It is a winter staple as seasonally enjoyable as pumpkin soup or slow-cooker casserole - watching with bated breath to see which country footy star crosses the line first in the race to 100 goals.
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And this year’s ton-run is as fierce as ever - with four footballers currently within realistic reach of the milestone across the Picola District, Kyabram District and Loddon Valley football leagues.
But there is more than one spanner in the works this weekend.
As compiled by countryfootyscores.com, the quartet have all reached the nervous nineties - but three of them will be sitting on the sidelines with their boots unlaced on Saturday.
Two - Strathmerton’s Tim Looby and Murchison-Toolamba’s James Lloyd - have slammed head-first into league-wide byes.
Looby leads the way on 97 majors after a stunning 20-goal haul in his latest outing against Yarroweyah.
Lloyd only managed three against Tallygaroopna at the weekend to take his tally to 91.
In between them sits a very familiar face in Josh Mellington.
The Benalla product - and former Echuca United and Violet Town star, among others - has booted 93 goals for Bears Lagoon-Serpentine FNC this campaign.
But with the three-figure mark in sight, injury seems to have cruelled his hopes of compiling yet another 100 in a season.
The Bendigo Advertiser reported this week that a hamstring injury Mellington suffered two Saturdays ago requires surgery, and is likely to keep him out for the remainder of the season.
Josh Mellington in Violet Town colours.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
It leaves fellow Loddon Valley league forward Lachlan Sharp - with 91 goals to his name for Bridgewater - as the last man standing this weekend in search of the magical mark.
Sharp booted five majors in a 10-goal win at the weekend, and is more than capable of snaring the remaining nine against Inglewood on Saturday.
Sharp has booted double figures on five separate occasions this year already - including a haul of 15 against the same opponent in round three.
If the ton-run remains alive come dusk on Saturday, Looby will look to a home fixture against Mathoura - who his side is yet to face this season but sits ninth on the PD table - and Lloyd will circle a tough fixture against Stanhope at Stanhope Recreation Reserve to try and break the tape first.
James Lloyd is looking for a ton - just not of the cricketing kind.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
