With the Murray Football Netball League finals four rounds away, the lower grades of Moama, Echuca United and Tongala are putting themselves in the best position to punch a ticket to September.
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Below are the results from an action-packed round 14 of football and netball.
Football
Reserves
The Magpies find themselves in a three-way tie for top spot with Cobram and Congupna, with percentage placing them in second.
Moama’s most recent victory, 4.10 (34) to 2.5 (17) against Nathalia only boosted its chances of landing the top spot come season’s end.
Riley Chiver was a key component in his side’s round 14 victory, kicking a pair of goals and earning himself best-on-ground honours.
Tongala triumphed over Echuca United in round 14, escaping with a comfortable 25-point victory despite the Eagles kicking all four of their majors in the final quarter.
Angus Harrington was named best-on for the Blues, with Mitch Heywood’s four goals coming in clutch in the 7.11 (53) to 4.4 (28) finish.
Under-17
Moama proved why it is in a comfortable second place on the ladder, blowing out Nathalia 22.8 (140) to 2.4 (16) at home.
A six-goal bag from Bodhi Teasdale-Dohnt and a four-goal cameo by captain Jake Barden produced the goods for the Magpies in a game where Hamish Boyd was named best afield.
It was a completely opposite scenario for Tongala and Echuca United, with the match going down to the wire.
With the Eagles leading by 20 heading into the final quarter, the Blues laid on a four-goal barrage to snatch victory by a goal in a 7.7 (49) to 6.7 (43) finish.
Jedd Turpin (6) was the star of the show for Tongala, leading his side to victory in front of goal and earning himself best-on honours in the process.
Under-14
Moama was unlucky not to get a clean sweep in the football in round 14, with the Purples pipping it by a point in a thriller.
After leading for the entire game, the Magpies failed to impact the scoreboard in the final quarter, leaving the door open for Nathalia to snatch victory.
The final score was 5.5 (35) to 5.6 (36).
Echuca United didn’t leave round 14 empty-handed, grabbing a strong win over Tongala 11.12 (78) to 3.1 (19).
After kicking one major in the first quarter, the Eagles went on to nail 10 in the next three quarters to tally an important 59-point scalp.
Cohen Baker was awarded best-on with Archie Hannasky and Jax Skerke kicking a pair of goals each.
Netball
B-grade
While the Moama A-graders were handily beaten by Nathalia, the B-grade unit jagged one back with a solid victory in round 14.
In a battle that broke the way of the host, the Magpies flew to a comfortable 13-goal victory.
The final score was 47 to 34.
In a slightly closer affair, Tongala pulled one over Echuca United at Tongala Recreation Reserve, keeping its 14-game unbeaten streak alive for another week in a clash of heavyweights.
The final score was 49-37.
C-grade
The Magpies kept the good times rolling against Nathalia, with the host getting away with a 12-goal victory in round 14.
Sitting in fifth, the win over the seventh-placed Purples will do wonders for a team in the finals mix.
The final score was 53 to 41.
Meanwhile, Tongala gave Echuca United a proper beat down with the Blues dominating the Eagles 71-18.
This continues Tongala’s undefeated streak of 14 games this season and is the favourite to claim the flag.
C-reserve
Nathalia got the upper hand over Moama, claiming a narrow win over the host 48-39.
The 11-goal loss is emblematic of the struggling season the Magpies, who currently sit in ninth, have had.
Meanwhile, the unbeaten Blues continue to dominate the competition, putting second-placed Echuca United to the sword.
While it was a close enough game, Tongala showed its class to come away with a nine-goal victory against its closest competition for the flag.
The final score was 44-35.
17-and-under
Echuca United and Moama dominated in their respective contests, cementing their first and third places on the ladder, respectively.
The Eagles crushed the Blues at Tongala Recreation Reserve, 28-66, to continue their dominance.
Meanwhile, Moama produced an even more impressive 68-14 victory over Nathalia to make a case as a flag challenger.
15-and-under
Moama continued its reign on top of the ladder, while the fifth-ranked Blues and sixth-placed Eagles battled it out to secure finals placings.
The Magpies escaped with a 35-25 victory in their match-up, while Tongala flew over the top of Echuca United 25-17.
13-and-under
Moama kept a clean sheet against Nathalia, with the Magpies putting the Purples to bed 30-0.
In a much tighter affair, Tongala claimed victory over Echuca United, 20-11.
Cadet Journalist