The Wombats won the game 72-45, but were outscored in the third term after leading by 18 goals at half time.
They face second-bottom Longwood this weekend, before starting a three week run where they face the fourth, sixth and second-ranked teams of the competition.
Again on Saturday the Wombats were without key defender Phillipa Inglis, but did enough at the opposite end to guarantee victory. Chicquita Vick had another outstanding afternoon, shooting an amazing 63 goals for the game.
Captain Zoe Hayes again proved her flexibility, starting on a wing, moving into the centre, then spending part of the third quarter at goal defence.
After being outscored by three in the third term a 19-goal final term from Vick saw the Wombats respond with a 20-8 return in the final term.
– Stanhope has moved into the top six of the Kyabram District League’s A-grade netball competition with a 29-goal win against Merrigum.
The planets aligned for the Lions as previously sixth-ranked Violet Town suffered a loss to Dookie United and dropped out of the top six.
Stanhope now has Longwood (13th) and 11th-placed Murchison-Toolamba before facing the two toughest assignments in KDL netball - against first and second-ranked Lancaster and Girgarre.
Merrigum was highly competitive in the opening term, trailing by just two at the first break on the back of six first quarter goals from Georgia Wilson and Abbey Mottram.
The second term, however, belonged to Stanhope as Jemma-Marie Wright shot 11 of her 34 of her goals for the Lions.
Stanhope won the game 43-19 on the back of a 27-9 second half as it made only a couple of changes for the entire game.
Centre Jamieson Young and wingers, Tanesha Nurse and Katelyn Power, exchanged positions in the mid-court but the four players at either end of the court remained in place for the entire game.
Merrigum, conversely, used nine players with only Georgia Wilson and defenders - Breanna Baker and Emma Pummeroy - wearing the same bib throughout.
– Girgarre’s tenth win of the season came at the expense of finals aspirant Avenel, the Kangaroos continuing their surge at a top two finish with a 22-goal win.
Holly Nelson generaled the team from the centre, while Jacqui Gahan produced another masterful display in goals with 40 goals, supported by Kimberley Hanna for a majority of the game.
Girgarre has the 14th (Rushworth), 12th (Undera) and ninth (Tallygaroopna) ranked teams in the next three weeks before facing sixth-ranked Stanhope in the final week before the finals.
It led by 12 goals at half time, but was challenged in the third when it outscored Avenel by just four goals. A 13-7 final term saw the team take the game 55-33.
-Merrigum has retained its third ranking in the B-grade competition by beating seventh-ranked Stanhope.
The Bulldogs are just one game off top spot after their eleventh win of the 12-week-old season.
A 43-24 win came after Merrigum led by 12 at half time on the back of 14 first half goals from Nicole Doherty and nine from goaling partner Tina Ferati.
Nine second half goals from Stanhope’s Kaitlyn Joyce saw the Lions outscored by just seven in the second half.
Defenders Ellie Turpin and felicity Hall worked hard against the Merrigum goalers, but it was the Bulldogs mid court duo of Abbey Mottram and Jasmin Edwards who gave their goaling duo multiple scoring opportunities.
Stanhope sits only one win outside the top six and has the chance to challenge again for a spot in the finals when it tackles sixth-ranked Murchison-Toolamba in a fortnight.
– Unbeaten top of the ladder Under 17 team Merrigum had a bit of a scare against fourth-ranked Stanhope on Saturday, a dominant first term followed by the Lions outscoring them for the remainder of the game.
Merrigum led by eight at quarter time, but was outscored 21-18 for the remainder of the match.
The 31-26 win came on the back of Alyssa Christou’s mid-court form and the defensive work of Zeenat Ishola. For Stanhope it was the defensive work of Ava Turner and Sophie Joyce that kept it in the game.
– In the B-grade game between the two neighbours third ranked Merrigum won its 11th match of the season against eighth-placed Stanhope.
Nicole Doherty shot 28 goals in the 43-24 win for the Bulldogs, while Ellie Turpin and Felicity Hall played the entire four quarters for Stanhope.
– Stanhope’s number one ranked C-grade team remained on top with a 36-14 win, Hayley Trevena shooting 13 goals in the second term to stamp her authority on the game.
– Sixth ranked Merrigum beat seventh-ranked Stanhope in the C-Reserve match, Georgia McKellar a star in the centre for Merrigum.
Stanhope used 11 players during the game, Kate Twynstra and Ash Vick the two constants for the game.
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