Tongala notched up its 20th consecutive Murray Football League victory on Saturday courtesy of a big win over Finley.
The Blues romped to a 20.17 (137) to 3.5 (23) win at Tongala in the round seven clash to secure its unbeaten status for another week, and move up to second on the MFL ladder in the process.
Fly-in forward Darren Ewing marked his return to Tongala with a five-goal haul, but he wasn’t alone in front of the sticks with Makenzie Ryan and Mackenzie Cowley booting four and three goals respectively.
Ewing, in his first game for the Tongala since round one, now has 56 goals in eight games since joining the Blues.
Tongala’s on-ball brigade ran rampant with Jack Hammond rated the best Blue on the day, while Coby McCarthy and Brock McLean were also prominent.
The Blues conceded just three goals for the match, and one for the entire second half in a dominant performance.
Cats trio Matt Jackson, Harrison Kerr, and Lachlan Kerr were their club’s sole goal-kickers, with Isaac Corvo and Benji Neal in Finley’s best.
While the Cats continue to seek their first win of the season, Tongala continues to roll on.
Tongala coach Jordan Souter praised his side’s “team-first attitude,” but said the Blues won’t rest on their laurels.
“We had a really good win and a good team spread,” Souter said.
“We were in control most of the game.
“We have still got plenty to work on, we’re still turning the ball over heading into our forward line.”
The Blues are one of three unbeaten sides remaining in the Murray Football League, with Cobram and Mulwala the other two.
Tongala travels to Scott Oval next week in a first-versus-second match-up against the pace-setting Cobram, a side that has blitzed all-comers in 2022.
Congupna’s 36-point defeat in round two is the closest any club has managed to get to the Tigers this season, and Souter admits he’s looking forward to the game.
“It’s been in the back of my head for a couple of weeks,” he said.
“We try to play it week-by-week but we obviously look forward to these games.
“We know they’re flying at the moment, and we’re going to have to be at our best to stay with them.
“We’ll have to swing a few things around with the game-plan, and see if we can out-think and outplay them.”
Murray Football League
Tongala: 4.3 (27), 10.6 (66), 17.9 (111), 20.17 (137)
Finley: 0.2 (2), 2.2 (14), 3.4 (22), 3.5 (23)
Goals
Tongala: Darren Ewing 5, Makenzie Ryan 4, Mackenzie Cowley 3, Matt Daniel, Nick Woods 2, Anthony Dennis, Jack Hammond, Coby McCarthy, Brock McLean
Finley: Matt Jackson, Harrison Kerr, Lachlan Kerr
Best
Tongala: Jack Hammond, Coby Mccarthy, Brock McLean, Kyle Fitzgerald, Matthew Daniel, Adam Lovison
Finley: Isaac Corvo, Benji Neal, Matt Jackson, Lachlan Kerr, Archibald Mason, Nick Robertson