Sport

Blues show finals intent, take down Mowers

By Matthew Kappos

Jul 26, 2026

James Whitehead is brought to ground by Jack Hammond. Photos: Jordan Townrow

In a match that could prove a defining moment in both teams’ quest for finals Tongala picked up the points over Moama in Murray Football League.

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Tongala (8-6) entered the game at Tongala Recreation Reserve with one more win on its record than the Mowers (7-6), but with Moama holding a game in hand in its back pocket.

Jack Monigatti earns the hit-out over Tobias Thoolen.

A Mowers win would have put them in the box seat in a tight four-way contest for three finals spots, but a Blues triumph, as would eventuate, earned Tonny some valuable breathing room ahead of the final month of the season.

Tongala did it quite comfortably in the end, playing Moama off the park in the first half and coasting home to a 10.8 (68) to 5.7 (37) win.

The first quarter was a little nervous from both sides, with only two of seven scoring shots finding the mark.

Both majors went Tongala’s way and the Blues held a 15-2 advantage at the first change.

Tonny would really turn it on in the second and, while Moama got its first goal on the board, the host would add four to its tally, putting the Blues in complete control 6.6 (42) to 1.3 (9) at the main break.

Moama tried to fight back in the third quarter, winning it three goals to two, but Tongala was having none of it, finishing off the win in a low-scoring two-goal-to-one final term.

Tongala is in fifth place, trailing premier Cobram, which repeated its grand final heroics over Congupna at the weekend, by a big percentage gap, with the Tigers also boasting a game in hand.

Below, the Blues have a four-point advantage over Numurkah and now lead Moama by two wins, although with the Mowers having played one less game.

With a weak percentage Moama has a lot of work to do, needing to cash in on its game in hand to catch Numurkah, and gain more ground elsewhere over the final four weeks to return to the six.

Moama has the enigmatic Finley at home this weekend, the Cats’ unpredictable results this year making the game a hard one to call.

Tongala travels to Deniliquin in a favourable fixture, but one where the Blues can’t afford to slip up.