Tongala reserves made it back-to-back flags and completed an unbeaten season when it stormed home to defeat Moama in its Murray league decider at Moama on Saturday.
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Played in windy but not wet conditions, the Blues had their backs to the wall for most of the first three quarters and were looking down the barrel at the last change when trailing by 12 points.
But they dug deep in the last term to kick 5.1 to 2.1 to capture the flag by six points — 9.5 (59) to 7.11 (53).
Tongala coach Steve Hammond said he had put it on his players at the last change to show they had been the best side in the competition all season or suffer a heartbreaking loss.
A bit of tinkering with the Tongala line-up produced what Hammond wanted.
Attacking on the opposite side of the ground to what resulted in many turnovers in the second quarter was a major priority.
Liam Van Roy’s shift onto Moama potential match-winner Noah Milner, Kyle Halliwell into the midfield and Charlie Houghton drifting from the wing to defence were all telling moves.
Bringing Matt Tyler into the team also paid handsome dividends in the grimly fought affair. He responded by bagging three telling goals.
And the ever reliable Zane Johnstone again imposed himself on the game in a key forward role, kicking three of his four goals for the game in a match-winning burst in the last quarter surge that clinched the flag for the Blues.
Another telling contribution to the win came from Nick Woods who dominated the ruck duels.
Other key players in Tongala’s win were Jayden Tucker shifted from defence to attack in the last term and Todd Van Roy’s ability to consistently win the ball in the midfield.
Once Tongala hit the front late in the last term, Hammond dropped players back in the final few minutes to make Moama’s task of regaining the lead that much more difficult.
Moama had good players in Josh Smith, Clay McGregor, Noah Milner and former Kyabram premiership player Josh Pell, while Jacob Simpson, Clay Poidevin also did a lot of good work for the losers.
Tongala won the last flag decided in the league in 2019 before COVID-19 forced for the cancellation of the following two seasons.
– Steve Hammond was the perfect man for the job when he took the coaching reins of the Tongala reserves this season.
Reserves coaches usually don’t come with the qualifications Hammond had as a player or in the field of coaching.
A classy footballer in his day with Cobden in the Hampden League, he experienced premiership glory twice in the successive years in 1997 and 1998 with that club.
He spent the 2011 and 2012 teams coaching South Colac in the Kyneton District League, reaching a grand final only to be beaten by three points in the first year with a team that had missed the finals the previous year.
But probably his most prestigious accolade as a coach was being an assistant to Hawthorn great Peter Knights for the Victorian Country side which contested the National Country Championships for four years from 2009 to 2012.
Hammond made the move north to Tongala to take over a dairy farm in 2015, and although in his early 40s, pulled on the boots occasionally to help with numbers in Tongala reserves team.
But a relationship with Tongala senior coach Jordan Souter which led to him helping from the sidelines in 2018, resulted in him adding the coaching role of the reserves to his workload this season.
‘‘Jordan and I get on well together and we are on the same wave link as far as footy and the footy club goes. We are both keen to retain and improve our juniors.
‘‘After last year’s disappointment of the season being cancelled there was a lot of talk some of the young players were on the move and we worked hard to try and keep them and most stayed.’’
MFL GRAND FINAL SCOREBOARD
Mulwala 0.2, 1.3, 5.5, 7.5 (47)
Cobram 3.2, 4.3, 6.6, 6.8 (44)
GOALS, Mulwala: S. Robinson 3, O. Conway 2, B. Clarke 1, J. Smith 1, Cobram: L. Allen 2, I. Artavilla 1, M. Allen 1, M. Demaio 1, T. Baden 1.
BEST, Mulwala: M. Gorman, O. Conway, J. Gash, S. Robinson, B. Butts, L. Rouel, Cobram: D. Clarke, T. Garlick, L. Allen, I. Artavilla, S. Beasley, H. Beasley.
RESERVES
Tongala 1.2, 4.3, 4.4, 9.5 (59)
Moama 2.3, 3.6, 5.10, 7.11 (53)
GOALS, Tongala: Z. Johnstone 4, M. Tyler 3, J. Tucker 1, L. Hipwell 1, Moama: J. Smith 3, J. Kilmartin 2, K. Stovell 1, M. Veitch 1.
BEST, Tongala: N. Woods, Z. Johnstone, M. Tyler, C. Houghton, J. Tucker, T. Van Roy, Moama: J. Smith, C. McGregor, N. Milner, J. Pell, J. Simpson, C. Poidevin.
UNDER-17
Nathalia 3.2, 3.2, 3.2, 3.3 (21)
Echuca United 0.0, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2 (20)
GOALS, Nathalia: N. Frostick 2, E. Congues 1, Echuca United: not supplied.
BEST, Nathalia: C. Sheehan, K. Lundberg, G. Bramwell, E. Congues, M. Frostick, B. McDonald, Echuca United: R. Stobaus, O. Poole, W. Graham, N. Ramage, J. Clancy, R. Godfrey.
UNDER-14
Cobram 0.1, 2.2, 2.2, 3.4 (22)
Moama 1.0, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 (19)
GOALS, Cobram: J. Iddles 3, Moama: J. Barden 1, L. Keam 1, T. Naujok 1,
BEST, Cobram: J. Iddles, M. Corso, R. Anastasio, S. Watson, L. Percy, W. Mele, Moama: J. Mason, X. Lane, T. Naujok, C. Proussalis, H. Boyd, M. McCarty.
– Full voting for Tongala from the Murray Football League best-and-fairest count were:
O’Dwyer Medal: Nicholas Jamieson 25, Coby McCarthy 17, Jack Hammond 11, Kyle Fitzgerald 8, Cameron Ilett 6, Brock McLean 4, Darren Ewing 3, Harley Reid 3, Mackenzie Cowley 2, Nick Woods.
Reserves: Todd Van Roy 18, Nick Woods 17, Sam Tyler 16, Tom Pyke 8, Zane Johnstone 6, Andrew Hummerston 5, Mark Watson 4, Shannon Tucker 4, Charlie Houghton 3, Dominic Watt 3, Tyler Parkinson 3, Caleb Smith 2, Bailey Cox 1, Bryce Denham 1, James Tyler 1.
Under-17: Levi Taylor 15, Tristan Watson 15, Kade Northausen 14, James Coulson 7, Marshal Taylor 4, Jesse Jackman 3, Jessie Johnstone 2, LaviTaylor 2, KaiLundberg 1.
Under-14: Clayton Rossborough 19, Will Brennan19, Benjamin Smith 2, Lachlan Nevill 2, Logan Milnes 1.
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