’s just such a competitive competition this year that nobody is brave enough to pick who’ll end up where,” league operations manager Liz Triffitt said.
Leitchville Gunbower remained undefeated by producing North Bendigo’s first loss of the Heathcote District league season, while in the Picola and District North West league, Jerilderie reversed its Round 1 loss to Strathmerton with a 14-point win on Saturday. Emerald defeated Kinglake to claim top spot on the Yarra Valley Mountain District league Division 2 ladder.