Tongala traded the blue for pink on Ladies Day, and while the on-court result didn’t go the way of the Blues’ A-grade side, the significance of the day saw the result take somewhat of a back seat.
Both football and netball sides donned pink playing gear for the first time, with money raised throughout the day for Breast Cancer Network Australia.
It was also an opportunity to pay tribute to former club member Michelle Mulholland, who sadly passed away several years ago.
The Most Gutsy award bestowed upon a senior netballer, an initiative dedicated to Mulholland, also took on extra significance on the day.
“We had the ‘Most Gutsy’ award, which is about Michelle — it’s all in memory of her,” Tongala coach Paige Wade said.
“That was always her award she gave out, and that went to Grace Hammond. She’s pretty much the essence of that award.”
On the court, Tongala rocked up for its round 13 clash against the unbeaten Deniliquin determined to give the Murray Netball League heavyweights a run for their money, and for a half the Blues did just that.
The Rams weathered a spirited Blues assault, however, to keep their unblemished record intact for another week, running out 25-goal winners at Tongala Reserve.
With scores level at quarter-time, Tongala kept pace with the Rams until a late flurry of goals saw the Blues fall to a seven-goal deficit at the main break.
From there, the match belonged to Deniliquin, with the Blues falling to their third defeat of the season.
Hammond, Milly Brock, and Jemma Brennan led the way for Tongala.
“It obviously blew out a bit in the second half which we hoped wouldn’t happen,” Wade said.
“We would have liked to stick with them for a while longer.
“Our first quarter was some of our better netball, but we would have liked to sustain it. That’s something we’ll take away and build on.
“(Deni) played a really nice game of netball. They’re the top team for a reason and they were consistent for the four quarters.”
The result sees Tongala lose its grip on third spot, with Nathalia now assuming that position after a big win over Cobram.