PENSHURST is flying higher than any other team in the Mininera and District Football League (MDFL) 2024 season, as it sits atop the premiership ladder undefeated and with a huge percentage.

After doing the hard work to finish fourth in 2023, the Bombers fell at the first hurdle as Glenthompson-Dunkeld ended their season abruptly.

This season the club is celebrating its 150-year anniversary and many former players have returned to the fold for the year which has strengthened the Bombers in both the senior and reserve squads which are yet to taste defeat.

The next three rounds could well be seen as the toughest section of the 2024 draw for the Bombers as they play Glenthompson-Dunkeld in the local derby, travel to Ararat to play the current fifth-placed Eagles, and then host the undefeated Wickliffe-Lake Bolac in the game that the whole MDFL is waiting for.

Penshurst playing-coach, Jayden Watson is happy with where his squad is at after the first seven rounds but is wary that complacency doesn’t seep into the structure of the team.

“We had the goal of securing the second chance come finals time, so to be sitting on top is a great start to securing that goal,” he said.

His only criticism of the team, if you could call it that, is that the defensive side of the game plan needs to be applied for the entire game each week.

“We are always looking to improve every aspect of our game, but we are concentrating on defensive pressure for four full quarters,” he noted.

“Which is so important to have against the top sides.”

Watson has the twin towers of Josh Rentsch and Ian Milera up front from which to funnel the attacking raids through, and the pair has enjoyed the service provided by the midfield, with Rentsch leading the MDFL goal kicking list with 40 and Milera next on the list with 36.

Aaron Glare, Nathan Rentsch, Jacob Mibus, and Daniel Schild are just some of the squad who are providing the forwards with quality ball from fast movement to the outside runners who present the ball lace out.

But there are too many to name here as every player on the squad continues to play their role each and every week.

So dominant has the team been, only Hawkesdale-Macathur has kept the margin to less than 10 goals while every other team has been thrashed by 100 points or more.

“I think the results have come from all our players performing their roles well, we are not looking for individual brilliance but team brilliance.,” Watson said.

Local derbies have that added extra something over all other games, with friends pitched against each other on the ground and history calling the teams to ensure they don’t lose.

“Motivation will be high in next game against Glenthompson-Dunkeld at home, the boys will be looking for a bit of revenge from last year’s elimination final I’d say.”

Motivation is key for any team no matter the sport being played, and with both Penshurst and Wickliffe-Lake Bolac being undefeated in the first seven games, the interest for the rest of the competition is which will blink first.

“Staying undefeated would be a great feat but we just want to keep on winning and improving at moment then have a good impact in finals.”

With the Bombers also unbeaten in the reserve grade, the club has the depth to fill any gap caused by injury or player unavailability.

Watson and the leadership group just need to keep the squad motivated by resetting the bar a little higher each round to maintain the form of the first seven games.