Break-away: Stanhope’s Jonathan Pearson kicked four goals in the Lions eighth win of the season against Merrigum on Saturday. The 88 point win was the sixth time this season the Lions have kicked in excess of 100 points.
Stanhope is the fifth spoke in the wheel that is the Kyabram district league’s top six — better than the eight teams below it on the ladder, but a little way off the top four teams of the competition.
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Despite missing its two best mid-fielders, Nathan O’Reilly and Jye Adamson for the match with Merrigum on Saturday, the Lions never skipped a beat in registering their sixth 100-point plus score of the season.
Stanhope won the round 12 match by 88 points, kicking 20.12 (132) to the Bulldogs 7.2 (44), the Stanhope Recreation Reserve vacant right up until 2.15pm on Saturday as a result of Merrigum not being able to field a reserve grade team.
The Lions sit fifth on the ladder and, with only four rounds of the home-and-away season remaining, are elimination final bound in a tick over a month’s time.
They sit three wins clear of seventh ranked Longwood and have at least one guaranteed win, against the winless Girgarre, in the final four rounds.
Adamson is expecting to be back from a hip injury for the Dookie United match, as is O’Reilly (who has been overseas) and Joe Nesci will also play his first match since round seven.
Stanhope will also have the chance to gain a valuable yard stick against two of the top four teams, facing second ranked Nagambie and reigning premier Lancaster in the run to the finals.
Nagambie beat the Lions by 84 points in the opening round of the season, one of only two teams to kick in excess of 100 points against Stanhope this season.
The opportunity for redemption has been a long time coming, but arrives after the July 29 match against Dookie, when the Lions and Lakers do battle in the round 14 match on August 5.
The Lions will then face reigning premier Lancaster, who it lost to by 74 points in round three, in the final round.
Goalkicking winger Jonathan Pearson spent a lot more time in attack against the Bulldogs, taking his season’s tally to 15 goals from 11 games.
His four goal haul was only bettered by Tomas Rennie, who is only two goals off bringing up his half century after kicking five against Merrigum.
Stanhope had four other multiple goalkickers, among them tall mid-season recruit Joel Stevenson. He, along with Rhys Smith (28 goals this season after 35 last year) and Shannon Aynsley were the remaining multiple goalkickers.
Athletic half-forward Noah Hanneysee didn’t kick a goal, but was a regular conduit to Rennie and ruckman Daniel Flynn dominated at all stoppages.
With vice-captain Stuart Trevena back in the Stanhope line-up, having missed seven games earlier in the year, the Lions defence looks as strong as it has been.
He and Adam Lovison are the key pillars of a defensive unit, which (when the Lions are at their best) will probably also include captain Craig Emmett.
On Saturday the Lions, still missing Jason Leocata from their best team, alongside Adamson, O’Reilly and Nesci, kept Merrigum to only two second-half goals.
The Bulldogs were extremely competitive in the opening half, thanks to captain Zac Parkinson, combative mid-fielder Jordan Easton and dashing defender Darcy Collins.
Easton, a former VFL player with Coburg and regular with Kyabram’s senior team in its 2016 premiership year, has been a vital player for the Bulldogs since arriving in round nine.
Merrigum kicked five goals in the opening half and trailed by just 29 points before the result blew out in the final hour of the match.
GOALS, Stanhope: Tomas Rennie 5, Jonathon Pearson 4, Darcy Keck 2, Rhys Smith 2, Shannon Aynsley 2, Joel Stevenson 2, Daryl Harrison, Jake Rennie, Daniel Flynn. Merrigum: James Wild 2, Jaydon Stiles 2, Kellan Robinson, Reece Blake, Benjamin Hocking.
BEST, Stanhope: Jonathon Pearson, Noah Hanneysee, Craig Emmett, private player, Daniel Flynn, Adam Lovison. Merrigum: Darcy Collins, Jordan Easton, Zak Parkinson, Jordan Hutton, Reece Blake, Charlie Angley.
No white flag: Merrigum captain Zak Parkinson has been high team’s most consistent player this season and the determined look he has in this chase means Stanhope’s Jake Rennie has precious little time to dispose of the ball.
