The Heathcote District Football Netball League's "Super Saturday" of netball action lived up to expectations.
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Elmore's 13-goal win over Leitchville-Gunbower was the biggest margin across the four games, with two of the four matches decided by four goals or less.
The closest contest was the grand final re-match between White Hills and Colbinabbin.
Reigning premier White Hills proved too good for Colbo again, but this contest was one that could have gone either way.
The Demons won a high-scoring classic, 61-59.
"It was tight the entire game,'' a relieved White Hills coach Lauren Bowles said.
"We might have led by four or five goals at one point, but most of the match the margin was around two-to-three goals.
"We focused on trying to get to 60 goals because we knew that if you get to around that 60 mark you're more than likely going to win the game.
"Thankfully, that was just enough for us to win the game."
After three comfortable wins to open the season, Bowles said she was pleased her side passed their first major test of 2024.
"That was the toughest match we've had so far this season, so it was probably a shock to the system at the start,'' Bowles said.
"It was a fast pace and a very skillful game. Was it our best game? NO, it certainly wasn't and that's credit to Colbo.
"Their pressure was fantastic and I thought they were amazing at the attacking end. They barely missed a goal for the match.
"We always knew, starting with Colbo, that we had a tough four-week stint, so I think this game put us in good stead for North, Leitchy and Elmore coming up."
Bowles said the undefeated Demons' still had plenty to work on.
"I don't think anyone stood out for us,'' Bowles said.
"Everyone played well in patches, but I don't think anyone was consistent.
"We need to work on that consistency over four quarters. we had some amazing passages of play, but we had some passages that didn't look pretty that we can refine over the next couple of weeks."
At the other end of the table, Lockington-Bamawm United broke through for its first win of the season against Huntly.
The Cats rallied from a first-half deficit to overrun the Hawks 42-38 and move to seventh place on the ladder.
After only winning one match in 2023, the Cats have shown great improvement in the early rounds of 2024 and their form suggests there will be more wins to come this season.
The Hawks sit on the bottom of the ladder with a 0-3 record.
Heathcote returned to form with a crucial 42-31 win over North Bendigo.
After losing to Colbinabbin the previous week, the Saints responded strongly to defeat a North Bendigo that had been expected to challenge the Saints for a berth in the lower division of the top five.
With a 3-1 record through four games, the Saints have built a strong foundation in their bid to qualify for finals for the second-straight season.
The new-look North Bendigo squad is yet to win a game and next week faces the daunting prospect of tackling top-of-the-table White Hills.
Elmore showed its class in a 70-57 win over Leitchville-Gunbower.
The Bloods inflicted the much-improved Bombers' first defeat of 2024 with a solid four-quarter performance.
It was a confidence-boosting win for the Bloods, who have testing games to come against Heathcote and White Hills in the next two weeks
The Bombers lost the battle, but the defeat proved that they're not far off the top couple of teams.
