The Wombats and Towners had taken care of all who came before them across the first six weeks — and their eventual showdown was drawing ever nearer.
With a general bye set for this weekend, June 15 at Violet Town was earmarked as the time and place where the two pacesetters would settle outright first place between them.
However, that was until one slipped up on Saturday.
Lancaster charged into its meeting with Longwood, boasting a sole win to its name in 2024, as the heavy pre-match favourite and promptly put the contest to bed.
A week after a much lower-scoring affair where defence won the day over Merrigum, the Wombats left nothing to the imagination in a 75-25 rout of the Redlegs.
That’s not to suggest everything has been quite what it seems on the face, though, with a complex injury situation forcing Lancaster’s current starters to persevere with no rotations.
Coach Michelle Hill outlaid her praise for her workhorse squad on a day where the girls celebrated two club milestones.
“It was a great team effort. All the girls played well and the whole side stood up,” Hill said.
“We’ve had to move people around a lot because of injury and we’ve just kept plodding along.
“Millie Hill played a quarter-and-a-half in her first game for the year after dislocating her knee in pre-season, and Ali Backway came up from C-grade for her first A-grade game, which was good.
“Pip Inglis has been a good asset for the team and it was her 100th game yesterday; Zoe Hayes brought up 150 as well, which was fantastic.
“Pip has had a few best-on awards and got another one this week.”
Personnel issues aside, the Wombats continue to run the table and blood new talent in the process, whether out of necessity or otherwise.
However, Violet Town experienced its first stumble, falling to Stanhope in a narrow 42-39 result that shook up the standings.
Though the June 15 game will no longer be a clash of undefeated titans, Hill suggests that looks may have been deceiving as far as the Towners’ early success.
“I’m not sure if they’ve played that many top sides yet,” Hill said.
“We’ll see how we go, but there have been some really weird match-ups this year.
“Everyone’s probably still tweaking sides and getting their combinations going, but I think that top six will change in the next month or so.
“I’m rapt with how our side’s gone about it. My main concern is getting them to gel together, and they all seem to be having fun and playing good netball.”
Dookie United took a big step in its attempts to retain some equilibrium following a turbulent start to the year, making a solid statement with a 60-40 win over Murchison-Toolamba.
Elsewhere, Avenel joined Dookie at 16 points and continued to knock on the door of the top four in a clash of 3-3 teams, holding off Nagambie by the barest of margins and winning 43-42.
At the table’s foot, someone was guaranteed long-awaited joy as winless Undera and Rushworth went head-to-head, with the Lions savouring a 61-45 triumph to get on the board.
Sunday’s games brought a pair of chasing contenders taking on separate assignments as third and fourth-placed Girgarre and Shepparton East took the courts, the latter playing a grand final rematch with Tallygaroopna.
The Eagles outgunned their foes monumentally, turning rematch into mismatch by virtue of a resounding 46-18 win to snatch second from Violet Town.
The Kangaroos would claim second for themselves just half an hour later, notching their sixth win of the campaign in a 49-20 thumping of Merrigum.
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