Football
8 May, 2026
Demons meet ladder leaders
After suffering their first defeat of the season in round four, Laharum’s senior football side will be tested again as they face Noradjuha Quantong in round five this Saturday, May 9.
The Bombers backed up their win over Harrow Balmoral in round two with convincing wins over Natimuk United and Edenhope Apsley to sit comfortably at the top of the ladder.
Underlining those recent wins is their strong transition from their own side of the field to the forward 50, with forwards Dylan Shelley and Judah Hobbs capitalising on those opportunities.
Laharum coach Robbie Miller said restricting easy ball movement to the Bombers’ forward half will be crucial for their chances on Saturday.
“Quanny are very slick, so we need to be on our toes,” he said.
“We can’t just all be sucked into the contest because Noradjuha Quantong, if they get the ball on the outside, their skills and speed can be quite damaging.
“If their forwards have space to lead into with not much pressure on their mids, they’re going to kick a winning score.
“So we need to be better around the contest and not allow them easy access going forward.”
Helping the Demons will be the return of ruckman Pat MacDonough, who was undermanned in their loss to the Cougars.
Despite numerous unavailabilities last weekend, the Demons coach admits they were simply outplayed by Kaniva Leeor.
“They probably beat us at our own game,” Miller said.
“They were winning it at the coal face, feeding it out and using their speed to break us open, and our backs could only handle so much.
“Kaniva played really well, and they won the ball when it mattered.
“But credit to our boys, we didn't just roll over.
“We continued trying to execute our game plan, and as the game wore on, we were getting more shots on goal but just weren’t able to execute as we wanted.”
Laharum will go in as underdogs, but Miller believes they have a good chance of winning the matchup, acknowledging the team has plenty more to give.
“You always look forward to the big challenges throughout the year,” he said.
“It used to be a little bit daunting, but the belief is there within our group to challenge these top sides now.
“What’s encouraging is we probably haven't played four quarters of football yet.
“We've played some good football in patches, but we've yet to string a full game together, and once we get that click amongst the group. I feel as though we'll be a much better team.
“So we're trying a few little different things, training some different voices, some different drills, and just trying to work on the areas of our improvement.”