Netball roars to final amid mixed results

Fourths

Tungamah 1.2 - 8 def by Deni Rovers 10.12 – 72

Goal: N. Lawless

Best: J. Haebich, C. Jarjoura, D. Cummins, N. Lawless, A. Morgan, F. Cummins

Our young men had come so far across the year to make it to the penultimate weekend and earned the right to take on a freshened-up Deni Rovers after they had a week off.

After a big week on the track, the boys were primed to start well, and we did, we got off to a great start, with a couple of early opportunities to score, however couldn’t find the big sticks.

Deni then went bang, bang and had us on the back foot. Noah Lawless then converted from 35 out to have us a goal down at 1/4 time. From then on, it was all Deni. They ran away with a comfortable victory and deserve their place in the grand final. Chase Jarjoura on his birthday had a brilliant game. He put his head over the footy and continued to bob up to try to get the ball going our way.

Judd Haebich tried his heart out, being thrown around to all parts of the ground to stop the opposition. Darcy Cummins and Alex Morgan had run with jobs and did an admirable job.

Finn Cummins was another who played some different roles and could keep his head held high. Noah Lawless didn’t stop competing all day.

Overall, a great year from the boys and we look forward to seeing these guys out on the park playing senior footy in the not-too-distant future. Thanks to everyone who has helped throughout the year.

A Grade

Tungamah 39 def by Dookie 41

Extreme weather conditions greeted the Bears when they took on Dookie in Saturday’s Preliminary Final at Picola. Dookie came out strongly, scoring the first four goals, but the Bears refused to be rattled and fought their way back into the contest to lead by two goals at quarter time.

The intensity remained high in the second term, with Dookie regaining the advantage and taking a three-goal lead into half time. The margin remained at three at the final break, but the Bears continued to fight. They closed the gap to just one goal early in the final quarter; however, despite throwing everything at Dookie, they just couldn’t bridge the gap. The final margin of two goals brought an end to an outstanding season.

Chloe and Sophie worked tirelessly in the goals all day, while Keely, Chloe L, Maddison and Bella gave everything through the midcourt. Kristie, Molly and Emily were relentless in defence. Every player should be incredibly proud of their efforts.

A huge thank you goes to Tahnee, Stacey, Amy and Brodie for helping the team out on the day.

While the season may have ended two goals short of a Grand Final, this group can hold their heads incredibly high. The Bears have shown consistency, resilience, teamwork and plenty of determination throughout the entire season.

A massive thank you goes to Stacey Carroll for coaching the A Grade side this season. Stacey has had an amazing impact on this group, with every player improving and growing under her guidance. Her knowledge, commitment and belief in the team have been outstanding.

Thank you also to Sally for Team Managing, Ally for scoring and Caity for timing, and a huge thank you to Lauren for making sure the players were able to take the court each week.

B Grade

Tungamah 45 def Deni Rovers 44

A wet and windy day at Picola set the scene for a thriller in the B Grade Preliminary Final against Deni Rovers.

The Bears came out firing, settling quickly and taking a six-goal lead into quarter time. The Rovers lifted their intensity in the second term, but the Bears continued to work hard and took a two-goal advantage into half time. The third quarter consisted of tough, competitive netball, with the margin remaining at two goals at the final break.

Rovers came out strongly in the last term and took the lead, but the Bears simply refused to give in. Every player gave their absolute all, with positions changing throughout the game to the benefit of the team. The determination, versatility and teamwork of this group shone through when it mattered most.

With just five seconds on the clock, the Bears found the winning goal to secure an incredible 45–44 victory. What a finish and what a performance from this group of amazing players.

The Bears are off to the Grand Final, where they will take on Katunga next Saturday.

C Grade

Tungamah 42 def Katunga 40

Another nail-biter. These girls never make it easy and today was no different.

The girls came out strongly, taking an early lead and defending brilliantly to keep Katunga to just four goals in the first quarter. From there, it was a hard-fought battle, with both teams refusing to give an inch. At half time, the team found themselves just one goal down.

The girls continued to fight through the third, but heading into the final quarter they were still two goals behind. With the game slipping away late, the margin stretched to four, but this group simply refused to give up.

They dug deep, lifted the intensity and fought their way back to level the scores and send the game into overtime.

After falling short in overtime last time, there was no way they were letting history repeat itself. The girls held their composure, backed each other in and, with nerves of steel under the ring, finished the job with a two-goal win.

Bring on the Big Dance next week.

Under 17's

Tungamah 28 def by Deniliquin 37

What a game to finish the season.

The Under 17s took to the court for their Preliminary Final in wet, slippery conditions, and from the first whistle they showed just how much this team has grown throughout the season.

The girls found themselves four goals down at quarter time and still four down at half time, but refused to give in. By three-quarter time, they had fought their way back to within just two goals, setting up a thrilling final quarter.

It was, without doubt, the best game of the season from every single player. The girls left everything out on the court and can hold their heads incredibly high.

The attacking end continued to move beautifully, creating space and working hard to provide options. The wet conditions and bouncy goal rings made shooting difficult early, but the shooters continued to fight through the challenges.

The midcourt was relentless, with plenty of driving, talking and pressure, while the defence was on fire all day, producing countless intercepts and rebounds and never giving up on a contest.

The support from the bench was simply amazing. Every player encouraged, celebrated and lifted their teammates — a true reflection of the team culture these girls have built.

The club is incredibly proud of every one of its players.

It was also a very special day as the top-age girls — Emily, Elli, Layla, Lillie, Tayla, Charli, Melia and Abbi — took to the court for their final junior game with TFNC. It has been an absolute pleasure watching them grow, both as netballers and young women. The club wishes them all the very best as they continue their senior netball careers.

What a great 2026 it has been. So many memories, plenty of growth, and a group of girls who should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved.

Under 15's

Tungamah 25 def Mathoura 10

The finals weather took a serious turn, with the heavens opening up for this Preliminary Final.

The coaches knew that the team would need to adjust to the conditions quickly and settle into a game of basic skill execution to create opportunities to score.

The team took the early lead and built on that in the second quarter, making the most of chasing down loose balls, controlling possession and backing each other up across the court. The half-time score was 17–5.

Positional changes in the third quarter saw the Bears needing to adjust to new combinations on the court. There were ebbs and flows, with both teams struggling to convert under pressure.

The team rallied in the last quarter to finish the game strongly. The coaches are very proud of the way the team played through tough conditions, and it was a full-team effort to get the win.

The team will lock in this week at training and bring intensity and desire to the Grand Final.

Under 13's

Tungamah 29 def Deni Rovers 21

Awards: Rich Glen – Eliza Prosser, Jaycees – Charlotte Wren

The girls hit the court for their biggest game yet, with wet and slippery conditions making for a challenging Preliminary Final. Thankfully, the rain stayed away and allowed the game to go ahead.

From the opening whistle, the team showed great composure and determination. They settled into the conditions, focused on the basics and worked hard to take control of possession.

The second quarter saw the girls continue to build momentum, with plenty of pressure across the court. Loose balls were chased down, teammates backed each other up and the midcourt worked tirelessly to provide plenty of options into attack.

The third quarter saw the girls continue to work hard and adapt to the conditions, with some positional changes creating new combinations on court. The pressure remained high as both teams battled for possession, with the girls showing plenty of resilience and continuing to work for every opportunity.

The final quarter belonged to the girls as they dug deep and finished the game with plenty of energy and determination. Strong defensive pressure, clever movement through the midcourt and composed ball movement in attack helped them get the job done.

It was a fantastic whole-team performance, with every player contributing and putting the team first. The coaches couldn’t be prouder of the way the girls handled the conditions, pressure and occasion.