Football
30 May, 2026
Cougars eye seven in a row
Kaniva Leeor United have the chance to enter their extended break with seven consecutive wins when they travel to Rupanyup for round eight of the Horsham District Football Netball League this Saturday May 30.
Since going down to Harrow Balmoral in the opening round, the Cougars have gone from strength to strength, notching up six straight wins, including victories against 2025 finals teams Laharum and Pimpinio.
With the Cougars facing the round-nine bye following the long weekend break, co-coach Jonno Hicks says he hopes his side can get another win before their two-week break.
But the Kaniva Leeor coach knows it won’t be easy against a Rupanyup side who got the better of them early in 2025.
“We've got Rupanup this week and then we have two weeks off with the long weekend and the bye, so we’re looking to set up our second half of their season,” Hicks said.
“We lost a couple of guys through injury on the weekend so it's going to be a tougher battle next week and Rupanyup have really pushed some teams.
“They haven't had many wins but they've been really competitive against the top sides and their best footy is pretty good football.
“They rolled us in round one last year so we want to make sure we go there and get the job done.”
Among the Kaniva Leeor injuries is recruit Tom Wilkinson, who has impressed up forward since debuting in round two.
Conversely, Rupanyup are likely to be close to full strength and refreshed as they return from the bye.
While happy with his team’s start to the season, Hicks says there is plenty of improvement to come for the team.
“It's nice to be getting the results but I think our process could be better,” he said.
“We've said, from a couple of seasons ago when we weren't winning any games, to this year, obviously starting really well, the focus is not necessarily the wins and losses, it's about the process.
“I think we can play some better footy at times if we're putting it together but we're probably not as consistent as we would like to be.
“There's still plenty to work on and some tough challenges coming up too.”