With the home-and-away season coming to an end around the football leagues, the race to top the goal-kicking charts is heating up.
The sharpshooters came to play this season, but with just two rounds remaining in the Goulburn Valley and Murray Football League it looks unlikely we’ll see anyone break the 100-goal barrier this season.
In the Goulburn Valley League, it’s a two-man race for the O’Toole Cup with Mooroopna’s Chris Nield topping the competition with 62 majors, hotly pursued by Echuca’s Ruory Kirkby on 57.
Behind them is Rochester key forward Mitch Cricelli on 39, who has impressed in his first season at Moon Oval after crossing from the HDFNL.
Tigers’ coach Steven Stroobants boasts the same amount, while Euroa’s Jett Trotter has 38.
In the Reserves competition, Seymour’s Max Jones is the runaway leader with 57 ahead of Kyabram’s Jarryd Pertzel on 42.
A Shepparton Swans duo leads the way in the under-18 competition — Flynn Tonks (50) and Mason Reeves (33) hold a buffer on Shepparton United’s Jordan Wiggins (31).
Deacon Woods (Shepparton) and Nicholas Jephson (Kyabram) tied on 31 goals are the under-16 leaders.
In the race for the Murray Football League Les Mogg Cup, three Congupna players occupy the top five of the competition goal-kicking.
Congupna’s Daniel Campbell is the leading sharp-shooter with 57, a haul of 10 against Echuca United his highest return.
Cobram’s Tyron Baden sits on 52, accelerating in recent weeks with hauls of eight (Echuca United) and six (Numurkah).
Jack Sutherland is third with 49, but testament to the Road’s lethal forward 50 is the fact that Jak Trewin (46) and Daniel Schaper (45) round out the top five.
In the Reserves, Tongala duo Mark Watson and Zane Johnstone have combined to crack the ton for the undefeated Blues, booting 60 and 40 goals respectively.
Between them is Moama’s Jake Galpin with 46 snags, the 2018 winner of the Ken Jasper goal-kicking trophy.
It’s another Magpie leading the under-17 stakes with Jobe Shanahan on 56, 12 ahead of Tongala’s Marshal Taylor.