Mulwala secured a victory over Finley in round six of the Murray Football League, capitalising on their experience and physical presence.
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In unseasonably warm conditions, both teams had to rely heavily on their interchange rotations throughout the match.
Mulwala set the tone early with fierce attacks on the ball, while Finley defended bravely but struggled to convert opportunities into scoreboard pressure.
The Lions led by 28 points at quarter-time, and although the Cats lifted their intensity in the second term, Mulwala maintained their advantage to take a 43-point lead into half-time.
The third quarter saw Finley lose some key players to injury, further widening the gap on the scoreboard.
The Lions extended their lead, leaving Finley with a challenging task heading into the final term.
Liam Rafferty, Lachie Hawkins and coach Taylor competed hard all day. Jacob Armer defended well, Nick Burns stuck to his task in the midfield and Spencer Hawkins was tough in the ruck.
Despite Finley's brave effort, Mulwala finished the match strongly, kicking five goals to two in the last quarter to increase the winning margin.
Final scores: Finley 6.7 (43) lost to Mulwala 19.13 (127)
Goals: Nik Burns, Harrison King, Jordan Taylor, Archie Mason, Matt Jackson, Isaac Lunn.
Best players: Liam Rafferty, Lachy Hawkins, Jordan Taylor, Jacob Armer, Nik Burns, Spencer Hawkins
Awards: Liam Rafferty, Lachy Hawkins, Jacob Armer, Nik Burns, Spencer Hawkins
Reserves:
The Finley reserves faced a tough challenge against reigning premiers Mulwala and, despite a determined effort, went down in a hard-fought contest.
The side once again found it difficult to convert on the scoreboard, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game.
Reece Simmons stood out as the team’s best player, gathering plenty of the ball and providing consistent drive all day.
On-ballers Lachy Kerr, Noah Iddles and Levi Webster also had strong performances through the midfield, working tirelessly in the contest.
Nathan Brown impressed with his fearless attack on the ball, flying into countless aerial contests and setting the tone physically.
It was also a welcome return for club favourite Cheech Cochrane, who slotted back in seamlessly with a great performance.
Marcus Anderson showed his versatility with a strong effort in the ruck, taking on a big role and giving the midfield first use throughout the day.
While the scoreboard didn’t reflect the effort, the team continues to show signs of growth and resilience.
Final scores: Finley 4.9 (33) lost to Mulwala 15.11 (101)
Goals: Lachy Kerr 2, James Kennedy, Levi Webster.
Best players: Reece Simmons, Noah Iddles, Lachy Kerr, Peter Cochrane, Nathan Brown, Levi Webster.
Awards: Reece Simmons, Noah Iddles, Lachy Kerr, Peter Cochrane, Nathan Brown.
Thirds:
The thirds came up against last year’s grand finalist, keen to show some improvement from the previous weekend’s game.
A great start was led by Harry Daniel, Jeremy Doolan, Blake Vidler and Tom Marshall as they worked hard to overcome slow starts from previous weeks.
Unfortunately this woke the Mulwala side up after quarter time and they really got to work.
Ash Hines showed a lot of promise and hard work throughout all four quarters which was pleasing to see.
The boys never gave in all game and tried extremely hard but weren’t at the standard of a quality Mulwala side.
Nick Chesworth in his first game back from a knee injury quite seriously broke his arm and the club thanks trainers Rodger Sutton and Mitch Pyle for assisting Nick; the club wishes Nick all the best in his recovery.
Final scores: Finley 0.0 (0) lost to Mulwala 21.10 (136)
Best players: Jeremy Doolan, Blake Vidler, Tom White, Harry Daniel, Ash Hines, Tom Marshall.
Awards: Jeremy Doolan, Blake Vidler, Tom White, Harry Daniel, Ash Hines.
Fourths:
The boys travelled to the border to play a strong Mulwala team on their home deck, with Harry Warenycia and Josiah Everingham rejoining the team after a couple of weeks out.
Finley started strong, with Lachie Marshall getting himself to contests first, and Sam Hay laying tackles and putting on pressure all day to give the team solid stoppage and clearance work around the ground, while Angus Urquhart provided stability in his rebound defender role, rewarding the tackling and pressure of the mids.
However, despite lots of opportunities, Mulwala managed to have it their way in the second and a part of the third to hit a 20 point lead that they held and defended well against strong forward pushes by Dom Kelly who dominated the congestion, and the combined defence work of Joel Fitzel and Angus Urquhart.
Judd Clarke, Mitch Bain and Josiah Everingham went forward and gave controlled forward entries, each giving great effort as the side matched Mulwala’s intensity in the last quarter.
Final scores: Finley 1.3 (9) lost to Mulwala 6.5 (45).
Goals: Josiah Everingham.
Best players: Angus Urquhart, Dom Kelly, Lachy Marshall, Samuel Hay, Campbell Reynolds.
Awards: Angus Urquhart, Dom Kelly, Lachy Marshall, Samuel Hay, Campbell Reynolds.
Junior League:
Under-12s:
In round 2 for the junior league, Finley took on the Hoppers.
From the first bounce looked to have control of the game.
The team put their training into practice with strong presence around the ball with lots of voice.
All players worked hard for four quarters, and Finley came away with a great win.
There were 10 players who hit the scoreboard with goals, with three kicking five goals each.
Final scores: Finley 28.8 (176) def Hoppers 0.1 (1).
Awards: Zander Fleming, Harvey Massina.
Under-10s:
The young Cats travelled to Nathalia and put on a fantastic display of teamwork and determination.
Every player contributed and demonstrated exactly what it means to be part of a united team, working together toward a common goal.
A big congratulations to Camilla Massina and newest teammate Bailey Kennedy, who received the canteen awards for their outstanding efforts on and off the field.
The under-10s are not officially scored.
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