Tungamah: O. Willis, S. Ferguson, C. Powell, T. Lidgerwood, A. Psaltiras, W. Thomson.
Rennie : M. Wilson, J. Beams, R. Burns, J. Welsh, C. Hargreaves, C. Jones.
Goals:
Tungamah : L. Thompson 4, L. Lonergan 2, J. Irvine 1, C. Powell 1, T. Lidgerwood 1, W. Thomson 1, J. Cheek 1, M. Khat 1.
Rennie: C. Strawhorn 4, D. Chung 2, T. Ryan 1.
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The Rennie Hoppers' faithful turned out in force on Saturday, joined by a contingent of fans from Melbourne eager to experience the best of country footy for their first home game against the Tungamah Bears.
The Rennie faithful weren’t disappointed, with the Hoppers matching it with the Bears until the last quarter.
Hopper sandwich: Ryan Burns, Liam Martin, Chase Strawhorn and George McBurnie wrap up Brayden Beaton.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
With coach Jarred Fountain at the helm for his first match, the Bears came out of the blocks with a bang, slotting two majors and a behind to take an early lead.
The Hoppers' backline, led by Fountain, Jones and Beams, worked tirelessly to repel the Bears' attacking forays. Despite their efforts, Rennie found themselves trailing 0-13 at the first change.
The Hoppers came alive in the second term, with the midfield brigade finding their rhythm and providing better service to the forwards. Chase Strawhorn, the human highlight reel, bagged two crucial goals, while Dylan Chung chimed in with another.
The Hoppers' pressure was immense, forcing the Bears into turnovers and rushed kicks. By the main break, Rennie had reduced the lead to 5 points.
The third quarter was an arm-wrestle, with both sides trading blows. The Hoppers' onballers led by Wilson and Burns, continued to buzz around the contests, creating chaos for the Bears' defence.
Strawhorn added another two sausage rolls to his tally, while Chung snapped a remarkable goal from the boundary. At the final change, Rennie held a 1-point lead, 6.4.40 to 6.3.39.
The Bears came out determined to turn the tide in the last stanza. Their midfielders, who had been well-held for much of the day, suddenly found space and began to feed their forwards with alarming regularity.
The Tungamah spearheads made no mistake, piling on six unanswered goals to put the game beyond reach.
Despite a late consolation goal to the Hoppers, the final siren saw the Bears victorious, 12.6 (78) to 7.5 (47).
While the result didn't go their way, the Rennie Hoppers showed plenty of heart and gave their loyal supporters a performance to be proud of. Strawhorn kicked 4 goals for Rennie and Chung 2.
Reserves
The Rennie Reserves and Tungamah faced off in front of a large and passionate crowd who were treated to a nail-biting contest that kept everyone engaged until the final siren.
The first quarter saw both teams come out with intensity, trading goals in a tight battle for early control. Rennie opened the scoring, but Tungamah quickly responded with two goals of their own to take a narrow 4-point lead into the first break, 22-18.
The second quarter was a hard-fought, defensive struggle, with both teams managing to kick one goal and two behinds each. Tungamah maintained their slender 4-point advantage at halftime, 34-30.
The third quarter was characterised by intense defensive pressure from both sides, making scoring opportunities rare.
Tungamah managed to extend their lead with two goals, while Rennie could only score a single behind, leaving the home side trailing by 15 points at the end of the term.
With the game up for grabs, Rennie had the ball in the forward line for a majority of the term and Smith who was the hoppers only multiple goal scorer with 2 always looked threatening but when the final siren sounded, Tungamah had secured a hard-fought 5-point win, 58-53. Solid start for the hoppers but the win was there for the taking.
Awards:
Premix King
Adrian Smith
Lake Mulwala Bakery
Fletcher Donovan
Yarrawonga Hotel
Bailey Lewis
Club Mulwala
Boyd Preston
Shayne Stiles Roofing
Rudi Vodusek.
Under 17s
The Rennie Under 17s saw Tungamah dominate from the start, showcasing teamwork to control the game.
Despite the scoreboard pressure, the young Rennie side displayed incredible determination and heart, earning the respect of their supporters.
Both teams exhibited outstanding sportsmanship throughout the match, with Tungamah gracious in victory and Rennie holding their heads high.
Awards:
Murray Valley Rural Services
Brad Burrows
Rennie Catering Committee
Alex Perez
Wingates
Jye Langford
C and T Rhodes
Connor Strawhorn
Woods Bus Lines
Tommy Ledger
Rennie Community Social Club
Finn Bruce.
Under 14s
The young Rennie Under 14s team, many of whom were playing their first season of competitive football, found it difficult to match their opponents' intensity and cohesion.
As the game progressed, Rennie's players continued to display admirable resilience and sportsmanship. They never dropped their heads or let frustration get the better of them, instead focusing on supporting one another and giving their best effort until the final siren.
While the scoreboard ultimately favoured Tungamah, the Rennie Under 14's should be incredibly proud of their efforts.
The courage, resilience, and unity they displayed will serve them well as they continue to develop their skills and grow as a team under coach Neal Hemphill.
Awards:
I and P Ferguson
Brax Ednie
Kennedy Builders
Finn Wood
STF Engineering
Harry Giblett
Border Concrete Plumbing
Ed Withers
Red Ag
Finley Strawhorn
Lake Mulwala Bakery
Spencer Cowan
Under 11s
After overnight rains, it was a slightly damp start out at Bull Plain Road for our littlest Hoppers who kicked off the 2024 Season.
The message from coach Blocka Wilson to the boys was to get down and dirty and have fun! They certainly listened to those words, laying strong tackles, and going in hard for the ball against a much taller Tungamah team.
All players should be proud of their efforts and well done to the newest Hoppers on getting through their first game.
The 11s look forward to continuing to learn the football fundamentals and develop their skills and understanding of the game we love to play.
The Rennie players and supporters kicked off their social calendar with an iPad shuffle night after the game. The night was enjoyed by families and players, who enjoyed wood fired pizzas while listening to some great music and enjoying the company of their fellow Hoppers.
Next Saturday Rennie will travel to Deniliquin for Round 3. As always, all social and player information is posted on the club socials- Rennie Football and Netball Club.
