Top of the table contest sees titans clash

to shore up their places in the top four in both the Open and Women’s ladders.

By Contributed

With her coach, Clint Beattie, looking on in the background, Kaniva’s Briony Williams looks for options as Warrack’s Madisson Bentley and Debbie King look to tackle.

The completion of round five marks the point in the season when all opponents have been played once, providing a clear indication of where each team stands and what they need to do over the next ten rounds to make their mark in the finals.

The big game for the weekend was between the undefeated Yanac and Dimboola Roos for the outright lead in the women’s competition, and it lived up to expectations.

This was an intense encounter in which both teams created attacking opportunities, and it was Yanac who got on the scorecard first, when Caitlyn Alexander goaled twenty seconds before quarter time.

Despite now being behind, the Roos did not reduce their intensity, and a very even, scoreless second quarter followed, and it took until late in the third quarter for Yanac to ease the pressure on themselves when Mikayla Mackley extended their lead to two.

With time running out as the last quarter progressed, the Roos didn’t give up and matched Yanac across the field right to the end, but another late goal to Yanac’s Alexis Famers set the final margin at three.

Alexander was named Yanac’s best player, with regular top performers Jennie Hauselberger and Brooke McMaster standing out for Dimboola.

This result has moved Yanac a game clear on top of the Women’s ladder, but the Roos proved that they are worthy of their current second place and remain a serious contender among the leading teams.

In a tight battle to consolidate a place in the top four, the Horsham Jets and Nhill Thunderbirds also put on an impressive performance.

The Jets enjoyed a majority of the play in the first quarter, but strong defence by the ‘Birds kept the scorecard empty, and in the second period of play the roles were reversed, with Nhill doing most of the attacking, and it was a score against the flow of play by Holly Di Pietro just before half time that saw the Jets earn the lead.

Play swung toward the Jets’ end of the ground after the break, but no goals were added until, with just two minutes remaining in the match, Horsham’s Launa Schilling lofted a ball into the top of the net from an acute angle to give them a two-goal lead.

Annabell Heal and Schilling were consistent performers for the whole game for the Jets, and midfielders Cally Shurdington and Kendra Clark kept the Thunderbirds in the game.

The improving Warracknabeal are still looking for their first win but put in their best performance of the season in their game against Kaniva, who are finding some form after a slow start to their premiership defence.

With the Warrack players beginning to gel together under the guidance of new coach Ben Williamson, improvement is being seen amongst the experienced and new players, and whilst regular top performers including Ellie Williamson, Eileen Eichberger, and Kate Williamson still dominate as their better players, several younger and less experienced players are starting to step up and be noticed.

It took Kaniva until well into the third quarter to establish a four-goal lead, but unlike previous matches, Warracknabeal was not overrun late in the game as players tired, but stood their ground and had the better of the last quarter, earning three penalty corners, and were unlucky not to convert any of these into goals.

A final Kaniva score, with just three seconds remaining in the game, sealed a five-goal victory, which has kept Kaniva in touch with the competition leaders, but was also Warracknabeal’s best result so far in 2025, and showed some signs of significant improvement, which shows that they might trouble some opponents as the season progresses.

Kaniva had five individual goal scorers, and Nyree Hutchins was named as their best player.

The Women’s ladder now shows some symmetry, with each team separated from those above and below by four points each, or one win, with each team having been defeated by those above them.

SUBHEAD: OPEN

In the Open division, the Warrack Hoops suffered their first loss of the season when a determined Kaniva Cobras registered the only score for their match three minutes from full time.

Despite missing several regular players, the Hoops still employed their trademark quick passing game plan, but the Cobras were up to the challenge and matched them.

The Hoops had the best of the first half but could not capitalise on any of their attacking moves.

However, as the game progressed, the recurrence of several old injuries among the Hoops’ interchange players curtailed their options, while the Cobras took full advantage of their extra rotations.

This paid off as the game drew to a close when Lachie Mills converted a run into attack to the only goal of the match.

Mills was the Cobras’ best player, along with Jordan Clark and Charlie White, and for the Hoops, Ben Williamson, Sandon Schultz, and Heath Johns played well.

The Horsham Hurricanes continued to impress with a comfortable win over the Nhill Rangers after a very even and fast-paced game.

Two early goals gave the Hurricanes control in the first quarter, and although the Rangers maintained pressure for the following two periods of play, another Horsham goal in the third quarter and three more in the last saw them run away with a six-goal win.

Will Gulline and Jason Harris both scored twice, and Tom Batchelor and Charles Hassall once each to compile the Hurricanes’ score, with Harris named as their best player, and Jason Reichelt and David Reichelt were the Rangers’ best.

Despite having the week off with the bye, the Yanac Tigers remain on top of the ladder, one win ahead of the Hoops, with the Hurricanes and Cobras now just two points behind, making up the top four.

The Nhill Rangers are starting to fall off the pace, already two wins and a goal difference outside the top four, but they will challenge any team that dares to take them lightly.

SUBHEAD: UNDER 16s

The Yanac Warriors remain undefeated and sit on top of the Under 16 ladder after overcoming the Dimboola Kangaroos on Friday evening, and the Nhill Leopards held onto second spot after defeating the Horsham Bombers.

The Warrack Revengers and Kaniva Raiders played out a one-all draw, which places the Warrack team in third, and Kaniva in fifth, with the Kangaroos, who, despite their loss, remain in fourth.

All teams have next weekend off as senior Men’s and Women’s teams travel to Bendigo to represent the Wimmera at the Victorian Senior Country Championships, with the next local matches scheduled for 21 June in Kaniva.