Lachlan Dand, Murray Pioneer

One of the Riverland Football League’s most fierce rivalries will kick off on Saturday afternoon, when Renmark welcomes Waikerie to town for another instalment of the Gill-Lehmann Cup.

The first edition of the cup was in 2008 and since then, the Magpies lead the ledger 10-6, having won the first five contests.

However, Waikerie’s most recent victory was in 2021, and with Renmark claiming the past-three cup wins, the Rovers will be looking to continue their winning form on home turf.

The Gill-Lehmann Cup is the distance derby for the Riverland Football League, with 80km separating the two ovals.

While playing away from home is never easy, travelling to Renmark and winning is one of the most difficult tasks.

Looking back on the 2024 battle, it was a slow start in the first term from the visiting Rovers, before kicking into gear as half time approached.
Just eight points separated the two sides at both half time, and the final change, before five goals from the Rovers in the final term aided them to a 20-point win.

Despite the best efforts of eventual Whillas medallist Kade Hilton and his four goals, alongside Mitch Hahn’s three, Waikerie fell short following the class of Ricky Garrett and Tim Woolford through the middle of the ground.

Looking forward to this year’s battle, both sides will enter with some form of confidence, despite shaky starts to the season.

Waikerie began the 2025 season with back-to-back wins on home turf over both Loxton and Loxton North.

Round one saw the Magpies shoot out of the blocks, flying away to a 38-point three-quarter time advantage.

Despite Loxton’s best efforts to come back into the match, Waikerie managed to hold its nerve in the final quarter for an 18 point victory.

Jake Spencely proved crucial to the Waikerie victory in his new role across half back, while the likes of Hilton and Tim Bevan found the ball with ease across the afternoon.

Up forward, Shaun King booted four goals for the Magpies on the day, while Ryan Turner finished the day with two.

The following week, a poor afternoon in front of goal left the home side scrambling against the Panthers, before ultimately hanging on.

From 19 scoring opportunities, the Magpies converted just six, but the ability to find a way to win was pleasing for new coach Jackson Sutton.

Ben Smith was strong in the middle of the ground, while Tristan Geehman and Ryan Shaw also provided a strong presence.

Meanwhile, it was a competitive performance from Waikerie against Barmera-Monash last weekend, particularly in the first half.

The Pies trailed by just two points at the major break, but it was seven goals to two in the second half from the Roos that overran Waikerie, recording its first loss of the season.

This weekend presents as a strong opportunity for Waikerie, hoping to atone from a 17-point loss in the preliminary final last season.

On the other side of the fence, Renmark began the season with a com-prehensive 79-point win over Loxton North, at Panther Park.

Despite somewhat of a sluggish start, the Rovers quickly kicked into gear in a huge effort, largely inspired by Nick Gillard.

Gillard finished the day with seven majors, while key forward Brody Rover booted six, and small forward Declan Johnson recorded five.

However, Renmark stumbled in round two against Barmera-Monash, failing to convert opportunities in the grand final rematch, ultimately falling by 18 points.

Woolford duo Tim and Dan fought val-iantly with a strong performance, while Josh Vater also found a lot of the football.

Last week saw Renmark survive the ultimate scare, getting the better of Berri at RFL headquarters by just seven points.

It was a stirring performance from the undermanned Rovers in the final quarter, putting through four goals to one to steal the victory.

With Waikerie posing a threatening attacking six, and Renmark’s ability to defend the ground, an intriguing battle awaits.

The Rovers will be hoping to keep the Gill-Lehmann Cup at the Kennel, with the winner of the match also set to jump inside the top two.

The first bounce of the Gill-Lehmann Cup will be at 2.40pm, at Renmark Oval, with the game set to be called live by 5RM, from 2.30pm, following The Sideline View earlier in the day.

This article appeared in Murray Pioneer, 14 May 2025.