Five rounds into North-Central’s 2024 season, tomorrow’s league-wide bye provides a brief pause and the opportunity to assess the performances of all nine teams so far, and to contemplate what might transpire over coming weeks.

Approaching the half-way mark, Birchip-Watchem and Sea Lake-Nandaly have lived up to pre-season predictions that they had the talent to be among the pace setters.

And barring any unforeseen upsets, the two should retain their standings at the head of the league ladder.

With four games remaining to complete the first full round of home-and-away fixtures, the Bulls have already earmarked themselves as the team to beat. Undefeated, and with three games to come, against Boort, Wedderburn and Wycheproof-Narraport, prior to their bye, Trevor Ryan’s charges continue to gather momentum, the only major setback being the long-term injury to key defender, Jos Builder.

Ruckman Hamish Hosking is proving to be a colossus, capable of dictating the flow of opportunities to his potent midfield group, with Ben Edwards, the competition’s leading goal kicker, reaping the rewards.

Defending title holder, Sea Lake-Nandaly, has lost only one encounter for premiership points, against Birchip-Watchem in round 4.

Despite a potential debilitating run of injuries to key personnel (five members of last season’s premiership team and current players were missing from last weekend’s line-up that defeated Nullawil, including joint coach, Bryce Delmenico), the Tigers have a considerable depth of talent, providing a number of ready-made replacements. Lachlan McClelland, Chase Tait and Max Cahoon are among those who continue to step up to ensure the team remains super competitive.

And Sea Lake-Nandaly has the added luxury of being able to slot power forward, Josh Jenkins, seamlessly into its already potent attack.

At the other end of the premiership table, Charlton and St. Arnaud are yet to savour a win. With due respect, although having shown signs of improvement, they do not appear to have the overall talent to threaten the competition leaders.

The Navy Blues’ run to the half-way mark includes games against Nullawil and Donald, before a winnable clash against St. Arnaud. Then they have to tackle Sea Lake-Nandaly.

The Saints also have more challenges to face after a fortnight to regroup, courtesy of the league-wide bye, followed by their round 6 club bye. Sea Lake-Nandaly at Sea Lake looms as a daunting challenge, but one Scott Driscoll and his young charges will be using to test themselves, followed by their clash with Charlton, at home at Lord Nelson Park, a game they can win, if they produce their best four-quarter effort, and then its Boort at Boort.

If ladder positions 1 and 2 and 8 and 9 remain much the same at the half-way mark after 9 games, and potentially at the end of the home-and-away series, that leaves 13 rounds between now and the business end of the season for the group of five – Wedderburn (currently third), Donald (fourth), Boort (fifth), Wycheproof-Narraport (sixth) and Nullawil (seventh) – fighting over two spots in the top four and a finals berth.

Wedderburn’s season is progressing encouragingly, with three wins to date, but the next month is likely to provide a better pointer to the Redbacks’ prospects, with games against Wycheproof-Narraport, Birchip-Watchem, Nullawil and Donald.

What is adding to the excitement for Wedderburn players and supporters is the imminent return to Donaldson Park, and the club’s new complex for the first time, possibly on June 1.

Donald also has three wins, including a confidence boosting come-from-behind victory over Nullawil in round 3. But it faces another searching challenge in round 6, when it hosts Sea Lake-Nandaly, followed by Charlton, Boort and Wedderburn.

Injuries to key personnel, including the versatile James Wall and tenacious midfielder Jesse Wallin, who join Logan Geddes and Jamie Papalia on the sidelines in the long term, will seriously challenge the club’s depth of talent.

Of all nine teams, Nullawil appears to be the one underperforming, having recorded just one win from its four games, despite being in a potential winning position late in all of them.

A disappointing fade out in the last quarter against Donald cost the Maroons any chance; and several missed opportunities in the first 14 minutes of the final quarter last Saturday, against Sea Lake-Nandaly, which resulted in 1 goal 4 behinds (as well as one that failed to make the distance from less than 25 metres out) from deliberate set shots, undermined any chance they had against the Tigers, who finished strongly and with greater accuracy, to win by 28 points.

Nullawil is capable of producing scintillating, fast flowing possession football, and has four winnable games, against Charlton, Boort, Wedderburn and Wycheproof-Narraport, to hone its game, prior to starting the second half of the season.

Watching Andrew Oberdorfer dominate reserves matches in recent weeks (22 goals in three games), makes you wonder why there isn’t a spot for him in Nullawil’s senior line-up.

The combination of Mitch Farmer, Jack Exel, Adam Thompson and Oberdorfer (tall, athletic and a strong overhead mark), would stretch any North-Central defensive unit.

On the subject of Farmer, he showed his versatility when swung on to the ball against the Tigers, working in combination with Matt Wade and dynamic ruckman, Dean Putt, to generate continuous drive for the Maroons.

Farmer and Wade are like peas in a pod, similar in stature and with an innate ability to win and use the ball skilfully in heavy traffic. Thankfully, Wade has a full beard that identifies him from his equally bald-headed team-mate.

Nullawil has the potential to secure a finals berth, but time is of the essence, and it must get past at least three of the four teams ahead of it, including Boort and Wyche-proof-Narraport, both with 2 wins apiece.

The Magpies are entering a tough three-game period, against Birchip-Watchem, Nullawil and Donald, before taking on St. Arnaud.

Somewhere along the line, they are going to have to defeat teams above them to get themselves into finals contention.

The Demons face a slightly tougher run to the half-way mark, with games against Wedderburn, Birchip-Watchem and Nullawil, with a bye in round 7. A couple of wins would see them in a good position, but three losses might undermine their chances of reaching the finals.

• Sincere apologies to Wycheproof-Narraport for the stuff up in last Friday’s preview. The Demons were playing Boort, not Wedderburn. The mix-up has something to do with this scribe’s D.O.B..