Zac Stovell gets to the ball first. Photos: Eamon Kurta
After suffering a crushing one-point loss to Numurkah in the final round of Murray Football League and falling out of a top-two finish, Moama got its revenge over the Blues a week later in the second elimination final.
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Played at Hardinge Street Oval, the Magpies and Blues had developed quite a fierce rivalry throughout the season with the head-to-head series being split evenly at one win apiece.
It was tricky conditions at Deniliquin as strong wind made it difficult for both sides to get entries inside 50, with Moama and Numurkah settling for two goals each in the opening quarter.
The Blues came out firing in the second period with the wind helping their three shots on goal go straight through the middle, while the Magpies kept in contention with two.
Blake Evans eyes his target.
Photo by
Eamon Kurta
Trailing by four points at the start of the third quarter, Moama rallied to nail a tidy 3.3, while limiting the Blues to one goal down the other end to retake the lead heading into a do-or-die final frame.
With their season on the line, the Magpies managed to maintain the status quo down the stretch with both sides only able to find one major to finish the game.
The final score was 8.9 (57) to 7.5 (47).
Darchi Clarke is swamped by Numurkah players
Photo by
Eamon Kurta
Moama coach Liam Barrett said his side’s grit and hard-nosed attitude got the job done in the end with the side managing a miraculous turn around to keep its finals dream alive.
“There was a little bit of a shift around a few match-ups, so going in it was about our mentality to really make sure we defend first and respect their quick and skilful players,” he said.
“I thought we came in pretty well planned and it was just great that we could execute it.
Liam Barrett handballs under pressure.
Photo by
Eamon Kurta
“We couldn’t just play defensively and hope for the best and really fight it out.
“In finals footy it's about the contest and your mindset to stick to the task for the four quarters, so that's pretty much what it came down to and we were excited to get the win.”
Barrett highlighted Ned Osborne’s return from injury as a key inclusion for the side, with the winger showing his defensive class against the Blues.
Callum Brock Harding-Davies battles for the ball.
Photo by
Eamon Kurta
“He's (Ned Osborne) had a few injuries and he's been back the last two weeks, which has been awesome,” he said
“We know that he's a real really good one-on-one defender and he just plays his role for the side.
“He's been playing on the wing, but we moved him down back and I just thought he just worked hard all day, showed a level of composure when he had the ball.”
Barrett highlighted the positive feeling around the group and is excited to keep bringing the intensity and pressure as the finals move along.
Aaron Lonergan goes to ground.
Photo by
Eamon Kurta
“We're really excited to keep bringing the contest and we feel like when we bring our pressure, especially around the ball, we can beat anyone.”
“We’ve got to recover well and train well this week and go into next Sunday with that real growth mindset and another opportunity to live on through finals.”
Moama will face Cobram in the first semi-final on Sunday at Numurkah Showgrounds with the winner booking a place in the preliminary final.
The Game
Scores
Moama: 2.3, 4.4, 7.7, 8.9 (57)
Numurkah: 2.2, 5.2, 6.3, 7.5 (47)
Goals
Moama: Liam Barrett, Blake Evans, James Gillivan, Jack Harland, Luka Simpson, Khy Stovell, Tobias Thoolen, James Whitehead
Numurkah: Tim Arnel, Jarrod Holmes, Billy Jones, Kepler Lukies, Zach McKeown, Benjamin Millen, Joshua O’Dwyer
Best
Moama: Ned Osborne, Darchi Clarke, James Gillivan, Blake Evans, Luka Simpson, Jake Ellery
Numurkah: Braydon Sutton, Kade O’Dwyer, Travis Down, Joshua O'Dwyer, Jordan O’Dwyer, Billy Jones
