Moama downs Deni in gritty performance

“It was a physical game, tough game, it always is against Deni,” Moama co-coach Jye Warren said.

“We were fortunate enough that we had pretty good conditions on the weekend, so it really was that finals fever … but we got the job done, which is nice, so pretty impressed with how the boys played.”

The Rams got on top of the early exchanges to bring a seven-point lead into the first break and continued to keep Moama at arm’s length at the start of the second.

The Magpies took control midway through the quarter and a scoring flurry late gave them a valuable advantage at the half.

Deni got back within one in the opening minutes of the third but the Magpies kicked away again before solidifying the win late in the game, taking the match 10.8 (68) to 8.6 (54).

Warren credited his side’s hard work in training for turning around its fortunes after a tough time out in Moama’s previous meeting with the Rams

“We needed to improve, but obviously, that game in Deni, it didn’t help that with the breeze they kicked seven goals to our nothing, and we just couldn’t capitalise in front of goal,” Warren said.

“During the week, we worked on a bit of goal-kicking, but we also worked really hard on that physicality front.

“We went into it working in really close with each other in the contest and blokes were really cracking in on Thursday night in the contest and just making sure that no-one shirked an issue.

“Everyone put their head over the footy and went to hardball, and I think that’s what got it in the end.”

Moama was bolstered by the addition of Bendigo Pioneers Jobe Shanahan and Lachlan Hogan, who are set to continue with the Magpies as far as they go in the competition.

The pair faced the challenge of re-acclimating themselves to their Moama teammates, having made limited appearances throughout the year, but Warren felt they provided good value against Deni

“They played really well, they played a really good role for us,” he said.

“Deni did a fair bit of work on Jobe in the air and double-teamed him a few times so him and Lachie playing that game on the weekend and us obviously getting through is going to make them heaps better against Finley.”

Another valuable piece was Josh Kennedy, who Warren identified as an unsung hero of the squad, spruiking his side’s good fortune at the key defender linking up with the squad unscouted after a move to Echuca.

“We told him (he had) 24 hours if he wanted to play and he said ‘yeah, I’ll play’ and he has been tremendous,” Warren said.

“He’s an elite user of the footy and probably the really exciting thing about Josh is that he’s a real ripping young man.

“He’s been huge and the last month he’s been playing against the best forwards in the comp and doing an extremely good job, so he’s probably one that needs to get mentioned and doesn’t get mentioned enough.

“These guys we’ve got that aren’t the flashy midfielders, but they do a job every week are the ones that I really want to pump up because if we don’t have them, we’re not going to be that successful a team at the end of the day.”

Moama will now take on Finley in a blockbuster preliminary final clash on Saturday at Barooga Recreation Reserve, with Congupna awaiting the winner.