GMJL | Junior football underway

There was strong defence across the back line, but United managed a quick goal in reply.

Lachy’s defence and clearing kicks saw the ball consistently return to our forwards and provide many scoring opportunities. Ryder and Finn worked hard through the middle with some great tackles.

Hugh was solid throughout the whole match and sent a great kick flying under pressure from two United players. Hunter C. took an impressive mark to finish the quarter.

In the second we saw some great play through the midfield from Edward M. to Harry H. and Jack got off some great handballs. Hugh demonstrated some excellent skills, kicking a goal after marking it from a defensive kick-in.

Ryder also came out firing in the second quarter to score a few quick goals, supported up front by Blake and Eddie E.

In the second half, Luca kicked not one but two goals from the centre. Some great defence across the centre by Jolie and the two Hunters kept the ball in our front half.

Overall, it was an amazing first game with excellent skills and sportsmanship displayed. A special mention to assistant goal umpire Jasper (injured). Thanks to the umpires and parent helpers.

— By Rachel Ellis-Colless

Under-10 Green vs Moama White

Our first game kicked off at Moama against a very talented Moama White. The Green Machine looked more like red rockets and there were smiles all-round as we welcomed back Friday night footy.

We saw some strong tackles, especially by Sam, and there were plenty of good passages of play.

Despite Moama having a very strong three quarters, the Green Machine outfit did not give up and turned it up a notch in the fourth quarter, kicking goals and implementing coach Lloyd’s advice.

Billy Turk had an impressive game and new recruit Sophie proved she’ll be one to watch this season.

With plenty of promise, we are looking forward to getting back out there this weekend. Go Green Machine.

— By Rebecca Lloyd

Under-12 Green vs Moama White

It was a terrific first quarter to kick off the season. There was outstanding defence by Sam, which was well supported by Lachie J. and Reeve to stop much of the strong play of Moama. Unfortunately, Angus was injured and had to sit out the rest of the game.

The second quarter saw some more quality defence by Lachie J. who was a standout, supported by Mannix and Jack S. Sam showed great skills again in the second, as did midfielders Reeve, Billy, Paddy, Nick and Jobe.

It was an even third quarter with both teams showing extremely great defence and Deegan scoring our first goal.

Nick, Logan, Ned and Jordi all showed great teamwork and skills in the midfield to keep the ball out of Moama’s 50. It was also Echuca’s best attacking quarter, well played by Mannix, Reeve, Ryder and Jack S.

We really came together in the final quarter with strong teamwork and players finding their groove, with Lachie J. showing outstanding skills in the midfield and guiding his team from defensive play to attacking.

Excellent attacking by Jack M, Logan, Nicholas, Lachie C, Tor and Jobe resulted in a great goal by Jack S. Defence was also strong with Scout, Ned and Jimmy making it very difficult for Moama to score.

Well done to Moama White on a great game and excellent sportsmanship by all.

— By Rachael Tonkin

Under-12 Bombers vs Leitchville

It was a magnificent first game from the Bombers, playing against a strong and tall Leitchville team. Everyone was very excited for the season to start and some early nerves let the opposition make a fast start.

Some early highlights were a courageous smother and intercept from Lily, a huge double tackle effort from Jed which forced a turnover and a great leading mark from Swiggsy, who then hit a target beautifully.

Charlie Flanigan was working incredibly hard against a much bigger opponent in the ruck. Some excellent tackling from Ducky, Levi and Lily kept the pressure building.

Imogen contested two really tough chances and brought the ball to ground and there was a really good shepherd from Taj. Nate was very busy all game too.

Arli and Jagger played fabulous games with constant tackling pressure and creative runs into the forward line and always looked dangerous in attack.

Everybody played well and should be excited looking ahead to the rest of the season. Great work coaches, umpires and runners, and thanks to everyone for helping out.

— By Iain McCleary

Under-13 Bombers vs Mooroopna

Echuca Bombers travelled south to take on Mooroopna at the pristine Echuca United grounds.

Co-coaches Hatty and Sutts encouraged the boys to look after each other out there against the ‘bigger’ opposition. They stressed that ‘second and third efforts would win the game’ along with ‘finishing off the one percenters’.

With great tackling from Will Jeffreys and the strong marking of Flynn Carr and Keoni Anderson, the ball quickly moved into our forward line.

Charlie Sutton swooped on to the ball to pinpoint a kick to Jeffreys, who didn’t let him down, putting the ball straight through the big sticks. It was our only score for the quarter. It looked like it was going to be a tough game.

In the second quarter, Echuca started strong with Oliver Spring and Hunter Reid quickly booting three goals between them. Our big boys, Jaxon Hogan, Ben Henson and Eden Thompson, were strong in the ruck, quickly tapping the ball out and getting to the front position.

Nate Smith positioned himself well on the wing and shut his player out of the game. The grunt, shepherding and strong tackling from Jett Miller, Will Hatfield and Kai ‘the enforcer’ Anderson showed Mooroopna that we were a team not to be underestimated.

Another strong quarter from the Bombers saw Jack Masters snap a quick goal minutes into the third. Archie Johnson was strong on the wing, guiding the ball nicely into our forward line.

Second efforts from Hatty, Carr and Arley Canham showed Mooroopna we were a fast-paced team that had plenty left in the tank.

Lenny Klyne was solid in the back line, with help from Blade Watson, who put his body on the line. The team was working tirelessly together and was rewarded with a left-foot snap by Paddy Oliver to extend the lead.

Going into the last, Mooroopna was not ready to roll over just yet. It pushed the ball forward continually with the Echuca back line of Klyne, the two Suttons, Johnson and Anderson all holding firm and keeping Mooroopna goals at bay.

It was not our best quarter, but we’d done the hard work to get us over the line, taking the win. Awards went to Charlie Sutton, Flynn Carr and Will Hatfield

— By Kristine Burke

Under-15 vs Shepparton Notre Dame Maroon

A magnificent day greeted Echuca’s under-15s for their round one clash against Shepparton Notre Dame Maroon at Vic Park on Sunday.

The first half saw the visiting side test Echuca with fluent movement of the football into its forward half.

Riley Carr was setting the standard for his teammates with his hard work in the contest across half-back, repelling several forward entries by Maroon.

Luke Oellermann and Oska MacFarlane were covering plenty of ground despite the opposition having the ascendency.

At half-time and trailing by 58 points, Echuca’s players were challenged to lift their commitment to the contest.

Early in the third quarter after a quality clearance, Oellerman was able to snap truly to give Echuca its opening goal of the season.

MacFarlane was able to finish cleanly to give Echuca its second and it was evident the effort across the board had increased as the Murray Bombers showed glimpses of their best.

Continued effort in the last quarter allowed Echuca to hit the scoreboard again, with Kervin bending through a banana from the pocket and Charlie O'Toole kicking truly from a set shot.

Fitzsimmons, Milne and O'Toole tried hard all day against quality opposition.

Notre Dame continued to use its clean skills and keep our backline busy, running out winners in the end by 91 points.

Final scores: Shepparton Notre Dame (Maroon) 16.21 (117) d Echuca 4.2 (26)

Best: Riley Carr, Luke Oellermann, Kritian Fitzsimmons, Oska MacFarlane, Charlie O'Toole

— By Tania Field

Moama

Under-12 White

The Moama White under-12 team got its season under way on a beautiful Sunday at Moama Recreation Reserve.

The boys were all excited, with some playing their first game on the big oval. The team was led by captain Ollie Robinson for the first time.

The boys in the middle did extremely well to get the ball moving forward and Mace snapped a goal with his first kick.

The back line held up well under pressure in the first quarter and worked well in getting the ball out. A great passage of play saw the ball go from Benji to Max and then down to Landyn in the forward line for a goal to finish off the quarter.

In the second quarter the boys moved the ball well with some big long kicks and some fierce tackling from Darcy and Max.

Beau and Lachie were playing great games in the half-back line, getting in the right positions and getting the ball out to our midfielders, with Landyn kicking a great goal from the pocket.

At half-time the boys rested up and indulged in some oranges. They came out in the third quarter and Benji took a great mark in the forward line and kicked the ball long, with Bobby roving the pack by getting front and centre and kicking a great goal.

The boys were really trying hard throughout the whole quarter and really kept the pressure on the other team, with Benji running past a few defenders to kick a goal.

The last quarter saw the boys give it their all. Jesse moved into the midfield and got into great positions to get the ball forward. Bodhi played great footy for the whole game, tackling hard and kicking the ball long with his left foot, and the boys finished the game off well.

Goals: Landyn 2, Benji, Mace, Bobby. Awards: Landyn, Ollie, Benji, Max

— By Marcus Maher

Under-12 Black vs Deniliquin

Some very excited boys gathered in the rooms to take on Deniliquin on a marvellous autumn Sunday morning at Moama.

Led by captain of the week Archie Jennings, the first quarter saw the boys gel really well for their first game together.

The back line was under the pump early, however Ben McRae held strong to keep the match very even at quarter-time. Some great efforts by Ewan Caffery reduced Deni’s scoring opportunities.

Deni was straight out of the stalls in the second quarter with a quick goal out of the centre, however Tommy Dohnt then equalised to keep us in the hunt.

Some solid tackling from Xavier Phillips resulted in a turnover and some forward pressure by Moama. Willie Edwards-Atkinson kept running all quarter on the wing, creating opportunities for others by staying on the move.

The boys still had some energy at half-time and after a few red frogs were back at it.

The third term started and in the opening seconds a quick snap by Tighe Teasdale — playing up from the under-10s — injected some more energy into his teammates. This also might have sparked our opponents into gear as they had the wind and piled on some pressure with multiple inside-50s for a few goals.

Being the first game, the team was changed around a lot, but the boys adapted to the new roles and Chayce Green showed great composure down back to once again stop a forward rush by Deni.

In the last term the boys had lost a few beans but continued to fight hard. Deni continued to dominate, keeping the ball in its end. However, some great back line play by Ted Limbrick got the ball to Max Laurie and then to James Cain for a great last-quarter goal.

— By Jamie Horkings

Under-13 vs Shepparton-Notre Dame

The inaugural Moama under-13 side travelled to Shepparton Notre Dame Oval at Emmanuel College for its first hit-out. Finding the ground and enough numbers due to injury and COVID-19 protocols were the first challenges our team overcame.

Once settled, Moama found its grove and competed strongly in the first quarter with Bohdi Dohnt, Fred Peat and Ollie Glover in everything, ensuring scores were level at quarter-time.

The second quarter was similar, with Shepp’s running game starting to cause some lapses in defence. However, again Kobe Atkinson, Geordie Teasdale and Jack Kohn steadied the ship in the back line and with some great running play ensured we were only a goal down at half-time.

In the third quarter, Moama dominated play, but struggled to penetrate the forward 50m arc. Blake Johns, Xav Bryant and Abbey Close continued to work tirelessly at half-forward, however Shepp’s backs worked well to clear the ball and score a couple of late goals.

The last quarter was an even affair with our onballers working tirelessly to move the ball forward. Toby and Hamish Teasdale got on the end of some Bohdi Dohnt handy work and moved the ball forward, to a sensational snap from Blake Johns for his second.

Shepp hit back and that was it, a gallant effort given our numbers. Plenty of upside for the year ahead and great to be back playing competitive footy!

— By Matt Barden

Echuca United

Under-17 vs Mulwala

Near-perfect conditions greeted us at Mulwala and it was the home side that got going early.

We struggled for large parts to get the game on our terms and had it not been for our back six standing tall, we would have found ourselves in a bit of a hole.

Ryan and Ridley lead the way again and with Godders doing a lot of work, we managed to wrestle control of the game back during the second quarter.

The third and fourth quarters were a real arm wrestle, with Jake and Lenny playing their roles to perfection through the midfield, which meant that Barney, who ended up with four goals, and our small forwards Jacko, Jai, Dallas and Chappy, could again make the most of our forward thrusts.

In the end we had a comfortable 53-point win, but it felt closer than that all day.

Awards: Rich River Golf Club — Riley Godfrey; Intersport Echuca — Ryan Stobaus; West Side Milk Bar — Lenny Cook; Roma Pizza — Ridley Gass; Atrium Hair Lounge — Bryce Barnstable; Hip Pocket Towel — Jake Clancy.

— By Garet Stobaus