Bears blitz Blighty away

Best: Lachlan Phillips, Archie Doyle, Ned Mckeown, Glenn Dominick, Josh Cheek.

The Bears hit the road on Saturday for the trip to Blighty, and from the moment they rolled into town, there was something positive in the air.

The boys looked switched on, focused, and ready to get to work.

After winning the toss, Tungamah wasted no time making a statement.

The Bears hit the ground running with a couple of early goals to settle the nerves and put the pressure straight back on the home side.

Drew Haebich and Ash Saunders were right in the thick of it early, setting the tone with strong contests and plenty of drive around the ball.

Down back, every Blighty attack was met with fierce resistance.

Lach Phillips and Glenn Dominick were in everything, cutting off forward entries and making life incredibly difficult for the opposition.

Time and time again, they turned defence into attack and helped keep the Bears in control.

A welcome addition to the side was the return of Chris “Shorty” “Cheesy” Powell.

Despite being old enough to remember when footballs had laces on them, Shorty was outstanding all day and showed he still has plenty left in the tank.

Jacob Adkins continued his season-long habit of lighting up the scoreboard, finding dangerous positions and making the most of his opportunities.

Meanwhile, Archie and Billy Doyle looked like a couple of seasoned veterans.

The Doyle brothers were everywhere and, much like the Mario Brothers, seemed to pop up whenever the team needed saving.

The second half belonged to Ned McKeown.

Whether it was from the pocket, on the run, or from seemingly impossible positions, Ned was kicking goals from all over the ground.

By the final siren, he had piled on eight majors in a dominant display that had the Bears faithful up and about.

Luke O’Brien played his role to perfection, doing exactly what was asked of him and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the day.

It was a great team-first performance.

One of the highlights of the day came courtesy of Ollie Connell, who somehow squeezed through a goal from an angle that looked physically impossible.

Most people were expecting a centring kick, but Ollie had other ideas, and the celebration afterwards suggested nobody could quite believe it either.

Ben Beaton provided another memorable moment when he lifted around the contest and nailed a goal of his own.

The reaction from his teammates said it all, with the entire side getting around him as the Bears continued to build momentum.

Tyler Green also deserves plenty of credit for a selfless role, taking it upon himself to shut down one of Blighty’s most dangerous players and doing the job brilliantly.

When the final siren sounded, the scoreboard read Tungamah 14.12 (96) to Blighty 7.12 (54).

More importantly, it was another reminder of what this group is capable of when everyone buys in.

The Bears played for each other, worked hard across four quarters, and enjoyed that winning feeling once again.

It is the sort of performance that builds confidence, and the Bears will be looking to carry that momentum into next week.

Goals: N. McKeown 8, J. Adkins 2, O. Connell, B. Beaton, A. Saunders, J. Cheek.

Best: L. Phillips, A. Doyle, N. McKeown, G. Dominick, J. Cheek.

Reserves

Tungamah 5.16 (46) defeated Blighty 0.0 (0)

The Lunchtime Legends made the trek to Blighty this week and somehow returned with four points, despite producing one of the ugliest spectacles known to organised sport.

It was less a football match, but there were still a few positives to come out of the game.

JJ was the only bloke to hit a target more than once.

In a day of doubles, the Bells were good, but the Jacks were better.

Jack Connell had what looked to be 44 disposals, 29 contested, and still could not get in the best.

Jack Clarke was everywhere.

Scratcher can sleep easy this week knowing he did not accidentally overlook anyone for senior selection.

If anything, a few blokes may have played themselves out of the thirds.

At the end of the day, the clear best was the timekeeper, who eventually found the courage to put a stop to that game.

Goals: M. Bourke 2, C. Nye 2, X. Chessells.

Best: J. Clarke, N. Megarrity, A. Milner, H. Lonergan, J. Bell.

Thirds

Tungamah 21.11 (137) defeated Blighty 1.4 (10)

The young Bears headed over to Blighty to take on a top-eight team.

They came out of the gates well, returning to their brilliant form with clean disposal and precise kicking.

It saw Tungamah go into quarter time with a score of 7.1 (43) to 0.2 (2).

The second quarter saw a more even contest, but the Tunga boys continued to apply pressure all around the ground with intense tackling, great shepherding, and exceptional ball movement in tight situations within the packs.

They went into half time with a 65-3 lead.

The game became more physical in the third quarter, but the young men held their heads and played football honourably in the way their coaches and the club expect them to.

They piled on the scoreboard pressure, going into three-quarter time with a 106-point lead.

The last quarter saw more of the same, with every player in the team doing amazingly, keeping their head over the ball and persisting in driving the ball forward.

Tungamah eventually came away with a 127-point win.

It was a credit to the young men for supporting each other and taking home a fabulous victory.

Goals: Z. Bramich 7, B. Krywyn 4, J. Bamford 3, X. Chessells 2, C. Payne 2, T. Ussher 2, T. Saunders 1.

Best: S. Goudie, C. Payne, J. Bamford, L. O’Brien, P. Poll, Z. Bramich.

Awards: Central Murray Bank - Slater Goudie and Dean Meyers, Doyle’s Socks - Jackson Prosser.

Crusty Loaf - Paxton Poll, Tungamah Store - Chase Payne, Bamford Builders - Jack Browning.

Fourths

Tungamah 9.8 (62) defeated Blighty 3.3 (21)

The long road trip to Blighty confronted the young Bears, and after an early wake-up, the kids were warmed up and ready to take on the Redeyes.

Blighty jumped them and had the first goal on the board early.

However, after a little shuffling of the decks, Tungamah found their groove to kick a couple for the quarter themselves.

In the second quarter, there was some undisciplined play from the opposition and a player was red-carded.

To the young Bears’ credit, they stayed disciplined, focused on the ball, and let their footy do the talking.

Judd Haebich played a brilliant captain’s game under some heavy attention from his opponents.

He kicked four goals and had a hand in another four.

Chase Jarjoura was everywhere through the midfield and constantly kept the ball moving forward.

Noah Lawless was the best forward on the ground, finding plenty of the footy and kicking a couple of goals.

Peyton Smith was busy up forward, using his smarts to set up scoring opportunities.

Darcy Cummins played a great shutdown role on the opposition’s best player.

His pressure and will to tackle were so great that he even tackled his teammate on one occasion by mistake.

Desi Doyle was rock solid at centre half-back and, in a new role, showed he can read the ball well and repel attacks.

Tully Ellis got busy in multiple roles, with quick hands the highlight.

In the end, it was a great win.

Goals: J. Haebich 4, L. Saunders 2, N. Lawless 2, C. Jarjoura.

Best: J. Haebich, N. Lawless, P. Smith, C. Jarjoura, D. Cummins, D. Doyle.

Fifths

There was an amazing effort from all the parents, who were up at 6.30am and on the road to Blighty.

The game started congested, with kids swarming the ball, but it soon spread out thanks to some fine work by Ernie, Dom, and Crew.

Charley was kicking goals with ease, finishing with four or five for the game.

Fisher Saunders played his first full game and made the team look much stronger with his stance.

Knox was great around the ground, and Marc Connell was great in the air.

Curtis and Koah’s tackling was awesome throughout the day.

All in all, it is fair to say they had a great win.

Netball

A Grade

Tungamah 87 defeated Blighty 21

The Bears put together another very strong team performance on Saturday, returning from a week’s break with plenty of energy and intensity.

From the opening whistle, Tungamah controlled the game with relentless defensive pressure and slick ball movement through the court.

The side continued to build momentum throughout the match, maintaining its focus and work rate to record an impressive 66-goal victory.

A highlight of the day was the versatility shown across the team, with players stepping into a number of different positions throughout the game.

Keely Holcombe and Maddison Cheek impressed with their time in defence, demonstrating the depth and adaptability of the Bears’ line-up.

It was another complete team effort, with every player contributing and embracing the opportunity to take on different roles.

The willingness of the group to support one another and adapt when needed continues to be a real strength.

Awards: Players’ Player - Bella Cavka, Club Award - Bella Cavka and Kristie James, Judds - Chloe Elliott, Jaycees - Sophie Coghill.

B Grade

Tungamah 79 defeated Blighty 13

The Bears continued their strong form with a convincing 79-13 victory over Blighty on Saturday.

The Bears took a little time to settle but still established a 12-goal lead by quarter time.

A dominant second quarter saw defensive pressure applied all over the court, creating numerous turnovers and allowing Tungamah to extend its advantage to 32 goals at the main break.

The team continued to build throughout the second half, with a variety of combinations used across the court.

The Bears maintained their intensity and teamwork to secure a comprehensive 66-goal win.

In attack, Lauren, Mollie, and Stacey combined beautifully, working hard to create opportunities and convert consistently.

Through the midcourt, Grace, Caity, Stacey, Mariah, and Elli moved the ball with patience and precision, linking defence and attack seamlessly.

Defensively, Amy, Tahnee, and Brodie continue to work well together, applying relentless pressure and limiting Blighty’s scoring opportunities.

Mollie also provided valuable support in defence during the final quarter.

The willingness of all players to adapt to different combinations highlighted the versatility and depth in another excellent team performance.

Awards: Players’ Player and Purtle’s - Mollie Walton, Hemphill Family - Stacey Parks, BFT - Amy Reilly, Jaycees - Grace Whitelock.

C Grade

Tungamah 48 defeated Blighty 20

The girls came out firing, taking the game on from the first whistle.

Their intensity around the contest was outstanding, picking up every loose ball and getting hands to those crucial little taps that can change the momentum of a game.

Madi Kelly was dominant in the goal ring, moving beautifully and converting opportunity after opportunity.

Sarah Govan once again showed her versatility, seamlessly switching from defence into attack and making an immediate impact.

Her strong performance under the post earned her the well-deserved Players’ Player award.

Down the defensive end, Eliza continues to shine.

Her relentless pressure over the ball, tight checking, and determination to contest every pass created countless turnovers and gave the attackers plenty of opportunities.

It was fantastic to experiment with different combinations throughout the game, highlighting the incredible depth and flexibility within the squad.

Most importantly, the hard work being put in at training is beginning to show on court, with the girls executing what they have been focusing on and continuing to grow each week.

It was a great team performance all round.

Awards: Players’ Player and Jaycees - Sarah Govan, Rich Glen - Madi Kelly, Miss Dolly - Eliza Smith.

C Reserve

Tungamah 48 defeated Blighty 7

The girls started the game off with a bang, not letting Blighty’s tall defenders intimidate them.

Shooting accuracy was 100 per cent in the first quarter.

Although the game was a little bit messy, the girls were not drawn into the game’s antics and continued to play their own way.

The team maintained great defensive pressure and never let this intensity drop, even when Tungamah was winning by a lot.

Mimi played a key role in the team’s defence, with hands over every ball and a lot of tips and taps.

Maya was amazing in the attacking end.

She was always an option for the ball and connected well with the shooters.

Toni was the wing-ding champion, always being an option for the ball.

Awards: Players’ Player - Mimi, Rich Glen - Maya, Jaycees - Toni, Belle’s - Chloe.

Under 17s

Tungamah 70 defeated Blighty 26

The girls had a fantastic game against Blighty, coming away with a strong win.

They worked hard across all four quarters, showing great teamwork, determination, and skill.

Strong defensive pressure and accurate shooting helped Tungamah take control of the match and maintain its lead throughout.

Congratulations go to this week’s award winners.

Awards: Central Murray Bank - Melia, Tungamah Store - Abbi, Rich Glen - Charli.

Under 15s

Tungamah 34 defeated Blighty 13

On what started as a sunny morning, the clouds rolled in to start the game.

The Bears started strongly, taking the early lead and working really hard to implement the defensive pressure they had worked on at training.

The second quarter saw the momentum turn Blighty’s way, with some congestion in the midcourt limiting the flow through the court.

At half time, the Bears led 16-8.

Things settled in the third quarter, and Tungamah extended the lead while keeping Blighty goalless.

Ava was relentless in wing defence, with great hands-over pressure and intercepts across the court.

The team played out the last quarter with great intensity, with Torah starring in goal defence and picking off intercepts everywhere.

Asha had an awesome game in goals, always offering and working well with her other goalie.

It was a great win after the week off.

Awards: Players’ Player and Bamford Builders - Ava Einsporn, Jaycees - Asha Kelly, Tungamah Store - Torah Blick.

Under 13s

Tungamah 52 defeated Blighty 4

The girls delivered another consistent and composed performance, showcasing excellent decision-making and teamwork throughout the game.

Their ball movement in the attacking end was outstanding, resulting in an impressive goal every minute of play.

Once again, the defenders were exceptional, applying relentless pressure and capitalising on numerous intercepts and rebounds.

Their efforts created countless opportunities for the team to transition the ball quickly down the court.

In the final quarter, several positional changes gave players the chance to demonstrate their versatility.

The girls adapted brilliantly, showing confidence and skill across a range of positions.

It was another fantastic team effort, with every player contributing to a dominant performance.

Awards: Tungamah Store - Charlotte Wren, Bestfit Windscreens - Georgie Burns.

Under 11s

A strong team effort came from the Under 11s this week.

The girls showed great adaptability throughout the court, and their skills shone in different positions.

They gave 100 per cent and worked very well together as a team.

It was a great game from the girls.

Awards: Jaycees - Natalie Hook, Jaycees - Demi Pearce, Tungamah Store - Maeve Inchbold.