Magpies excited by tough run home

By Alexander Dabb

Jul 13, 2023

Tough task: Moama has five games remaining in the home and away season, four of which will come against the current top four sides. Photo: Rechelle Zammit. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

By beating Nathalia last week, Moama kept pace with the remainder of the top six in the Murray Netball League A-grade competition.

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The Magpies made it four wins in a row with the victory, a solid run after an inconsistent start to the season.

“I’m super pleased considering it has been quite a tumultuous year for our side,” Moama coach Jodie Lake said.

“We’ve obviously had my injury, we’ve had two other season-ending injuries from a couple of our shooters, which has left us some spots to fill, but the way the girls step up and manage, I guess, has been really pleasing.

“I think for us to be in, we might have dropped to fifth now, but just to be in the top five considering everything we’ve been through this year is just amazing.”

An extremely tight ladder has Rumbalara in third spot (9-3) separated from Moama in fifth (9-4) by just 1.14 percentage points.

Echuca United is just one game further back in sixth (8-4), while Congupna sits in seventh (7-4) and within touching distance of a finals position.

Moama plays five games in the final six rounds, with a bye in round 17.

But before then, the Magpies will face the toughest possible two-round stretch, taking on Tongala on Saturday, a side that has lost just one match for the year, before facing the undefeated reigning premier in Deniliquin on July 22.

It won’t get any easier after the bye on July 29, however, with Rumbalara and Mulwala to round out the home and away season for Moama.

The only side Moama face between now and finals that currently sits outside the top four is Cobram, with that contest set for round 18.

But for Lake and her troops, rather than be daunted by the challenge, they have decided to view the pivotal stretch as the perfect warm-up for the finals series.

“It actually really excites us,” Lake said.

“We’re that kind of team, I think we thrive on that challenge, so we’re really excited just to have that really good run in to finals.

“We know coming up against those sides, we have to be playing our A-game.

“I think the girls really step up against the big dogs, all those top sides, so it is really exciting that that’s who we get to play on the run into finals."

Moama’s run home begins at Tongala on Saturday, with the match getting under way at 1:30pm.

By Alexander Dabb