Blues carry winning feeling into finals, shut the door on Congupna’s season

By Josh Huntly

Aug 20, 2023

Tussle: Congupna’s Jade Naylor and Tongala’s Meg Brennan battle it out. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

With second spot wrapped up leading into its clash with Congupna, Tongala ensured the home and away season drew to a conclusion on a winning note.

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With The Road requiring victory to have any chance at Murray Netball League finals, the Blues slammed the door shut on those aspirations in a tightly-contested eight-goal win at Congupna Recreation Reserve.

“It was quite a good game to finish the season off,” Blues coach Grace Hammond said.

“The girls played a consistent game; it was probably our best game in terms of feeding our goalers. We didn’t try to play a fancy game of netball; we just stuck to our systems.

“Credit to Congupna; they really pushed us and it was a great hit-out.”

Quick hands: Tongala’s Alyce Bower searches for a teammate. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Milly Brock and Meg Brennan were powerful in goals once again, aided by a pressure-filled midcourt attack en route to the 52-44 triumph.

“Same as every other week, our pressure is what creates so many opportunities,” Hammond said.

“Everyone just played their role for the day.”

Searching for a teammate: Congupna’s Sarah O'Sullivan. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Tongala finished the home and away season with a win-loss record of 16-2, finishing second only to unbeaten Deniliquin, the second straight season the club has achieved the feat.

The Blues and Rams will face off in the qualifying final at Nathalia on September 2, with both sides earning a week off.

Looking ahead: Tongala’s Grace Hammond looks to pass. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“We’ll be taking training as normal, just fine-tuning a few things. We know we’ll need our best against Deni; they’re the team to beat and they have been all year,” Hammond said.

“We’ll stick to the basics and get them right.

“The vibes around the club are quite high; we have nearly every team in finals. The whole club is getting around one another and it’s a really positive place to be.”

Winding up: Congupna’s Morgan Zotti. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Around the courts, Deniliquin ensured it finished the season unbeaten with a rollicking 71-28 rout of Nathalia, while Rumbalara skipped into the finals series with a dominant 69-15 win over Barooga.

Cobram pushed Echuca United, but suffered a 42-31 defeat, Mulwala edged out Moama (39-34) and Finley held on 42-39 in a thriller over Tocumwal.