Cobram's Hugh Hyde leaps for the footy during Saturday’s loss to Moama.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
A double dose of drama and a flurry of floggings underscored Saturday’s batch of Murray Football League matches.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Premiership contenders put their foot to the pedal in round eight, and in the top six duel between Cobram and Moama, a salivating contest was had at Scott Oval.
The hosting Tigers trailed, led, then trailed again at each of the quarter intervals and, though Cobram went ahead by three points early in the last term, a three-goal Moama barrage granted the Magpies a 10.10 (70) to 8.7 (55) win late on.
Cobram's Luca Allen scrambles for the pill on the ground.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Image 2 of 7
Cobram's Lachlan Hyde darts down the wing.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Image 3 of 7
Moama's James Whitehead spots a lead ahead of Cobram's Luca Allen.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Image 4 of 7
Moama's Luke Simpson chips a kick over the top.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Image 5 of 7
Moama's Rhys Drennan looks to move beyond Cobram's Kyle Coates.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Image 6 of 7
Moama's Tobias Thoolen and Cobram's Jackson Trengove compete in the ruck.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Image 7 of 7
Moama's Jye Warren prepares to turn on the jets.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Perhaps, though, the best win of the round belonged to Rumbalara.
Returning from a loss to Mulwala the week before that, in the words of co-coach Jamie Atkinson, “sort of sent us back to earth a bit”, Rumba overcame injury adversity to tug a nine-point win from underneath Echuca United’s nose on the Eagles’ home deck.
“It was a really good contest on both sides; us and Echuca (United) have put a lot of work into our juniors. Scottie (Beattie) has put a lot of work in as well, trying to teach them the way it should be played and they’ve got a very similar game plan,” he said.
“The first half was head to head, I thought we broke them in the third but like good sides do, they fought back capitalising on some of our errors.
“It took a little bit of a masterpiece from Kian Wise in the last quarter that broke it for us.”
You literally couldn’t split the two teams at the main change of ends.
At quarter time, the score read 12-all and later, 25-all at the half, and though Rumbalara kicked three straight early in the third term, the Eagles were able to bring it back within one point with one quarter to play.
The travelling side were dealt further blows as half-back flankers Kane Atkinson and Brogan McGee went down with corkies early in the last, yet the young Rumba brigade held firm and toughed it out for a memorable 12.7 (79) to 10.10 (70) triumph.
Atkinson lauded five-goal star Kian Wise as well as Kevin Maroney, Kydan Atkinson and Ashtyn Atkinson in what he described as a “competitive beast of a game”.
Saturday’s win lifts Rumbalara into seventh and adds another layer to the feel good story beaming out of Mercury Dve, following numerous years of struggle on the footy oval for the club.
“We’re all loving the ride,” Atkinson said.
“We’re probably stealing a bit from our A-grade because they’ve been quite a successful team for the last couple of years.
“We’ve definitely been watching them from afar and it’s great that we’re competitive again.
“The last couple of years, a lot of us old fellas retired and we were left with 18, 19, 20 year olds to lead the seniors.
“Unfortunately it takes time and through a lot of hard work from the club to keep those juniors around and teach them footy, particularly now with Kane (Atkinson) at the front and Jono (Henderson) previously, we’ve come in leaps and bounds.”
Elsewhere, Congupna extended its unblemished record to eight following a 22.17 (149) to 4.7 (31) victory against Deniliquin, with Billy Cooper cashing in with a bag of four.
Nathalia spearhead Liam Evans kicked a perfect 10 as the Purples pelted Barooga by 93 points, while Numurkah outclassed Finley 18.13 (121) to 9.8 (62).
Lastly, Tongala was no match for Mulwala, falling by 134 points.
