Ellinbank takes top spot

Ellinbank shot to the top of the A grade ladder following the season's opener on the weekend which saw a mixed bag of results, including a draw when the Bunyip-Catani match was abandoned due to lightning.
Reigning premiers Neerim South were amongst those to put the four points on the ladder, alongside Yarragon, Buln Buln and Nyora who all finished outside the top six in 2025.
It was a strong four quarter performance from Ellinbank, who scored the biggest margin of the weekend over Trafalgar with a 46-goal win, the final score 66-20.
Ellinbank won all four quarters, recording a dominant final quarter, scoring 20 goals to Trafalgar's four goals.
Ellinbank's versatility and depth was a strong factor in the side's win.
Tay Wallace celebrated 150 club games with her usual elite speed and unmatched work rate while Rhi Haines celebrated 100 club games, defensively keeping Trafalgar second guessing all their attacking moves.
Ellinbank welcomed new players Rach McDonald and Lily Sheehan to the club, with both fitting in seamlessly to Ellinbank's game style.
It was a new look Nyora under coach Leanne Smith to take the points with a 26-goal win over Poowong.
In wet conditions Nyora played some good passages of play against a young, impressive Poowong team.
Nyora slowly pulled ahead in the first half and with an outstanding third quarter went on to finish with a good win 51-25.
Yarragon A grade kicked off its 2026 season with a strong 60-48 win over Nilma Darnum, delivering a consistent four-quarter effort and defensive pressure.
Tayla Green was a standout in goals with 48, while juniors Charlotte Kemp and A grade debutante Mischa Moore impressed with their composure and work rate across the court.
A strongly contested match for 60 minutes between Neerim South and Longwarry ended up as the closest match of the round with the reigning premiers coming out on top by just two goals 36-34.
The defensive pressure of both teams allowed for plenty of turnovers and it was a battle of who could capitalise.
Buln Buln welcomed back Renee Nobelius and Stacey Hartcher to the club, recording a 48-28 win in challenging wet conditions against Lang lang.
A tight first quarter saw Buln Buln lead by four at the first break. It was Buln's defensive pressure that proved a key factor as they forced numerous turnovers across the court, assisting the Lyrebirds to continue increasing their lead at all breaks.
Lang Lang unfortunately lost goaler Chloe Phillips, who left the court early in the game.
Lightning brought the wet battle between Bunyip and Catani to an end in the third quarter, with umpires declaring a drawn result.
Rain took the pace out of the game, but both clubs kept up their intensity with not much separating the two.
Catani had the lead at three quarter time, 21-18. Bunyip settled in to the game despite the heavy rain to even the scores with one minute to go in the third.
But a final quarter was not to play out with the weather gods intervening and umpires abandoning the game due to lightning.