Weekly Wrap | It was business as usual for most leagues this weekend as the final loom large in the not too distant future.
However, in the far east of the state the Omeo & District FNL ended their regular season on the weekend and will be the first Victorian country football league going into finals which start next weekend. With only 6 clubs in the league, Buchan FNC and Bruthen FNC will miss out on the finals for the 2022 season, the latter unfortunately finishing winless for the year. Next week sees the Elimination Final take place between Swan Reach FNC and Omeo Benambra FNC, while the Qualifying Final is the following week between the first placed Lindenow South FNC and second placed Swifts Creek FNC.
The chance to remain undefeated for the season ended for two more clubs this round, with Narre Warren FNC in the Premier Division of the Outer East FNC going down by 9 points to second placed Woori Yallock FNC. While in the West Gippsland FNC it was the undefeated Tooradin-Dalmore FNC who fell for the first time to Phillip Island FNC, who now only sit a game behind them in second place on the ladder.
While there were no drawn games for the past round there were four games decided by a single point, with a high scoring thriller in the Upper Murray FNL between Bullioh FNC and Tumbarumba FNC which saw the Tumba boys prevailing 16.9 105 to 16.8 104 while inaccurate kicking almost cost two other sides. In the Tallangatta and District FNL, it was a wayward Chiltern FNC 9.14 68 holding on to Kiewa Sandy Creek FNC’s 10.7 67. It was a similar story in the North Central FNL where Boort FNC kicked 8.15 63 to come away with the narrowest of wins against St Arnaud FNC who kicked 9.8 62. At the other end of the spectrum it was Thurgoona FNC coming away with the biggest win of the round with a commanding 294 point win over the struggling Wahgunyah FNC, with the scoreline being 45.32 302 to 1.2 8.
Unsurprisingly in a game with a score of that magnitude there was a big bag of goals kicked with Thurgoona FNC’s Todd Miller kicking 18 for the match. Incredibly that was one of two bags of 18 kicked for the weekend with Michael Lockyer from Lismore Derrinallum FNC in the Mininera and District FNL also managing 18 in his side's 253 point win over Hawkesdale Macarthur FNC. However both of these efforts were overshadowed by Korey Loechel from Nangiloc FNC who kicked 20 of his team's 26 goals in their 164 point win over the winless Meringur FNC. This is the fifth baog of 20 or more goals kicked across the state for the 2022 season.
There are still only three players in Vic Country senior leagues to have reached the 100 goal mark for the season with Brandyn Grenfell from Marong FNC in the Loddon Valley on top with 137 and with two rounds to go a total of 150 seems within reach. Two forwards from the Millewa FNL sit second and third, with Bambill FNC’s Bradley Congress on 110 who is one ahead of Gol Gol FNC’s Adam Thomson on 109. Jack Exell from Violet Town FNC in the Kyabram & District FNL has 91 and Danny Brewster from Natte Bealiba FNC on 89, from the Maryborough Castlemaine District FNL, seem the next most likely to reach the century mark before the season ends.
