MFL | Hunter Verhoeven lifts Blues to victory with kick after the siren

Faced with cold and blustery conditions at Numurkah Showgrounds, it was a tight battle for the entire four quarters, with the margin barely crossing double digits in what was a low-scoring slog.

With his side trailing by four points heading into the dying moments, Numurkah coach Sean Harrap recalled the exciting finish.

“It was really tight through that entire last quarter, and being down in those final minutes we were really pressing,” Harrap said.

“Those final moments were very frantic with a lot of players in our forward 50, but we managed to get it in and Hunter took a nice contested mark 35m out and has gone back and popped it through.

“The scenes after that were incredible, the emotions of the players, the supporters it was unreal, and it is wins like that that really galvanise a club.”

The most memorable win of Harrap’s tenure in charge at the Showgrounds, he said a slight tweak in the game plan and a pair of brilliant defensive performances paved the way for the triumph.

“We just tried a few new things around the way we wanted to move the footy and I think it worked in our favour,” he said.

“Braydon Sutton was superb down back for us and Clancy Lester did an excellent job on their stand-out forward in Todd Gallagher.

“There were some really good positives to come out of the win and gives us plenty to look forward to.”

The Blues’ first genuine scalp of the 2022 season after falling gallantly to premiership favourite Tongala last week, Harrap said the win over Deniliquin gave his team the confidence that it could compete with the competition’s best.

“With a pretty tough month ahead of us playing Cobram, Moama and Mulwala, the win yesterday gave us the belief that we can compete with the best,” he said.

“We have had a relatively young and new-look team out on the park this year, so it is still a bit of a work in progress.

“But I think the boys are really starting to grasp the game plan and things are moving in the right direction.”

Elsewhere, Tongala showed why it is the premiership favourite, travelling to Moama and easily accounting for the red-hot Magpies 13.12 (90) to 7.5 (47).

After a tight first two quarters, the Blues roared to life in the second half, piling on 10 goals to three, to run away 43-point winners.

Returning to the line-up for the first time since round two, recruit Brock McLean starred for Tongala, while Jack Hammond and Adam Lovison were also prolific.

Jack Russell and Nicholas Pavlou were the standouts for Moama in the loss.

Congupna secured the Unity Cup with a thumping 106-point win over Rumbalara at Congupna Recreation Reserve.

The Road’s second win of the season after a brutal opening month of fixtures, a 15-goal first half set up the much-needed win for Kevin O’Donoghue’s men.

Daniel Campbell was the main man up forward, booting six majors, while Tate Mifka, Daniel Schaper and Curtley Allen were prominent across the four quarters.

Cobram continued its perfect start to the season, travelling to Nathalia and coming away with a 13.14 (92) to 6.10 (46) win over the Purples.

At half-time it appeared an upset may have been on the cards, as the Tigers led by just two points after a bruising first two quarters.

But Cobram flexed its muscles in the second half, with Samuel Beasley, Bailey Roberts and Lewis McShane leading the way.

Barooga claimed its first win of the season with a hard-fought 15.8 (98) to 12.9 (81) win over Echuca United.

Trailing by 15 points at the main change, the Hawks turned it on in the third term, piling on five goals to one to take control of proceedings.

James Harney battled hard for Echuca United to finish with six goals.

Mulwala rounded out the weekend’s action with a thumping 16.12 (108) to 2.9 (21) win over Finley to remain undefeated.