The Lakies were far too good for reigning champions Skipton, with the 62-39 scoreline securing an 11th-straight win to start the campaign.

O’Keefe, in his first season in charge of the Learmonth girls, said he wasn’t getting carried away with the strong start to the year, knowing it mattered little when finals rolled around.

He said he knew from past experiences at other clubs how quickly things can go awry in the playoff matches.

“The big message is to keep enjoying, keep working hard because it will get a lot harder really quickly by the end of the season,” O’Keefe said.

“You finish in that top two and it can come undone very easily. I’m keeping myself very focused to what I want personally and also what I want all these girls to have a taste of as well.”

O’Keefe said he believed the team had the ability to go all the way at its very best.

“It’s a good enough team if we play the way we have been playing,” he said.

“They really are a team that is playing for each other.”

O’Keefe praised the performances of goaler Eleisha Phelps and defender Katie Lindkvist, who he said were the team’s standouts on Saturday.

In a blow for the Lakies, however, gun wing defence Maddi Quayle – the Central Highlands’ interleague best on court this year – has played her last game of the home and away season because of overseas travel. The club is expecting her back for the opening week of finals.

“We'll miss her. We only have the eight players through A-grade, so we’ll have to utilise that extra centre court player that we have got,” O’Keefe said.

The victory leaves Learmonth a game clear at the top of the table, with Springbank still second after Saturday’s 72-32 win against rivals Gordon.

Skipton remains third following its second loss of the year.

Other round 11 winners included Ballan, Bungaree, Buninyong, Waubra, Creswick, Newlyn and Dunnstown, which beat Hepburn by a solitary goal.