Chiltern too strong for Cats

Best: Jarryd Hatton, Jac Holmes, Lucas Tafft, Charlie Beattie, Samuel Edmondson

Chiltern proved too strong for Rutherglen in challenging wet-weather conditions on Saturday, claiming a 10.8 (68) to 4.6 (30) victory in Round 10 of the Tallangatta & District Football League.

The visitors were left to rue a series of costly fundamental errors by hand and foot, with turnovers allowing Chiltern to maintain control for much of the contest.

Despite the difficult conditions, Rutherglen showed encouraging signs after halftime and battled hard with limited rotations following injuries to Matthew Tanner and Khris Willett, leaving the side with just one active interchange player for much of the second half.

Jac Holmes was among Rutherglen’s best, providing a strong contest both in the ruck and when pushed forward.

Sam Edmondson was rock solid in defence, repeatedly repelling Chiltern attacks, while Charlie Beattie provided a strong presence at centre half-forward and competed well throughout the afternoon.

Jarryd Hatton also played an important team role, spending much of the day matched up on dangerous Chiltern player Brayden O’Hara and working hard to limit his influence.

While the final margin reflected Chiltern’s ability to capitalise on opportunities, Rutherglen’s improved effort after the main break provided some positives to take from the match, particularly given the side’s injury concerns and reduced bench.

Rutherglen will now look to regroup and respond when they host the Wodonga Saints next weekend.

Awards: Jarryd Hatton - The Convent Brewery; Jac Holmes - Rutherglen Pizza; Lucas Tafft - Gav & Venetta Pinn Award.

Reserves

Cats 7.16.58 def by Swans 10.2.62

Goals: L James Hetherington, D Ryland, C Poole, C James, A Williams, M Halton, B Ratcliffe 1

Best: Archer Colvin, Lenny Hill, Daniel Ryland, Jackson Bowering, Matthew Halton, Charles James

The Cats travelled to Chiltern on Saturday for a hard-fought clash in challenging wet conditions, ultimately falling short by four points.

The Cats started brightly, kicking 2.5 in the opening term to take an early lead before Chiltern steadied in the second quarter to edge ahead at half time.

Rutherglen responded strongly after the main break, piling on 3.10 for the third term and taking a 12-point advantage into the final quarter.

Despite controlling large portions of the contest, the Cats were left to rue missed opportunities in front of goal.

Chiltern made the most of their chances in the final term, kicking four straight goals to snatch victory and hand Rutherglen a heartbreaking four-point defeat.

There were plenty of positives to take from the performance, with the Cats showing tremendous effort and resilience throughout the afternoon.

Best players for Rutherglen were Archer Colvin, Lenny Hill, Daniel Ryland, Jackson Bowering, Matthew Halton and Charles James, who all played important roles in keeping the Cats in the contest right until the final siren.

Awards: The Convent Brewery – Archer Colvin; EDC Electrical – Lenny Hill; Rutherglen Pizza – Daniel Ryland.

Under 17s

Cats triumph over Swans in thrilling encounter

Cats 5.6.36 def Swans 4.5.29

Goals: B McInnes, F Verhulst 2; L Morley 1

Best: Flynn Verhulst, Harry Chandler, Tyler Yeoman, Logan Poole, Elijah McFarlane, Arthur Morris

The Under 17 Cats faced off against the Chiltern Swans in a highly anticipated match in Chiltern, looking to bounce back after a challenging period leading up to the Long Weekend break.

The first quarter proved to be a tight tussle, with both teams displaying determination.

However, Rutherglen began to find their rhythm, scoring two goals courtesy of Logan Morley and Flynn Verhulst, putting them in a strong position.

As the second quarter unfolded, players battled through slippery conditions, making it difficult for both sides.

A crucial goal by Brayden McInnes helped maintain Rutherglen's lead, and by halftime, they were ahead by nine points.

In the third quarter, Rutherglen extended their slight advantage to 11 points with another goal from Brayden McInnes, setting the stage for an exciting final quarter.

The Swans, however, were not to be underestimated and pushed hard, leading to a nail-biting finish.

The Rutherglen backline held strong throughout the match, with standout performances from Tyler Yeoman, Arthur Morris, Elijah McFarlane and Ryan Moore who stood firm against the Swans pressure.

As the game neared its conclusion, with the scores at 29 each, a key tackle by back Jaylen Cracknell helped thwart Chiltern’s late surge.

Logan Poole broke the deadlock with a point, then Flynn Verhulst sealed the victory with a goal in the dying minutes, securing a well-deserved win for the Cats.

Next week, Rutherglen take on the formidable Wodonga Saints at home.

Awards: Rutherglen Convent Brewery - Flynn Verhulst; Rutherglen Pizza - Harry Chandler; Rutherglen Golf Club - Tyler Yeoman.

Under 14s

Cats 10.10.70 def Swans 1.2.8

Goals: P Colman, L Field, C Odonoghue, C Johnson 2; M Smith, S Cottam 1

Best: Seve Cottam, Cody Odonoghue, Noah Cracknell, Rio Glenn, Patrick Colman, Logan Field

The Under 14s took on the Swans on Saturday morning, with the young Cats coming out on fire in the first quarter with a brilliant display of team orientated football, well led by Captains Noah Cracknell and Seve Cottam.

The second quarter saw the Swans show some resilience as the Cats’ pressure and intensity dropped off a little from the first quarter, and the half time break offered a good opportunity for the team to reset.

In the third quarter, the Cats got back to playing the kind of football that has held them in good shape for the season so far, with hard work, unselfish play and seamless movement of the ball from one end of the ground to the other providing scoring opportunities up forward.

Patrick Colman finishing the game with three goals, while Logan Field and Cody O’Donoghue scored two each.

The young Cats ran out comfortable winners at the final siren in a solid team performance.

Awards: Tom & Tam Renshaw award - Cody O’Donoghue; J & M Steel Erection - Seve Cottam; D & N Electrical - Patrick Colman; Rutherglen Pizza - Rio Glenn; Slopes award - Noah Cracknell; Glenn Family award - Logan Field.

Under 12s

Cats 1.2.8 def by Swans 2.3.15

The Cats travelled to Chiltern this week to take on the Swans.

Chiltern got the jump in the first quarter, with the Cats caught on the back foot.

They re-grouped at quarter time and did a great job for the last three quarters and managed to keep Chiltern to two goals.

Vice-captain Taylor Hurley kicked the Cats’ only major for the game.

It was a great effort by all the kids to run the game out, and they’re keen to get back to Barkly Park next week and play on their home deck.

Awards: Lachie Wilson - Mr Wiggy Hair Cut; Rory Campbell – North East Marine; Theo – Corowa Chocolate Factory; Will Moore – Club Corowa; Flynn Baskett – Lawler Transport; Matilda Brown – Verhulst Family Award; Will Spence- Coaches Award $5.

Netball

A Grade

Cats 21 def by Swans 77

Despite a tough 77–21 loss to a top side, there were plenty of positives to take away.

The Cats started strongly with great energy and morale, and throughout the game showed flashes of excellent teamwork and determination.

The scoreboard didn’t reflect their effort, but there is plenty to build on from this performance.

Awards: Elle Stevens - RFNC $ Award; Tahni Evans - ADROIT Insurance Award; Issy Saunders – Coaches Award.

B Grade

Cats 20 def by Swans 64

A tough game in wet weather, the Cats made lots of positional changes to try to slow Chiltern’s scoring.

Nova was versatile and played many positions during the day, always stepping up and playing her role.

Bylee in defence was able to capitalise on rebounds when they occurred, and Abbie was a strong presence at the shooting end.

Awards: Bylee Allison - RFNC $ Award; Nova Papa - RFNC $ Award; Abbie Hetherington - Movere Pilates.

C Grade

Cats 33 def by Swans 52

Despite a determined effort, the Cats were defeated in a hard-fought match on the weekend.

The players showed great teamwork and never gave up, even when the opposition took control of the game.

Lucy worked tirelessly in defence, applying pressure throughout the match and making several important interceptions.

Chelsie displayed excellent accuracy in front of goal, and composure under pressure, scoring consistently and keeping the team competitive.

Awards: Lucy Brown - RFNC $ Award; Chelsie McLeod - The Wax Trade Award.

Under 17s

Cats 20 def by Swans 57

The Cats again started strong, however were eventually outrun by a stronger side.

They often have the right idea and clever game play, but need to work on execution to get the full result.

Cadie and Molly in the defensive ring were continuously working hard.

The team looks forward to next week with another game at home.

Awards: Cadie Waite – RFNC $ Award; Molly Colman – Movere Pilates.

Under 15s

Cats 16 def by Swans 76

Coming up against the ladder leaders was always going to be a tough challenge, and Chiltern showed why they sit on top of the ladder with some dominant passages of play across the court.

Full credit to the Cats, who never dropped their heads and continued to compete right until the final whistle.

There were some fantastic passages of play through the midcourt, with players backing each other up strongly and working hard to transition the ball forward.

It was pleasing to see players take on feedback, adjust and continue to improve throughout the game.

This group often places a lot of pressure on themselves to perform each week, but they should be proud of the progress they’re making.

Their willingness to learn, support each other and keep working hard is a credit to them all.

Awards: Savannah Barnes - Daisy Cow Award; Chelsea Sutton – Hadar Hot Shots Award; Chelsea Sutton – Spark Award.

Under 13s

Cats 12 def by Swans 22

The girls played a fantastic game and should be very proud of their efforts.

The defensive end was outstanding once again, with Olivia, Stella and Sienna working brilliantly together to apply pressure and create plenty of turnovers.

The team worked hard from the first whistle to the last, showing determination, teamwork and resilience throughout the match.

They came away with a score to be proud of against a side sitting five places above them on the ladder.

Awards: Olivia Livingstone; Stella Brown

Under13 Reserves

No Score recorded

Chiltern only had one team today, so the U11 and U13 reserves sides came together and played half a game each against the Swans, and then an intra-club match to finish.

All the girls played well; their gameplay couldn’t be faulted.

Awards: Luca; Heidi; Melody

Under 11s

No Score recorded

Awards: Milly; Milla; Zoe H

The junior teams all continue to shine, showing fantastic team spirit, effort and growth each week.