Lancaster will be gunning for its third title in four years in the 2025 Kyabram District League football grand final, with defending champion Murchison-Toolamba the last obstacle standing in its way.

The two sides have had quite the rivalry this year despite only facing each other once in the home-and-away season and once in the finals, splitting the head-to-head series 1-1.

The Wombats took down the Grasshoppers in a round 13 thriller at home, leading from start to finish before Murch got the express ticket to the grand final by three points in the first semi-final a fortnight ago.

Lancaster will be searching for redemption after its three-peat dreams were brought to a bitter end in 2024 by Shepparton East, which stole the preliminary final at the death by a point and would go on to be handily defeated by Murch at the big dance by 47 points.

After that bitter defeat, many thought that the Wombats’ day in the premiership sun may be over, but coach Nick Ryan highlighted the club’s recruitment and development of young players as being the keys to success.

“After me taking over as coach, it felt like a little bit change of the guard and that premiership era might be over and they start to rebuild with some players exiting, but the guys we brought in have been fantastic,” he said.

“The guys who have come up from the thirds or coming from the reserves grade, they’ve all made huge improvements as the years have gone on.

“That’s been the backbone of our ongoing success.”

Looking ahead to the big dance, Ryan knows his side is in for a challenge, but his team is full of confidence and ready to bring the flag back to the burrow in 2025.

“The boys are still full of confidence, we know that we got the result against Murch during the home-and-away season,” he said.

“On any day we can go out and beat them, but if we come in anything below a hundred per cent, then it’s going to be a tough day, so it’s just going to be who wants to show up more on the day.

“If our back six holds up all day, we know they (Murch) have a guy who’s kicked 100 goals, so it’s critical to be able to quell his influence and work inside the stoppage.

“We think we’ve got the best midfield in the competition, so if we’re able to win it at the source there, then it goes a long way to win in the game.

“There’s no-one in our side that’s doubting whether we have the talent and ability to win it.”

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Sunday, 29th January 2023

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