Two local sides picked up monumental wins in round 15 of the Heathcote District Netball League, each keeping themselves in the finals race.
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Elmore and Lockington-Bamawm United both recorded victories, defeating Heathcote and Huntly, respectively, while Colbinabbin and Mount Pleasant continued their domination at the top of the ladder.
The round
Elmore 70 d Heathcote 34
Lockington-Bamawm United 58 d Huntly 48
Colbinabbin 87 d Leitchville-Gunbower 31
North Bendigo 31 lost to Mount Pleasant 65
White Hills bye
Elmore vs Heathcote
Elmore is now only outside the finals places on percentage after it cruised to a 36-goal victory over Heathcote at Elmore Recreation Reserve.
The two sides played out a competitive opening quarter, where the Bloods only held a 16-11 lead at the first interval before taking over from there.
Elmore won the second quarter 18-8, opening up a comfortable 15-goal advantage at half-time, leading 34-19.
Adam Boldiston’s side was having no issues scoring and complimented that part of its game with a dominant second half on the defensive end.
Heathcote was held to just nine third-quarter goals as Elmore piled on another 17 to lead by 23 entering the fourth.
The Bloods closed with their best period of the game, winning the final 15 minutes 19-6 to run out as 70-34 winners.
Elmore (5-8) has now won three of its past four matches.
With North Bendigo dropping its fourth game in a row at home to Mount Pleasant, the Bloods, in sixth, only sit behind the fifth-placed Bulldogs via percentage.
A fourth-placed finish for Elmore also remains a genuine possibility, as it is only two points adrift of Huntly, which currently holds that spot.
Boldiston’s side will be favoured to beat second-bottom Leitchville-Gunbower in its next fixture, with a win potentially moving it into a finals spot.
Lockington-Bamawm United vs Huntly
Strong second and fourth quarters from Lockington-Bamawm United helped it cause a boil-over to beat finals contender Huntly at Lockington Recreation Reserve.
The two sides were deadlocked in the first and third quarters, which ended 14-14 and 13-13, respectively.
But the Cats were a touch better just before half-time and full-time.
LBU won the second quarter 16-11, which had it leading 30-25 at half-time, and the final 15 minutes 15-10, culminating in a 58-48 win.
The strong combined 30 minutes that saw the Cats come away with only their fourth win of 2026 could be pivotal come season’s end.
Stacy Bacon’s side is still a long shot to make the finals.
The Cats are seventh, a game outside the finals, and have played one more match than the three sides directly above them, but this victory did keep its faint post-season hopes alive.
LBU will serve the bye in round 16.
Colbinabbin vs Leitchville-Gunbower
Colbinabbin continued its assault on the minor premiership with a dominant 56-goal win over Leitchville-Gunbower at Colbinabbin Recreation Reserve.
The Grasshoppers made a strong start and never looked back, taking a 23-7 lead into the first break before piling on another 20 goals in the second quarter to hold a 43-14 advantage at half-time.
Another 20-goal term for Jen McIntyre’s side in the third had it well on its way to another victory, leading 63-21 ahead of the final 15 minutes.
Both sides produced their best attacking quarters in the fourth, which Colbo won 24-10 to run out an 87-31 winner.
The Hoppers (14-0) have effectively secured first place with two matches to play.
They sit eight points clear of second-placed Mount Pleasant, with each side to serve a bye across the final three rounds.
The only way the Mounts could overtake Colbo is by winning their remaining matches and hope the Hoppers lose theirs, while also ending up with a stronger percentage.
Colbinabbin takes on Huntly away from home next, with a victory at Strauch Reserve ending the minor premiership race.
North Bendigo vs Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant did its job in the aforementioned race by defeating North Bendigo by 34 goals at North Bendigo Oval.
The Mounts had beaten the Bulldogs by 31 goals when the two sides met back in round six and the outcome was no different this time around, with Anthea McCleary’s side running out a 65-31 winner.
Mount Pleasant is likely to finish second on the ladder, meaning it would face the side in third in the first week of finals.
White Hills is almost certain to finish third and the two sides will be able to feel each other out ahead of an expected post-season clash when they face off at Toolleen Recreation Reserve in round 16.
McCleary’s side will then serve the bye in round 17 before an away clash against Heathcote concludes its regular season.