For the third year in a row, the Magpies were pipped on the doorstep of the grand final. Their two-point loss to Finley will live in infamy as a late umpire’s call decided the match in tricky weather conditions.
This is the closest the club has been to winning the flag since Nathalia defeated the Magpies at the big dance in 2015.
Alas, it was not meant to be, and regardless of the outcome, Moama’s senior side has plenty to be proud of as the players look ahead and begin preparations for the 2025 season.
The Magpies finished the season with a 12-5 record and a third-place finish, heading into finals as strong premiership contenders alongside Finley and Congupna.
Moama started the season hot, with wins over Echuca United and Rumbalara in the opening rounds. However, their first real test came in round three against Deniliquin Rams.
The Magpies were beaten comfortably by the Rams but bounced back swiftly against Finley, giving them momentum and confidence to take down Tongala and Barooga in rounds five and six.
More tests of fortitude came in the following two rounds, where the Magpies narrowly fell to Nathalia and gave up a significant lead to lose to flag favourites Congupna by a single point.
Back-to-back losses saw the side return to basics throughout the season’s middle period.
The Magpies strung together stronger form, which saw them win against Echuca United, Cobram, Tongala and Barooga while drawing with Numurkah.
Deniliquin Rams seemed to have Moama’s number throughout the season, winning by 40 points in round 14.
The Magpies’ win against Mulwala in round 15 set them up for a rematch against Congupna, where, despite leading by 13 at half-time, they couldn’t get it done.
However, Moama had a strong end to the season, prevailing convincingly in its final two matches, against Rumbalara and Numurkah, to enter the finals in red-hot form.
A week later, the Magpies played in the first elimination final. They outdid themselves against Numurkah, prevailing by 34 points to advance to the semis.
This match would prove more difficult, as Moama faced Deniliquin Rams for a third time in 2024.
The Magpies’ fightback in the second half of that game was something to behold, spearheaded by attacking aces Liam Barrett, Tom Holman and captain Jack Russell.
Unfortunately, this brings us to their nail-biting preliminary-final loss to Finley, which ended a promising 2024 season.
Moama seniors coach Jye Warren commented on the loss to Finley, highlighting that the weather was a prominent factor in the game’s outcome and that neither team adjusted well.
“It was a difficult day on the weather front; I believe it got up to 40km/h winds at one stage; we had four seasons in one game,” he said.
“Both sides didn’t really take their opportunities in front of goal. We hit the post three times in the first quarter, going against the breeze.
“Finley’s pressure around the ball was pretty hot, and they were on to it quickly, so credit to them, they went pretty hard, and unfortunately the game was decided by an umpire’s decision, which was disappointing.”
Warren gave credit to his standout players in the preliminary final, particularly senior captain and 2024 O’Dwyer medallist Jack Russell.
“Tommy Holman battled all day and got the chocolates; he is just crazy good; he had a minimum of two players hanging off his arms all game and somehow still managed to get free,” he said.
“Jobe Shanahan was fantastic, and kicking the goal to put us in front is something all kids dream of; I turned around when he took the mark, and I had complete faith in him to deliver for us, and sure enough, he did.
“Jack Russell was exceptional; he was a workhorse all day.
“(Jack) is such a passionate young man; he’s very professional and does everything at 100 per cent; he’s a Moama junior who has come through from Auskick to seniors captain and remained loyal.”
Warren was honest about his disappointment with the Magpies’ season’s outcome. He feels his side is better than what was shown at times in the season and finals.
“I think we underachieved a little bit, to be completely honest; we dropped a couple of games throughout the year that we definitely should have won,” he said.
“I am super proud of the group we had, but it took us a while to get going; I honestly believe that we are a much better side than how we finished.
“We clicked at the right times, which was great, but 56 players came through the seniors side this year. The weekend against Finley was the first time we had the same side in back-to-back weeks.
“We have an extremely talented group, but I feel like we could have cemented ourselves in that top-two spot if we did a few things differently throughout the year.”
There’s no rest for the wicked. The senior side has turned its attention to next season, and the club is currently in negotiations with players and coaches in preparation to capture the flag in 2025.
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