Sport

Tongala kicks on to state

By Matthew Kappos

Aug 31, 2026

After winning the regional round, Tongala Primary School’s girls soccer team is preparing for the state tournament on Wednesday. Photo: Jordan Townrow

Tongala Primary School has often punched well above its weight on the sporting arena and, this year, the school’s girls soccer team has been one of the shining lights.

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The 10-player squad progressed not only through the Campaspe division tournament, but also the regional round to qualify for the state tournament.

After an undefeated round in the Campaspe division taking on other local schools including Rochester, St Mary’s Echuca, Echuca East, Echuca Primary and Moama Anglican Grammar, the side qualified for the regional level tournament in Swan Hill.

There, Tongala didn’t concede a goal on the way to claiming the title.

It progressed through the rounds stage with wins over Swan Hill (3-0) and Nichols Point (7-0), also recording a draw, nil-all, with Holy Rosary Bendigo.

It qualified Tongala for the final against Castlemaine North, where a second-half winner sent it through to the state round.

Coach Brett Radley, who took over the team between the division and regional rounds said the accomplishment was impressive for a school of 150 total students.

“The highlights for me were how good of sports they were, their approach,” he said.

“With each other, they got along really well.

“If someone made a mistake they’d pump each other up and when the opposition were quite aggressive or would push them around they were quietly confident and just kept playing and didn’t take any of that on board.

“So for me, it was their approach, their mentality towards the game and then the skills obviously shine through.”

Most of the team members initially started playing soccer last year in short bursts during activity time before or between classes.

“At the start it was quite amusing,” Radley said.

“When they were kicking the ball around, it was going all over the place to where they are now, where they’re passing, and they’re making all these plays it’s quite amazing.”

A soccer fan himself, Radley said he had tried to introduce some of the fundamental ball skills and concepts to the squad.

The state round will see Tongala take on other regional winners from across Victoria in Darebin this Wednesday, September 2.

Group stage contests will be against Good Shepard Tullamarine, Somerville and Ballarat Grammar, with the group winner to advance to a final.

Radley said he wasn’t going into the tournament with any expectations.

“In most sports the more fun you have, the better at it you are, and I think if we start piling too much pressure on then it causes them to stop and think and try and do something, whereas it should just flow,” he said.

“For me (goals) would be to have fun, run and teamwork, but win or lose, it’s neither here nor there for me, it’s just that they’re having a go and they’ve made it so far, it’s so unexpected.”