There will be not one, but two David and Goliath style games in Central Highlands Netball League A-grade competition on Saturday as top faces bottom on the ladder.
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The undefeated Bungaree sits in second position on percentage, with a good buffer as the team attempts to secure a top four spot.
Bungaree will look to continue the impressive run when it takes on the bottom-placed Smythesdale, a team still searching for its first win in three seasons.
Meanwhile, Learmonth, which sits on top of the ladder, will travel to Daylesford to face the Bulldogs, which celebrated their first victory last week over Smythesdale.
The finals-experienced Lakies have produced some impressive winning margins to produce a handy percentage of more than 300.
The Lakies will provide a tough contest for Daylesford’s seniors, who have rejoined the league this year.
Learmonth coach Jordan O’Keefe said the team had gone about its netball by honouring the approach set at the start of the season, which was about using a number of rounds to find the best fit for the A-grade side.
“Everyone has been really responsive to the task and been very open that we are going to be running through these phases trialing combinations,” O’Keefe said.
“Out of that we’ve proved we have a lot of versatility this year, which has been one of the little things we’ve missed in previous years.”
Despite Learmonth’s strong position, there is no complacency in the squad.
“We have a fair few teams in that top end of the ladder yet to play,” O’Keefe said.
“It really is week-by-week for us this year, and I think that has probably been an advantage as well, that we are not thinking of the end game yet, we are thinking of each round as it presents.”
O’Keefe said having this mentality meant the players were producing a strong work ethic and four quarters of netball consistently regardless of the opposition.
Despite the gap between top and bottom, O’Keefe said it was exciting to see so many teams in the middle of the ladder vying for the top eight.
“I don’t believe there is any more of a gap than in any other year,” he said. “But this year there is that other element of excitement and uncertainty of who is gong to make finals, I think that’s really good for the league.”
