Tongala’s triumph side celebrate the C-Reserve premiership win over Nathalia.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
There was no mistaking who owned the big moments in Saturday’s Murray Netball League C-Reserve grand final.
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Tongala — fearless and furious in dark blue — powered past Nathalia 52-40 to clinch the crown and cap an undefeated season with silverware.
From the first whistle, the tone was set.
The Blues’ Mikeala Pyke and Tamika McConnell worked like twin pistons in attack, exchanging smart passes and barely missing a shot.
At the other end, every Nathalia goal drew huge applause from the purple faithful, but it was Tongala’s five-goal surge late in the first term that defined the opening.
The Blues’ lightning transitions formed a dark blue blur from defence to attack, earning a 13-8 lead at quarter time.
“We went out firing at the start,” co-coach Jenn Clark said.
“Then we reset, came back out and came home with a good win.”
Quarter two brought the expected wrestle between Nathalia’s experience and Tongala’s exuberance.
The Purples’ attack dictated play with crisp feeds, their shooters converted relentlessly to keep the margin hovering at five.
But Tongala’s Rhiannon Brennan leapt for every centre pass in protest, holding the line at 26-22 by half-time.
Establishing that early buffer was critical.
“If you don’t have that set up at the start, then heads are down straight away and it’s hard to come back from that,” Clark said.
“I’m super proud of how they started and how they finished.”
The third quarter tested Tongala’s mettle.
Nathalia dragged the margin back to three, then two, the purple wave threatening to swamp them.
But the Blues slammed on five unanswered goals, while eventual best-on-court winner Morgan Neumann shored things up in defence to re-establish a seven-goal gap at 37-30.
With the scent of victory in their nostrils, Tongala turned the final quarter into a coronation.
They put the foot down, raced out to a 12-goal advantage and never looked back, closing out a 52-40 triumph with composure and style.
Clark lauded the collective effort.
“Pretty much just stick to our systems, stick to our goals, back each other and use our one-percenters,” she said.
“All of them — every single one of them — played well.”
She summed up the season simply.
“Just amazing. So proud of the girls, so proud of them as a team,” she said.
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