Strong start fuels Lorne’s title ambitions

THE Lorne Football Netball Club is emerging as a genuine contender across both football and netball as the Colac District Football Netball League season approaches its halfway mark.

The Dolphins are firmly in the premiership hunt in multiple senior grades, with the senior football side sharing top spot on the ladder with a 6-1 record under premiership coach Ed Curnow.

Lorne’s reserves remain undefeated and boast a remarkable percentage of 631 as they chase back-to-back flags.

Meanwhile, the club’s A-grade and B-grade netball teams sit inside the league’s top five and are pushing to secure finals berths after several seasons on the fringe.

Club president Carly Enticott said the club was thriving both on and off the field.

“Lorne is in a great place at the moment with strong performances across the board,” she said. “Our football department have had a great start to the season, and our netballers are also posting some strong results.

“The development of our junior players through the senior ranks has been a focus and it’s wonderful to see their growth in a challenging environment.

“Seeing what an incredible group of players we have representing Lorne, the community support and the strong and inclusive family culture, we are already the winners.

“Premierships would be the icing on the cake for a great season of commitment and connections.”

Enticott credited Curnow with helping drive the club’s success since taking over the senior football program in October 2023.

In his first season at the helm, the Dolphins secured their first senior premiership in five years.

Now in his third season, Curnow believes the group remains well-placed despite strong competition from reigning benchmark Alvie.

“Our seniors and reserves have enjoyed a cracking start to the year and that has been backed up by some amazing performances by our juniors,” he said.

“Our group really supports each other and everyone is happy to just play their role. It’s a great environment to be in.

“The best team at the moment is Alvie, and we know we’ve got a bit of work to do to match them. There’s plenty of water to go under the bridge but we are feeling good.”

The club’s netball resurgence is being led by playing coach Leigh Potter, whose sides have positioned themselves firmly in finals calculations.

She said maintaining consistency across four quarters would be the key focus for the second half of the season.

“Last year we experienced a few third-quarter fade-outs that left us chasing games, so we’ve put a lot of work into our rotations and building consistency across four quarters,” Potter said.

“The goal is to maintain our standards, minimise those lapses and make sure we’re able to hold onto leads when we’ve earned them.

“Bringing a premiership back to Lorne would be incredibly special in any grade. To be able to coach and play in a premiership for the Pod would be an absolute honour.”

Lorne FNC –

Equal top seniors

Top reserves

A-grade – in top 5

B-grade – 6th (equal 5th)

C-grade – down bottom

D-grade – down bottom.