Wodonga beats Lavington in a six-point thriller in O and M football

After the off-season from hell where Corowa-Rutherglen was forced into recess, due to a player exodus, and Wangaratta had its premiership stripped after a salary cap breach, the O and M desperately needed a positive start and, after a slow start, the match blossomed into a thriller.

Wodonga carried a 26-point lead into the final term, but the home side launched a blitz, kicking 3.9 to 1.1 to fall 10.10 (70) to 8.16 (64).

"We're a young side and we've got to show up every week or anyone can roll us and hopefully we can roll anyone if we show up as we did today," sidelined Wodonga coach Jordan Taylor said.

Wodonga has the league's longest finals drought of 14 years, but it's been building steadily under third-year coach Taylor.

The Bulldogs had many fine moments, but their goal at the seven-minute mark of the third quarter matches anything they've produced in years.

Reliable defender Tom Johnson had a long kick and a number of touches later, Sam Jewell had nailed one of his three goals.

It reminded Bulldogs' stalwarts of one of their last great wins, a 40-point upset over premiers Albury in April, 2017.

"I think we've showed that ball movement in patches the last two years, but I think consistently we did it better today," Taylor remarked.

The first quarter was dominated by Wodonga's Angus Baker and Lavington's new captain Tom Hargreave.

The latter posted nine touches, but was forced off early in the second with a pectoral muscle injury.

Baker had 11 and was unstoppable.

Hargreave actually handed the home team the lead after 30 seconds of the second quarter, before the Bulldogs' Oscar Willding kicked three in as many minutes.

When he kicked his first, he pointed to the sky and kissed his armband.

"We wore black armbands for my pop (Lindsey Willding) who passed away during the week," he revealed in the dressing room.

Lavington surged in the final stanza, with impressive debutant Ewan Mackinlay nailing a shot from 50m.

But the Panthers' inaccuracy proved critical.

Best on ground Baker 34 touches, co-captain and defender Charlie Morrison was outstanding, Willding was the game's leading goalkicker with four, while Adam Jorgensen, Josh Mathey and Matt Soroczynski were terrific.

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Mackinlay was dangerous, while Jake O'Brien was the other multiple goalkicker.

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