Young Pigeons secure grand final spot

Both sides were ready to put their body on the line to gain a grand final spot.

The pressure was from the off set in the first quarter.

Stoppages were constant and everyone drove hard to get to the contest.

The ball was flying down both ends until North Albury pulled it together to snag a goal with 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

Finnin George applied great tackling pressure, which opened scoring opportunities. North Albury also had a few more opportunities as the quarter ended.

At the start of the second quarter, Louis Hargreaves worked well with the forward line to get a goal that would edge the Pigeons in-front.

North Albury was left behind, scoring only a few points for the quarter.

Some good play across the field and solid tackles were shown from both North Albury and Yarrawonga.

The ball was constantly kept to the sidelines, giving the coaches a bit of a scare, with a few too many handballs and short kicks seen.

The backline kept going, stopping goals and key players to keep the low scoring game to 9-9 each.

At half-time, the coaches kept the message clear; longer kicks equalled more scoring opportunities.

Positivity radiated around the group as they trotted out for a tough second half. Clearances were great throughout, and everyone had a crack.

Finnin scored a great goal and the rest of the team was ready to celebrate.

A few more scoring opportunities came up as the Under 12’s kept driving the ball towards the goal square.

The momentum was strong in the third and fourth quarter, and everyone kept striving for the win, barely letting North Albury get away.

The forwards and midfielders worked well together to create more minor scores, and the backline continued to push the ball back into the 50.

Ryder Briffa worked hard across the midfield, scoring a goal to reward his efforts, locking in the win.

Goals: R. Briffa, F. George, L. Hargreaves.

Best: F. George, R. Briffa, L. Hargreaves, N. Liddell, L. Kelly, J. Oughton.