The Bulldogs beat Undera on Saturday after taking a thrilling one-goal win a week ago against Avenel.
Prior to that, they had lost three successive games against top team Lancaster, third ranked Girgarre and Dookie United (fifth).
Twelfth ranked Undera, which has just one win for the season, led the Bulldogs by four at quarter-time and had stretched the advantage to eight at the half-time whistle.
Merrigum goalers Latia Doherty (27 goals for the game) and Georgia Wilson (21) responded by leading a 13-6 third quarter where Bulldogs defenders Breanna Baker and Emma Pummeroy took control of the defensive end.
Jasmine Edwards came onto the court and combined with Maddy Wilson and Gabbey Beveridge in the mid-court to secure the 48-39 victory.
Merrigum started the season with a win, but lost the next three games, and after 10 rounds, they are sitting 10th on the ladder with a 4-6 win/loss record.
That leaves the Maddy Wilson led team only two games outside the play-off field, with only two of its remaining six games against top six teams.
Among its opponents are the three teams directly above it on the ladder — seventh ranked Avenel, Stanhope (eighth) and ninth placed Tallygaroopna.
Wins in those three games and results going its way for sixth ranked Violet Town presents it with a faint chance of reaching the finals.
– Merrigum’s unbeaten B-grade team has stretched its winning record to 10 straight games after taking a 41-goal win against second bottom Undera.
The Bulldogs minds will, however, be on the top of the ladder battle with Tallygaroopna this week — the other team that is unbeaten to this stage of the season.
Tina Ferati warmed up for the blockbuster by combining with Nicole Doherty (29 goals) and Brooklyn Holt-Hebbard as the team tried different combinations in the goaling circle.
A 17-1 third term where defenders Emily Young and Kelsey Moss took complete control of the game set up a 33-6 second half which influenced the overall scoreline of 56-15 in Merrigum’s favour.
– Merrigum C-grade sits one win outside the top six after losing by nine to Girgarre, despite the 28 goals of Claire Doherty in goals.
She shot all but three of her team’s score in the 31-40 loss.
Fifth versus sixth in the C-reserve match saw the Bulldogs lead by two goals at quarter-time on the back of Khrystal Keil’s seven-goal quarter, but surrender the lead at half-time and never win it back.
They lost to fifth-ranked Undera 22-28, using all 11 players in its squad as the one goal half-time deficit was expanded to six at the final siren.
Ellie Robinson played in goals and centre, Jacqui Cronin in the mid-court and defence, while only goalkeeper Blynda Tranter kept the same bib on for the entire match.
– Merrigum sits top in the under-17 competition, unbeaten with nine successive wins for the season.
The latest of those was a 22-goal win against eighth ranked Undera, in which Grace Ryan-Roberts shot 22 goals and worked with Hollie Saywell and Alyssa Christou to put a winning score on the board.
Merrigum led by nine on the back of a 10-1 opening term and stretched the lead to 14 at half-time. Undera was competitive in the third, but Zeenat Ishola and Angel Spencer kept their opposition goalers to just three final term goals as the team won the game 39-17.
Twenty-six goals from under-15 goaler Brooklyn Holt-Hebbard was not enough to influence a win for her team against a team two spots ahead of the Bulldogs on the ladder.
A six-goal quarter-time deficit set up the under-15 win, with the Bulldogs outscored by just two in the second and third terms. Tayla Horder played in all three sections of the court, as did Sophie Spedding and Bianca Hatzie.
The Bulldogs have a tough draw, with games against three teams in the top six in the coming weeks.
