Tongala is 17-and-under premier. Photo: Jordan Townrow
One in, all in
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Playing for the team, for the club and belief in your abilities.
Those are the tenets that have led Tongala to years long dominance of senior netball, and now the next generation of Blues have made their mark.
After playing extra time in the semi-final, the 17-and-under decider looked to be a coin flip, minor premier Moama facing off against the only side to defeat it this year in Tongala.
Best-on-court Kenzie Johnstone moved it forward with speed and accuracy throughout.
The two sides played like the Murray Netball League’s best in the first quarter, neither club able to break the deadlock.
Moama would break centre pass cadence early in the second, but Tongala responded in kind and surged into the lead by the half, up four goals.
Lucy Smith sets to pass.
Tongala was moving the ball fluidly, and with composure beyond its years, and continued to make its way through an active Mowers defence in the third.
The scoreline looked like it may get out of hand, but Moama wasn’t going to let the game slip easily, cutting it back to five by the final change.
Tongala coach Alicia White said she had a simple message for her squad at the break.
Lilly Kellet and Evie Clarke battle for it.
“Never die wondering,” she said.
“Fifteen minutes to be a premiership player and they wanted it.
“They were so hungry for this, it's just surreal that it's actually happened for them.”
Tongala wouldn’t be denied in the fourth, eventually breaking the Moama resolve to lead by double digits late on, the final scoreline 47-38 to the Blues.
Tia Knight moves it through midcourt.
“We certainly had some game plans put together which we have just been honing in probably the last eight weeks and so I feel like that helped because we had tools to draw on when things maybe weren't going our way,” White said of her girls' maturity on court.
“Just to go back to the basics, go back to our resets.
“It just does not feel real that we've just pulled this off.”
Wing attack and captain Kenzie Johnstone was identified as the Blues’ best-on-court, scrambling for loose balls and firing quick and accurate forward passes throughout the contest.
Imogen Carfoot receives.
White said Johnstone does it all on court.
“She's our captain, she leads from the front, she's tenacious, never drops her head and is always really positive on court.”
The win adds a junior flag to the Blues overflowing collection of lower grade senior premierships, indicating Tongala dominance over the netball court might not be ending any time soon.
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