Wimmera-Mail Times| LAHARUM has confirmed its status as Horsham District Football Netball League premiership favourite after downing Kalkee at home on Saturday.
It was a brilliant day for the Mountain Men, who won 17.12 (114) to 13.3 (81) as they celebrated their 1995 premiership reunion.
The match was billed as the biggest of the season and the teams traded blows for most of the first quarter.
Laharum had more of the play but Kalkee looked dangerous going forward, with Grant Schultz, Josh Beddison and Shaun Gilbert marking strongly.
A goal to Patrick Easson after the quarter-time siren gave the Mountain Men a handy 15-point lead.
The teams traded goals again to start the second quarter before Joe Harrison took over the contest.
In the midst of a breakout season, Harrison played arguably his best game yet.
He kicked goals in a variety of ways, but the highlight was an effort to break two tackles deep in the pocket and run into an open goal.
He finished the day with seven majors, marking the fourth game in a row he has kicked at least seven.
Harrison and Laharum’s other elusive players started to find space on the outside.
Brothers Oliver and Elliott Braithwaite and Cam Bruce used their leg speed to full effect, while skipper Sam Winfield was his usual combative self and added some inside grunt.
Robbie Miller showed no ill effects from a meniscus tear that sidelined him for three weeks.
Kalkee ruckman Tim Wade had an excellent game, but Laharum coach Shannon Argall worked his way into the match after moving behind the ball in the second term.
Not many Kees had good four-quarter games, but Josh Mibus and Ben Harrison competed well in the back line and Grant Schultz, three goals, game them a good target up forward.
Laharum pushed the lead beyond 50 points in the final quarter before a late flurry of Kalkee goals added some respectability to the scoreboard.
Argall said he was thrilled with his team’s performance with the exception of the final few minutes.
“For 95 per cent of the game we controlled it and I thought the scoreboard flattered them a little bit in the end,” he said.
“The fact we put the cue in the rack and still won comfortably says we played well for most of the day.”
Kalkee coach Steve Schultz said his team would need to be at its best if it hoped to compete with Laharum in a potential finals meeting.
“If you’re a little bit off against them, it doesn’t happen for you,” he said.
“We’re still off where we were at our peak, and I’d love to see us play really well against them.”
