Under-15s: Tongala junior players and officials (from back left) Chloe Carr, Georgia Watt, Tayah Milnes, Mia Simpson, Amelia Palmer, Maggie Guinan, Zara van haaster, Olive Morton, Tracey Hughes; (front) Jacinda Marsh, Lottie Pickles, Emma Ollerman, Kenzie Johnstone and Brydie Davidson.
Seven goals from two of Tongala’s most experienced players has set the tone of the Blues’ finals campaign as the side attempts to defend the Murray Football League reserve grade premiership won last season.
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The club’s senior coaches of the past two seasons, Jordan Souter and Matthew Daniel, both lined up in the elimination final against Cobram and kicked seven goals between them to heavily influence the 48-point win.
Tongala kicked 15.11 (101) to Cobram’s 8.5 (53), the Blues slowing their pace significantly after leading by 51 points at half-time. Cobram
outscored Tongala five goals to four after the long break.
Souter kicked five goals, only a couple of weeks after his match-winning performance at senior level when he bagged four majors to upset second-ranked Numurkah in front of a bumper crowd, including his father’s 1983 premiership teammates attending the 40-year reunion.
He had only played the one reserve grade game in the lead up to Saturday’s final, but had only appeared on nine occasions at senior after playing his first game in round 11.
Daniel also only played nine games at senior level with the Blues, missing seven games early in the season and appearing on two occasions in the home and away season at reserve grade level.
He kicked three goals in those lead up games, but spent most of his senior games in defence.
Tongala’s reserve grade team finished the home and away season third, but was just one win off top two Mulwala and Congupna.
They lost by 17 points to Congupna in the final home and away round, but in order to get another crack at either of the top two will need to beat Moama in this weekend’s elimination semi-final.
In the weekend’s win, Souter and Daniel had support from Sam Tyler, Riley Souter and Alex Williams, the latter trio all kicking two goals for the match.
Riley Souter now has 42 goals for the season, dominant during a five week early season run when Tongala won successive matches 155-22, 198-13, 173-nil, 146-7 and 160-11.
The Blues didn’t lose their first game until round 12 and, in the last meeting with Moama, won by just eight points.
– Tongala’s C-reserve netballers have won through the opening week of the finals with a 16-goal win against Barooga.
Leading by two goals at quarter-time, the Blues doubled their opponent in the second quarter and led by 10 at the major change of ends.
Rhiannon Payne and Connie Blake’s defensive work set up the victory as the team maintained the lead thanks to the work of Emily Gillie, Kelsea Gordon and Kerisha Mines in attack.
Tongala used nine of its 10 players in the match, with captain Sarah Halliwell setting the tone in the mid-court with the support of Natalie Parkinson.
In the Under-13s match, the Blues’ season ended when it was beaten 25-13 by Echuca United.
Tongala trailed by just two at quarter-time, that margin extended to three at half-time before United had a similar dominance in the second half.
Tongala captain Isla White and defensive partner Annabel Pickles worked hard to stem the tide, while Emily Wilkinson spent three-quarters at centre before moving into goals.
Andie Battiscombe spent the entire match in goals attempting to put a winning score on the board.
Rumbalara had the measure of the Blues in the Under-15s match despite the efforts of captain Kenzie Johnstone and defensive leader Maggie Guinan.
Along with Mia Simpson they were the only players to spend all four quarters on the court in the 51-24 loss.
Tongala used nine players in the game, Brydie Davidson and Tayah Miles doing their best to stop the domination of the Blues opponent.
Young Blues: Tongala’s Under-13s and officials (from back left) Olivia Smith, Andie Battiscombe, Annabel Pickles, Abbey Nexhip, Isla White, Lily Kellett, Alicia White; (front) Mackenzie Donaldson, Ava Tinning, Shila Cleveland and Emily Wilkinson.
