Mixed results as Tungamah marches on

The netballers had a mixed afternoon, with some great wins and a couple of close losses. Several Bears teams will march on to next week, with the double chance still alive.

Reserves

Tungamah 5.5 (35) def by Barooga 6.7 (43)

Goals: W. Prescott 2, J. Jones, J. Irvine, T. Greene

Best: L. Vearing, J. Connell, A. Connell, J. Clarke, M. O'Kane, J. Saunders

The Lunch Time Legends brains trust will be holding more crisis meetings than Sydney FC this week after watching another promising lead slowly disappear down the drain.

For a side that spent most of the year finding ways to win football games, the boys have discovered a particularly painful way to lose them when it matters.

The boys weathered the early pressure and finished the first quarter nicely, putting together a handy 3.0 to 0.3 lead.

Velvet Prescott showed the big boys how it was done, slotting two early majors before apparently entering witness protection.

Two goals in the first, then disappeared so completely that consideration was being given to putting his photo on a milk carton.

Ash Milner spent more time getting changed than he did on the ground, clocking about five minutes before his afternoon became a spectator sport.

There were some positives to come from the afternoon. Jack Connell was inspirational down back, producing a genuine captain’s performance and doing everything possible to keep the ship afloat as it started taking on water.

With Milner missing, Playa Connell stepped into the interceptor role and made himself very useful across half-back, cutting off plenty and proving that apparently the Connell name has cornered the market on reading the play.

Mr September was back. Matt O’Kane attacked the packs with the sort of enthusiasm he used to reserve for Saturday nights, throwing himself into the contest and reminding everyone that finals football brings out a different animal.

Lach Vearing’s seasonal migration also took an unexpected turn. After spending most of the year successfully selling himself as a forward, he was sent down back when it mattered. Apparently, the defensive department had a vacancy and his application from early 2025 was still on file.

Unfortunately, the final quarter became one that everyone would like to delete from the archives.

The Legends couldn’t find a major when they needed one, and a couple of costly lapses in discipline late in the game opened the door.

Two 50-metre penalties in the dying stages proved particularly painful, handing over territory at precisely the time when absolutely nobody needed to be doing favours.

The final siren eventually sounded with the scoreboard reading Tungamah 5.5 (35) to 6.7 (43).

A brutal way to lose a final after leading for much of the afternoon, but thankfully the double-chance system gives the Lunch Time Legends another crack. The three-peat dream isn’t dead; they have just decided to make the journey considerably more stressful than it needed to be.

NETBALL

A Grade

Tungamah 50 def Katandra 47

A warm winter’s day set the scene for the A Grade’s first final of 2026.

The Bears opened strongly with the first two goals, but took a little time to settle and found themselves four goals down at quarter time.

The second quarter saw both sides work hard for the full 15 minutes, with the margin remaining at four goals heading into the main break.

The third quarter continued to be a tight contest, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage early.

The Bears settled late in the term and found some great composure to take a three-goal lead into the final break.

Tungamah continued to build in the final quarter, extending the lead to 10 goals with just five minutes remaining. Katandra fought back, but the Bears held their nerve to secure a hard-fought three-goal victory.

Chloe E and Sophie continue to work beautifully together in the ring, while Keely, Maddison, Chloe L and Bella rotated seamlessly through the midcourt, providing plenty of drive and options.

Kristie and Molly once again built a fortress in defence, working tirelessly to pressure Katandra’s attack.

A big thank you goes to Tahnee, Elli, Emily and Stacey for their support.

The win earns A Grade a spot in the Preliminary Final at Picola in two weeks.

Awards: Mug & Jaycees – Molly Grant; Free as a Bird – Chloe Lawless; Rich Glen – Bella Cavka

B Grade

Tungamah 55 def Katunga 33

The Bears were ready for their first final and came out firing, opening the game with the first four goals.

Strong pressure across the court set the tone early, with Tungamah taking a five-goal lead into quarter time.

Great communication and patience when selecting options saw the Bears extend their lead to eight by half time.

Katunga rallied in the third quarter and took the game up to the Bears, but Tungamah settled late in the term to head into the final break with a 12-goal advantage.

The final quarter saw the Bears’ teamwork on full display, with relentless pressure and some great passages of play extending the margin to 22 at full time.

Lauren, Marissa and Elli worked strongly together in the ring, while Stacey, Grace, Mariah and Caity ran all day and consistently provided great options through the midcourt.

Brodie, Tahnee and Amy kept their eyes up and were strong in defence, creating pressure and opportunities for their teammates.

A big thank you goes to Mollie and Billie-Jo for their support.

The win sees B Grade progress to the Preliminary Final at Picola in two weeks’ time.

Awards: Mug & Rich Glen – Amy Reilly; Jaycees – Lauren Miles

C Grade

Tungamah 40 def by Deniliquin 42

Finishing fourth, the C Grade girls faced a huge challenge against the top side, Deni, in a hard-fought finals battle.

Tungamah opened with the first goal, but Deni settled quickly and built an eight-goal lead.

The girls dug deep, adjusted their attack against Deni’s tall defence and fought their way back to level the scores at 11-all at quarter time.

The second and third quarters were just as competitive, with the girls continuing to fight for every ball and taking a two-goal lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was everything expected in a finals game. Pressure, determination and plenty of heart were on display.

After 15 minutes of back-and-forth netball, the scores were locked, sending the game into extra time.

With both sides refusing to give an inch, extra time also finished in a draw, leaving it to the first team to take a two-goal lead.

Unfortunately, Tungamah fell just short after an incredible battle.

There is so much to be proud of from this group. To push the top side all the way through extra time as the underdogs was an outstanding effort.

Next up, the team takes on Rennie at Berrigan next Saturday.

Under 17s

Tungamah 50 def by Katandra 51

It was a fast, high-scoring game from start to finish, with constant lead changes keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. The girls fought hard all game and showed plenty of determination.

The shooters, Kiera, Asha and Elli, delivered with high accuracy under pressure, while Emily, Chaye, Tayla and Grace worked tirelessly in defence, applying pressure all day.

Through the midcourt, Claire, Melia, Abbi, Charli and Layla worked hard to move the ball down the court and create opportunities for the attack end.

Although the result didn’t go Tungamah’s way by just one goal, the girls should be incredibly proud of their on-court efforts, determination and fight.

The team will regroup, move forward and bring it next weekend.

A huge thank you goes to all the amazing parents and supporters who were there today cheering the girls on. Their support means so much.

Under 15s

Tungamah 36 def Rennie 21

After finishing the home-and-away season on top of the ladder, the team knew that they needed to keep their work rate up in finals.

Up against Rennie for the second time in as many weeks, the team knew they needed to settle the finals nerves early.

The first quarter was a tight contest, with the team working through the intensity of a final. A small lead at the first break was a sign of what was to come.

Pulling away more in the second quarter, Paige and Asha worked hard in the goal ring to convert every opportunity.

At the other end, Billie-Jo, Torah and Sienna were getting intercepts and rebounds to maximise the team’s time in possession.

The midcourt worked hard, and with all players stepping on court today, they each played a pivotal role in the win.

Lyla worked hard in attack and defence in C. Sienna, Ava and Emma delivered strong defensive pressure in WD, while Maddi and Ivy provided lots of options in attack in WA.

Taylah and Annabelle gave great support from the bench before delivering strong performances in the Under 13s win.

No awards today, just reward for consistency, effort and teamwork.

Thanks goes to all the supporters who showed up for the early game. It was great to have everyone cheering the team on.

Under 13s

Tungamah 36 def Jerilderie 19

The team got off to a great start in its first final of the 2026 series. The girls showed composure and defensive pressure across the court to earn more scoring opportunities.

The attacking end worked the ball clinically from the midcourt into the ring, and the goals kept landing.

The midcourt worked hard in warm finals conditions and made sure the players were driving on to the ball.

Defensively, the team was rock solid and contested every ball, building pressure over the four quarters and gaining intercepts, rebounds and loose-ball pick-ups.

Consistency was the key to the team’s success, with every player playing their role for the team.

The score built nicely across all four quarters, with Tungamah adding eight goals in the first quarter and then 10 goals a quarter for the rest of the game.

No awards for finals, but a preliminary final is locked in for this team of talented young players giving it all for their club.