Cold, wet conditions greeted all our teams at the Showgrounds this weekend, which saw both our under-12 teams put wins on the board, while the under-17s also continued their winning ways, notching up a fourth victory in a row.
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The under-14s were both so close to taking their games, but neither team made it easy for their Wangaratta opponents.
U12 Black
This week the rain held off enough during the under-12 Blacks game which saw us hosting College. The match offered spectators an outstanding display of all the hard work and time that the team has been putting in at training, with the kids regularly connecting handballs and kicks to move the ball as a team from defence to forward.
There was also persistent tackling around the play, which created plenty of turn overs in our favour throughout the day.
Everyone did a fantastic job at taking opportunities to hit the contest and come out the other side with solid contested marks, leading to a very well-deserved win.
Score: Benalla Black 3.8 (26) def College 2.5 (17)
Goals: Maximus Reynolds, Dustin Nolan, Ted Clancy
Best: Bill Bourke, Harley Kupke, Ted Clancy, Jack McKenzie, Frank Christie, Seth Lambden
U12 Red
The Reds delivered an outstanding team performance this week, defeating Centrals in a big win.
It was a fantastic all-round effort, with players stepping up across the ground and the goals shared around. The team moved the ball well and played some of their best football of the season.
Score: Benalla Red 12.4 (76) def Centrals 0.5 (5)
Goals: Archer Pickering, Tory Woodhams 2, Toby Smith, Hunter Symes, Jack Crook, Owen Shirmer, Tom Lambert
Best: Cyrus French, Leo Barker, Fraser De Fazio, Leroy Mackenzie, Tanner Vanderzee, Bella Quarrell
U14 Black
Damp conditions greeted Black in their contest against College, however, with the match avoiding rain and wind, a high-paced, physical encounter led to some fantastic football.
College’s bigger bodies controlled the majority of the first half helping find space all across the ground with various avenues to goal creating a large lead.
The Black defenders and midfield were given specific roles after the main break and slowly started to make inroads. With the game still within their grasp, the young Black side was relentless in the final quarter and managed to mount a challenge.
However, they were unable to make the most of their possession and missed some crucial chances to build greater scoreboard pressure, eventually going down by 29 points.
Benalla heads to Bright next week in a big match up.
Score: Benalla Black 6.5 (41) def by College 10.10 (70)
Goals: Jack Davies 2, Manny Bourke, Bella Hazell, Jimmy Jackson, Jack Christie
Best: Caleb Thwaites, Angus Roscoe, Jake Soyer, Jimmy Jackson, Jack Davies, Matthew White
U14 Red
Our biggest challenge of the year met our players on Sunday coming up against the top of the ladder Centrals. Having had a couple of strong performances in a row the team was definitely up to the challenge.
The rain at the start of the match didn’t suit our players, allowing the bigger bodies of Centrals to control the contest and dominate the forward entries, but some missed opportunities kept us in the game.
The quarter time break came at the right time, and with a couple of changes made, the second quarter was much better, with Benalla dominating the contest and owning field position. The third quarter was very similar, winning all the important parts of the game and showing each other that they were all up for the fight, however the Reds were unable to just quite finish off all the good work with goals.
With full belief in all the players, we thought we could run over the top of the opposition and win, as the Reds kicked the first two goals of the term and got the crowd and players up and about.
Unfortunately, football has a funny way of playing out and you don’t always win the games you deserve to.
It was a day for leaders to stand tall and it was very pleasing to see the way they carried themselves today. A special shoutout to Shanaih for regrouping herself after a big collision. It takes guts to play this game, and she showed everyone what she is made of.
Score: Benalla Red 4.11 (35) def by Centrals 6.8 (44)
Goals: Jack Hart 2, Jackson Quarrell, Josh Bamford
Best: Jack Hart, Sam Mount, Tom Snell, Hudson Pickering, Bentley Parker, Logan Mihan
U17
The Benalla under-17s extended their winning streak to four matches on Sunday, producing a gritty victory over a fierce Wangaratta Centrals outfit at Benalla Showgrounds.
Facing a heavily rotated lineup due to injuries, the under-17s proved their immense squad depth in a high-intensity battle.
It was a milestone day to remember for Lachlan Doody, who made an unforgettable debut in the red, white, and black by hitting the scoreboard and registering his first goal. He wasn't the only one celebrating a first, with Cooper Walsh also snaring his first major for the club in a brilliant team display.
In the engine room, captain Harry Skelton led from the front with an incredible, inspiring skipper's game. He was brilliantly supported around the ball by Ryan White and Jack Pollard, who fought tooth and nail to clear the footy.
Up forward, Tom Mount was absolutely unstoppable, extending his roaring run of form by booting a massive seven-goal haul to break the game open.
The boys will enjoy the confidence of another hard-fought win on home soil before we hit the road next week. We move onto a massive clash against the Tigers, where the team will hunt for five in a row.
Score: Benalla 19.9 (123) def Centrals 2.7 (19)
Goals: Tom Mount 7, Charlie Bowen, Jude Binion, Trevor Maru 2, Cash Nolen, Charlie Pollard, Riley Hilton, Cooper Walsh, Lachlan Doody, Oliver Wardill
Best: Harry Skelton, Tom Mount, Xavier De Fazio, Jack Pollard, Ryan White, Nick White