Corowa Rutherglen were unable to withstand a final-term surge from the North Albury Hoppers in what proved to be a hard-fought contest played out in overcast, wet conditions.
Travelling to Bunton Park to face the fourth-placed Hoppers, the young Roos knew they were in for a challenge.
A flurry of team changes opened the door for senior debuts, with Jackson Richardson, Hugh Canning, and Taj Smith all rewarded with their first opportunity at the top level.
North Albury struck first, piling on six unanswered goals before the Roos managed to find their first goal. The contest threatened to slip away early, but Corowa steadied through contributions from Bradtke, Longmire, and big man Nathan Richards, who helped drag the side back into the contest.
Richards was outstanding, delivering arguably his best performance since crossing from the Griffith Swans.
The ruckman imposed himself across the ground, finishing with 25 disposals, 12 clearances, 57 hitouts, eight tackles and a goal — a dominant display that kept the Roos within striking distance.
The margin tightened to just 10 points when Bradtke goaled, and under coach Daryn Creswell the Roos kept grinding, applying heavy pressure through the midfield to restrict the Hoppers run.
Down back, Riley Irvin stood tall in defence, curbing the influence of star forward Josh Minogue and holding him to three majors.
Irvin’s ability to read the play and marshal his backline continues to make him one of the most underrated performers in the Ovens and Murray this season.
Despite Corowa’s resilience, the Hoppers found another gear late, slamming home five final-quarter goals to seal the match.
Noah Amery and Cody Schutt were again consistent contributors and named among the best.
While the scoreboard didn’t fall their way, Corowa Rutherglen can take plenty of positives from the contest as they look to finish 2025 strongly and build momentum into 2026.
Last minute heartbreak for Reserves
North Albury 7.16.58 def Corowa Rutherglen 8.4.52.
Reserves Deaken Clancy kicks toward the forward line in the reserves one goal loss.
Corowa Rutherglen’s development squad let a golden opportunity slip, falling to North Albury in a heartbreaking finish that could have sealed their spot in finals.
The Roos entered the clash knowing a win would cement their place in September.
The start was promising, with big man Deakan Clancy booting the opener inside six minutes.
But the Hoppers quickly took control of the first term before a late goal from Flynn Byrnes kept the Roos in touch.
The second quarter mirrored the first — North dictated terms for most of the play. Goals to Byrnes and Spencer gave Corowa a spark, but an ill-timed free kick on the stroke of half-time handed momentum straight back to the Hoppers.
After the break, Corowa found their rhythm. Fletcher Parker, Kade Kuschurt, Mark Athanitis and Jack Keys showed skill and composure as the Roos produced their best football of the day, building a three-goal buffer heading into the final change.
The equation was simple: win the last quarter and finals beckoned. But North came with urgency, applying relentless pressure.
Despite Corowa’s efforts to hold firm, the Hoppers pinched the lead in the dying minute and held on to snatch victory — leaving the Roos kicking themselves after letting it slip.
The challenge is now clear: Corowa must win next week against Lavington, or hope other results fall their way, if they’re to reach finals for the first time since 2001.
With so much on the line, Talarico and Haigh’s men will need to be switched on from the first bounce.
Best: Deaken Clancy, Jack Keys, Kade Kuschert, Fletcher Parker, Mark Athanitis.
Thirds
North Albury 8.7.54 def Corowa Rutherglen 6.6.42.
The under 18s had a hot start in their match against North Albury in what promised to be a tight contest.
Coming into the game short-handed on rotations, it was up to the players to drive the message of connection and positivity on the field.
In the first half, Corowa was firing on all cylinders, controlling possession and stoppage giving the under 18s great field position.
However, mental lapses at the end of the first and second quarters gave the Hoppers crucial goals to keep the game at an arm’s length.
Some great performances from Flynn Byrnes and Jay Lavis in the midfield gave the Roos plenty of drive going forward, giving Isaac Dickinson plenty of opportunities at goal. Leroy Chester had the ball on a string in the first half and brought his teammates into the game with his slick skills.
In the second half, the two teams traded goals until North Albury caught momentum in the last quarter and stole the match.
The Roos will finish their season next week against Lavington, in the final match of the home and away season.
Goals: Flynn Byrnes 2, Isaac Dickinson 2, Jay Lavis 1, Jett Paul 1.
13°C