Stratford has claimed its first win of the 2026 East Gippsland Football Netball League season, outclassing previously unbeaten Lucknow in round three at Boyd Reserve.
The Magpies managed just four goals for the match, with Nick Mooney responsible for three, as Stratford ran out convincing 42-point winners.
From the opening bounce, the Swans’ height and ability to break away from contest situations proved decisive, forcing Lucknow into a defensive mindset that played into the home side’s hands.
Up forward, Thomas Love finished with four goals while Ben Dekkers added three in an efficient display. Dekkers loomed as a promising target throughout the day, showing strong aerial ability and clean finishing at ground level.
Stratford’s best included James Channing, Blake Cuttriss, Dylan O’Shanassy, Love, Max Lazzaro and Langford, with pace a defining feature across much of the side’s performance.
For Lucknow, Jack Saulle, Mooney, Jack Kennedy, Harvey Abraham, Link McKenna and Stephen Bertino worked hard in difficult conditions, but struggled to generate consistent forward momentum on the expansive Stratford Recreation Reserve.
