Comprehensive wins and plenty of effort in big weekend for Benalla juniors

U12 Black

Under-12 Benalla Black travelled to Wangaratta to take on the Kangaroos at Wareena Park at the weekend.

Dustin Nolan slotted the first goal in the opening minutes of the game, finishing with three for the game. Benalla dominated the scoreboard all day, keeping the Kangaroos to two points for three quarters of the game.

Ted Clancy bagged four goals playing deep forward, one of which could have been goal of the year from the boundary. Jack McKenzie and Harley Kupke put in the work as the driving force for Benalla.

Max Reynolds added another three goals to his tally for the season. Harry Lang had his best game of the year putting himself in all the right spots. Albert Briggs showed off his goal sense and roving ability snapping up two goals. Spencer Inglis spent the last quarter in the ruck providing his midfielders with great tap work.

Score: U12 Black 16.11 (107) def Kangaroos 1.4 (10)

Goals: Ted Clancy 4, Dustin Nolan, Maximus Reynolds 3, Albert Briggs 2, Riley Bickham, Jack McKenzie

Best: Jack McKenzie, Harley Kupke, Spencer Inglis, Parker Borg, Albert Briggs, Harry Lang

U12 Red

Round 13 saw the under-12 Reds take on Imperials at the Showgrounds. A dominant first quarter set the tone for the match, with the Reds kicking seven goals to establish an early lead. It was a fantastic team performance, with plenty of opportunities for all players and great teamwork across the ground.

Score: U12 Red 16.7 (103) def Imperials 1.2 (8)

Goals: Archer Pickering 5, Hunter Symes, Bella Quarrell, Mitch McGee 2, Toby Smith, Jack Crook, Ollie Ross, Travis Langlands, Jaxson Heatherill

Best: Jack Crook, Isaac Frampton, Cyrus French, Joel Emanuel, Travis Langlands and Ryder Hindle.

U14 Black

Warm conditions greeted Benalla as they faced a strong Kangaroos outfit. With the coaches asking for a fierce contest, Benalla started the game strong playing a determined brand of pressure football, easily playing their best quarter of the season date.

The second quarter was much the same until a yellow card changed the momentum of the match, leaving Benalla one player short for 15 minutes. The second half was a struggle as Benalla ran out of legs and rotations through the midfield leading to a 144-point deficit as the match came to an end.

The scoreboard did not truly reflect the efforts of the players in what was an even team effort. Bella Hazell’s clean hands and hard running was a feature, kicking Benalla’s only major. Talls Angus Roscoe and Jake Soyer again battled hard with Caleb Thwaites and Jimmy Jackson playing their usual roles.

Tyson Brown and Jordan Streader provided good targets with Teddy Sheehan reading the ball well in defence. Benalla will be looking for continued improvement when they clash with Mansfield next weekend.

Score: U14 Black 1.0 (6) def by Kangaroos 23.12 (150)

Goal: Bella Hazell

Best: Caleb Thwaites, Teddy Sheehan, Jake Soyer, Jimmy Jackson, Angus Roscoe, Bella Hazell

U14 Red

After another strong week of training and a perfect day for football, there was a real sense of confidence in the air.

The game got off to exactly the start we wanted. We dominated the midfield and produced our best quarter of forward pressure for the season, locking the ball inside our forward 50 and allowing our backs and mids to set up behind the ball.

It was only a matter of time before we hit the scoreboard and once we did, our confidence continued to build. We added another four goals in the opening quarter, making it our best first quarter of the year. It all came off the back of outstanding effort and relentless pressure.

For most of the rest of the game, we maintained that same level of pressure and effort, with a real focus on sticking our tackles. From a coach's perspective, this was one of the biggest highlights of the day.

There were some exceptional individual performances today. Our captains, Sam Mount and Jack Hart, led from the front all day, supported by Jakobi Williams and Tom Snell through the midfield and Jackson Quarrell in the forward line. Ollie Smith, down back and Xavier Decker both played their best games of the season.

The best part of the day was watching Becky Heatherill's exceptional first quarter, she set the tone and capped it off with her first goal. A fantastic reward for her effort.

Score: U14 Red 14.14 (98) def Imperials 0.3 (3)

Goals: Jackson Quarrell 5, Tom Snell, Jack Hart 2, Lincoln Richardson, Josh Bamford, Louis Horne, Hudson Pickering, Becky Heatherill

Best: Jack Hart, Sam Mount, Jackson Quarrell, Jakobi Williams, Ollie Smith, Tom Snell

U17

The Benalla under-17s produced a brave, high-intensity performance at home yesterday, pushing the undefeated league leaders College all the way before ultimately going down by 11 points. Facing the toughest test in the competition, the boys refused to back down, proving that their best brand of football can match it with anyone in the league.

Ryan White was an absolute workhorse across the entire four quarters, showcasing incredible versatility by driving the engine room on-ball and stepping up into a dynamic new half-back role to cut off College's forward line.

Down back, Mason Willett was as solid as ever, holding the fort with his trademark composure, relentless work-rate, and desperate defensive pressure under heavy fire. Up forward, Jude Binion provided the ultimate focal point, reading the play beautifully and slotting three crucial goals to keep Benalla right in the fight until the final siren.

While it wasn't the result the team was hunting, taking the top side to the absolute wire is a massive statement. The discipline, structural buy-in, and sheer grit on display show that Benalla is primed for a serious finals campaign.

Score: Benalla 17s 8.8 (56) def by College 10.7 (67)

Goals: Jude Binion 3, Trevor Maru 2, Xavier De Fazio, Tom Mount, Riley Hilton

Best: Ryan White, Mason Willett, Nick White, Trevor Maru, Noah Langlands, Jobe Stovell