WHEN you lose by one point you tend to go back over the game and look for lost opportunities, or blame the umpires.
The River Murray Football League is certainly not blaming umpires, but they could consider themselves a tad unlucky as they hit the post four times in their inter-association match against Great Southern at Strathalbyn on Saturday.
Trevor Rigney, who led from the goal front magnificently all day, took a mark 45-metres out on an acute angle with only a minute left on the clock.
Earlier Rigney had kicked six goals from this distance.
He lined up and hit the square and maybe it should have been forced through to draw the game, but the Great Southern defenders kept the ball in play and cleared their defence and the RMFL didn’t get another scoring opportunity.
River Murray flew out of the blocks and by half time had established a 15-point lead.
It should have been more, but they let Great Southern back into the game in the last 10 minutes of the second quarter.
In the third term River Murray fell asleep, they squandered a 15-point lead and turned it into a 10-point deficit with one quarter left to play.
Great Southern took over in the midfield and their classy on-ballers of Mitchell Portlock, Marcus Burdett and Craig Dobson got some important touches.
Andrew Hodge took some telling marks and set his team-mate Owen Love up with a couple of important goals.
The game was set up for a big finish as first Great Southern took control, then River Murray made a charge, but when the final siren blew they fell agonisingly short by one point. Why did the RMFL lose?
River Murray lost control of the game in the last 10 minutes of the second quarter and during the third term.
They allowed Great Southern back into the game.
They turned the ball over too easily.
They were streaming out of defence, but too often burnt the ball with poor delivery.
To win you need a bit of luck on the day, but when you hit the post four times you know lady luck didn’t turn up for the RMFL.
It was a pretty gutsy performance, with some great passages of play from both teams.
There were contrasting styles, with River Murray being a taller side and Great Southern a shorter, running side.
The defence of Great Southern led by Matthew Footner and Andrew McDonald was desperate, while Andrew Hodge and Owen Love kicked nine of Great Southern’s 14 goals.
For River Murray Luke Button was the standout.
He stopped Great Southern in their tracks countless times and he is a player of immense talent.
Ryan Eyre played his first representative game and showed a lot of poise and skill.
Trevor Rigney is a star.
He continued his club form and is one of the best players going around in South Australian country football.
The experience of James and Joe Pedler was invaluable to the young players that surrounded them.
It might have been Joe’s first game for the Murray Cods, but he showed during the half-time break he has a lot of passion for the game.
The RMFL lost the game, but that is all they lost as the new breed of young players coming through showed plenty of heart and they also showed that representative football is not dead and buried, especially in the River Murray and Great Southern football leagues.
---------------------- --------------------------------< p>Great Southern a big challenge for young cods
THE River Murray under 17.5s began their inter-association match against Great Southern at Strathalbyn with great intensity.
They matched it with Great Southern and kicked three very important goals to be even at quarter time.
Ben Hansen kicked two and Ben Dougall one, and two of these goals were the results of tackles laid by captain Peter Zarantonello.
The second quarter began with high expectations, but Great Southern had two important quarters putting on 14-3 to River Murray’s 3-3.
Great Southern had many contributors, but Daniel Guttilla as a rover kicking three and full forward Ben Simounds kicking 10 goals were a real handful for River Murray.
Mitch Vanson and Matt Cheso in River Murray’s back line battled hard and if not for their efforts Great Southern could have had a bigger lead.
At three-quarter time River Murray coach Ray Billing asked for a big effort from the whole team, but especially his leaders.
The team responded kicking 8-3 to Great Southern’s 4-2.
Mitch Vanson and Matt Cheso kept up their great defensive form, Simon Newchurch was elusive, Ben Hansen and Ben Dougall created play, and Tony Gibson in ruck and at full forward was terrific.
Although not a win, River Murray had a lot of positives to take out of the game.
There are only four players who move up next year and this leaves a team with lots of talent. In the wash, River Murray had 26 scoring shots to Great Southern’s 29, and many players learnt about the pace of representative football.
Great Southern awarded a best player award to Mitch Vanson and Sturt gave awards to Matt Cheso and Ben Hansen.
The final scores were Great Southern 21-8 to River Murray 14-12.
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Great Southern outclass Cods in under 15s
GREAT Southern was too strong for River Murray in their annual under 15 association clash at Strathalbyn on Saturday.
River Murray lost the toss and went to the scoreboard end.
The Murray Cods started well, with Josh Edson kicking River Murray’s first goal after good work from Levi Krause.
The Cods midfielders in Brayden Gommers, Marcus Mawe and Alfie Gollan were attacking the football well and River Murray had a three-point lead at quarter time.
Harley Richards, Gene Robinson and Chad Wingard were dominant players in the second quarter as they racked up some important clearances.
James Clarke, Harry Miles and Daniel Hansen had their hands full with the taller Great Southern forwards, as the Great Southern lads took mark after mark and converted the goals to give Great Southern a handy lead at half time.
The third quarter saw Great Southern extend their lead, but the River Murray boys stated to find a bit more of the footy.
Goals to Alfie Gollan, Sean Samblich and Gene Robinson kept them right in the game at the main break.
Riley Scanlon was doing well in ruck and Levi Krause was creative in the middle along with Wingard and Richards.
Ben Gogel was having a match-bearing struggle with Great Southern’s captain at centre half back, but managed to give the Murray Cods plenty of drive from the backlines along with Gommers and Jeremy Hein.
The last quarter saw Great Southern in control, but River Murray had some late goals to Gommers and Robinson.
Levi Krause was busy in the centre for River Murray, and Chad Wingard and Harley Richards took some trademark marks around the ground.
Overall the River Murray boys didn’t give in and fought the game out well.
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