Benalla junior footy teams delivered a weekend full of grit, growth and commanding performances as they took to ovals across the region in round seven, from crisp early starts in Whitfield to home turf dominance at Friendlies Oval.
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In the Under 12s, both Benalla Black and Benalla Red recorded emphatic wins, with standout individual efforts backed by strong team play. The Under 14 squads continued to impress, with Benalla Red piling on a massive score in a clinical win, and Benalla Black overcoming tough conditions and a top-three opponent.
Despite having many unavailable players, the Under 17s fought valiantly against a strong Kangaroos outfit, showing character and resilience through all four quarters.
Here’s how the weekend unfolded for the Benalla juniors:
U12 Benalla Black
On a picture-perfect winter's day, the Benalla Black Under 12s turned up the heat after a slow start, powering past the Tigers with a commanding 50 - 6 victory.
The first half saw both sides locked in a scrappy battle, but after the break, Benalla found their groove and never looked back. Leading the charge was Jackson ‘Quazza’ Quarrell, who was simply everywhere—booting goals, saving them and driving play like a seasoned pro.
Caleb Thwaites was rock-solid, consistently working hard all the while Lachy Osborne was reaping the benefits from dedication to his practice by stringing together some impressive footy.
Max Yuen-Francis played with impact covering a lot of territory and he took some sensational marks. ‘Chief Energy Officer’ Owen Schirmer kicked the final goal after the siren to seal the deal. A special shoutout to Hudson Butler, who played his best game yet.
Score:
Benalla Black U12 6.14 (50) def
Tigers JFC U12s 1.0 (6)
Goal Kickers: Jackson Quarrell 3, Owen Schirmer, Jimmy Jackson, Caleb Thwaites.
Best players: Jackson Quarrell, Caleb Twaites, Lachy Osborne, Bill Bourke, Owen Schirmer, Max Yuen-Francis
U12 Benalla Red
Looking at ladder positions and finals implications the match between Benalla Red and College shaped to be one of the matches of the round, however a powerful opening quarter set the tone for what was a clinical Reds performance.
Angus Roscoe continues to add strings to his bow taking multiple strong marks and improving his field kicking playing in multiple roles. Benalla Red’s midfield was dominant throughout the day with Jack Davies powerful play a highlight making his teammates walk taller.
Skipper and vice-captain Beriman and Sheehan dominated the game leading from the front with first year dynamo Max Reynolds again proving to be a factor, hitting the scoreboard and applying multiple pressure acts throughout the day.
Jack McKenzie also instrumental with his physical play. ‘The Wizard’ Hudson Pickering was electric around the ground and in front of goal whilst a dominant back six lead by Tory Woodhams was outstanding, keeping College goalless.
Score:
Benalla Red U12 8.4 (52) def
College JFC U12s 0.7 (7)
Goal Kickers: Hudson Pickering, Max Reynolds, Jack Davies 2, Xavier Beriman, Ted Sheehan.
Best Players: Ted Sheehan, Max Reynolds, Xavier Beriman, Jack Davies, Tory Woodhams, Jack McKenzie.
U14 Benalla Black
A heavy frost greeted Black at the Whitfield Recreation Reserve for their clash against top three side Kangaroos. The game was played in almost wet weather conditions, as a dew persisted for much of the game.
Benalla got off to a good start with Josh Montgomery registering the first major of the day. Noah Norman was running hard off half back handling the slippery ball with ease, turning defence into attack for Black.
The ball spent much of the quarter in Black’s forward half but were unable to fully capitalise on the score board. The defensive six were rock solid only allowing Kangaroos a solitary point in the first term.
Ben Wells was in and under, his clever ball use setting up the likes of Alex Lambert who was busy on his wing.
The game was developing into an arm wrestle. Black was prepared to put their head over the contested ball and run in straight lines, Charlie Bell and Nicholas White were tireless across the backline thwarting many of the Kangaroos forays forward.
Hugh Ross was prominent keeping the Kangaroos defence on its toes and small forward Zak Norman played his best game for the season. Black was handling the slippery conditions better than the Roos, with surer hands.
With dogged determination every Black player showed the resilience needed against top teams running out 22-point winners.
Thank you to all the parents and carers, along with all the players who made the commitment to be at Whitfield for the 8:10am game start.
Score:
Benalla Black U14 6.4 (40) def
Kangaroos JFC U14 2.6 (18)
Goal Kickers: Ollie Parker, Noah Norman 2, Josh Montgomery, Ollie Wardill, Tyson Brown.
Best Players: Noah Norma, Ben wells, Nick White, Josh Montgomery, Charlie Bell, Zak Norman.
U14 Benalla Red
Benalla Red’s Under 14s continued their dominant form this weekend, securing a 147-39 victory over Mansfield Blue. With the theme “Our Brand: Run, Spread, and Carry”, the team executed their game plan to perfection, displaying quick ball movement, expansive play, and relentless pressure.
Leading the charge was Thomas Mount, showcasing exceptional marking ability and precise goal-scoring, kicking six goals. Jack Hart and Xavier De Fazio controlled the midfield, consistently driving the ball forward and setting up scoring opportunities with clean disposals.
Jude Binion was a consistent target forward booting five majors. Jack Pollard showed great composure under pressure, delivering key possessions and defensive efforts. Noah Cooney, or Buddy Franklin as he is now known, was instrumental, demonstrating strength in contests and contributing significantly to Benalla’s structure.
Mansfield Blue fought hard, displaying patches of resilience, but struggled to counter Benalla’s spread and carry style of play. Key highlights of the day were a "speccy" by Tyson Williams, goals to key defender Noah Cooney and relentless running and pressure from the entire team.
Score:
Benalla Red U14 24.3 (147) def
Mansfield JFC U14 6.3 (39)
Goal Kickers: Tom Mount 6, Jude Binion 5, Jack Hart 4, Xavier De Fazio, Jack Pollard, Harry Bast 2, Cash Nolen, Ollie Smith, Noah Cooney.
Best Players: Tom Mount, Jack Hart, Jude Binion, Jack Pollard, Xavier De Fazio, Noah Cooney.
U17 Benalla
Benalla's Under 17s took on second placed Wangaratta Kangaroos at the Whitfield Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
With a long list of unavailable players, Benalla went into the game with just two players on the bench but determined to play four-quarters of contested football.
In a hotly contested first term, Benalla's backline worked overtime to keep the Kangas to just one goal. Co-captains Lucas Ham and Bryce Cooney led the way in defence, while Jackson Fry and Angus Richardson continued their good form.
Midfielders Hunter Carter, Nate Nicholas, Kobi Thwaites and Oscar Beaton worked hard against a talented Kangaroo's group, Carter winning his share of ruck hit-outs in a strong display, and wingers Riley McCarthy and Harry Skelton were busy.
Back in the team, Jack Walker played his best game for the season, leading strongly and competing in the air at centre half forward kicking two goals. Luke "Flash" Boulton competed strongly forward and rotated through the ruck.
While the scoreboard registered a 72-point victory to the Kangaroos, Benalla's collective effort across the four quarters was extremely pleasing against one of the competitions best teams.
Score:
Benalla U17 3.1 (19) def by
Kangaroos JFC U17 13.13 (91)
Goal Kickers: Jack Walker 2, Jackson Fry.
Best Players: Bryce Cooney, Lucas Ham, Kobi Thwaites, Jack Walker, Nate Nicholas, Luke Boulton.
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