Top versus bottom in GVL round five

Mooroopna remains the only unbeaten team in the Goulburn Valley League’s senior football competition, its status not expected to change this weekend when the top teams play the bottom teams in an unusual fixturing quirk.

Mooroopna, with four wins and a percentage of 240.88, leads five teams — Kyabam among them — that have been beaten only once.

The top-of-the-ladder Cats will face Tatura on Saturday. The Cats’ status as a premiership hopeful hasn’t been inked into place just yet, as three of their four wins have come against teams not expected to feature in the finals action. Mooroopna has beaten Shepparton by 53 points, Shepp Swans by 69 points, United by 59 points and then defeated Seymour by 43 points.

Seymour has had just the one win, but has had the toughest draw of any top-six hopeful. This weekend, not only does Mooroopna tackle 10th-placed Tatura, but second-ranked Rochester faces bottom team Benalla and Kyabram (third) is drawn opposite Shepp Swans, who are ninth on the ladder with one win from four games.

Fourth-ranked Echuca is hosting eighth-ranked Seymour, while Mansfield (currently fifth) has an appointment with Shepparton Bears (ranked sixth, and the last of the five teams to have won three games).

Seventh-ranked Euroa has an appointment with 11th-placed Shepparton United.

Kyabram’s start to the season, on results from the opening four rounds, indicates the Bombers are within sight of a top-four finish.