Held at the Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct, the GMJL’s trip was marred only by a single blemish throughout the day as the boys in purple lost just one game from seven outings across four age-group sides.
The margin of defeat?
Two points.
The under-13s fell 6.6 (42) to 6.4 (40) to Bendigo Junior Football League in a true game of two halves, with all 12 of the match’s majors coming in the second stanza.
Revenge for the under-13s arrived shortly after, though, as GMJL returned a 14-goal victory over rival Murray Football League.
Mooroopna’s Kobe Freer was on song, booting six goals for the game.
The under-14s had a perfect run, fending off BJFL by 11 points in game one before doubling the winning margin in a 6.8 (44) to 3.4 (22) victory over MFL.
Charlie Sutton and Will Hatfield (Echuca) hit the ground running for GMJL, while Cobram talent Eamon Hyde stood out for the losing outfit.
Goulburn Murray’s under-15s picked up where their younger representatives left off, racking up two and 26-point victories against the BJFL and MFL respectively.
Mooroopna’s Judd Tamburro claimed best-on rights in the opener, while Tatura’s Patrick McCarthy dazzled in the second clash.
Regarding the eldest age group, the GMJL and MFL under-16s played out a high-pressure epic, with the former emerging a 12.10 (82) to 8.6 (54) winner.
Victorious coach Terence Tuohey was chuffed at the overall outcome of the game.
“I thought we were fantastic early with our pressure and just worked really well together. The back six were really strong and we got off to a good start,” he said.
“Credit to Murray, they played the day before, so we thought we’d get over the top of them, but they just kept coming back at us. They were really fantastic.”
Liam Broom was immense for GMJL in a ruck/forward role, while Noah Williams, Spencer Sharp (three goals) and skipper Jett Kervin caught Tuohey’s eye.
Tuohey then singled out Murray’s Oliver Watson (Mulwala), labelling his game as “fantastic”.
Monday also capped a month-long preparation process by GMJL.
It began with a 55-strong group that was whittled down to 23 for the match, with Thursday night’s pre-event a highlight in itself.
Goulburn Valley League senior interleague football coach Mark Lambourn dropped by the jumper presentation to give the youngsters a glimpse of what their footy careers may reap.
After the win in Bendigo, they now have a taste for it.
“A lot of those guys in that GV senior side had come through and played junior interleague footy for Goulburn Murray, so it was good to be able to see that progression for those boys,” Tuohey said.
Lastly, Tuohey took the opportunity to thank the involved leagues for putting on an excellent showcase for junior football.
“It was a fantastic day of junior footy; Goulburn Murray and the other leagues did a fantastic job to put it all together,” he said.
