Benalla juniors fight it out in finals

Benalla continued in the second quarter with an even spread of performers with the highlights being a classy finish by Benji McKean and a long running two-bounce goal by Toby Smith. The third quarter saw Benalla continue to dominate before a strong finishing Centrals outfit finished with four goals in the last quarter.

The damage, however, had already been done, with Benalla now advancing to take on Benalla Black in another elimination game.

Angus Roscoe was phenomenal in the ruck with his tackling pressure and marking a highlight. The midfield was again impressive with captain Xavier Beriman and Jack McKenzie leading the way.

Benalla enjoy a spread of multiple goal scorers with Horne, Davies and another standout game by vice-captain Teddy Sheehan. Ted Clancy and Hudson “The Wizard” Pickering played phenomenal in defence ably assisted by their fellow backmen.

Goal kickers: Teddy Sheehan, Louis Horne, Jack Davies 2, Benji McKean, Toby Smith, Jack McKenzie, Jonathan Goodwin, Tory Woodhams.

Best players: Teddy Sheehan, Jack McKenzie, Xavier Berriman, Manny Bourke, Jack Davies, Ted Clancy.

Score:

Benalla U12s Red 11.10 (76) def

Centrals JFC U12s 5.7 (37)

U12 Benalla Black - Qualifying Final

Benalla Black kicked off their finals campaign against a strong Bright side on Sunday at Wangaratta Showgrounds. Despite a solid effort, Bright proved too polished, running out 35-point winners.

Jackson Quarrell stood tall, leading by example with a tough, hard-working performance. Max Yuen-Francis battled all day in the ruck, giving the mids every chance. Caleb Thwaites was a standout, running hard and slotting Black’s only goal.

In the middle, Ollie Ross and Tom Lambert worked tirelessly, pushing the ball forward with grit and determination. Down back, Bill Bourke was a rock in defence, never giving up.

Bright was consistent across all four quarters, pulling away with confidence in the third. Benalla Black had multiple shots on goal but couldn’t capitalise, with several shots going through for behinds. At times, they looked a little timid in the contest, but the effort was there.

With a big game against Benalla Red coming up, it’s time to reset, refocus, and bring the fire to training. Heads up, boys, the finals aren’t over yet. Benalla Black look forward to taking on home town rivals Benalla Red next week in a must win game.

Goal kickers: Caleb Thwaites.

Best players: Jackson Quarrell, Caleb Thwaites, Ollie Ross, Tom Lambert, Max Yuen-Francis, Bill Bourke.

Score:

Bright JFC U12s 7.5 (47) def

Benalla U12s Black 1.6 (12)

U14s Benalla Black vs Benalla Red – Elimination Final

Benalla Black

Black took on club mates Red in a do-or-die elimination final. Both teams agreed to play 16 players a side due to the unavailability of some of Black’s players, we thank Red coach Leigh for allowing this to happen.

Black got off to a good start with Ollie Parker kicking the first goal for the match after some slick ball movement from the midfield. Jakobi Williams was a tower of strength playing at centre half back taking some telling contested marks, Jakobi has played some great football over the past month, and it was fantastic to see this continue during the finals.

Josh Montgomery was working hard breaking the packs and driving the ball deep into attack for Black, but he needed some support from his teammates. Riley Hilton was workman-like in the ruck contesting strongly whilst being a marking option for the ball carrier.

Nicholas White worked his way into the game in and under the pack feeding the ball out to the runners as Black began to find some system. Charlie Bell ran straight lines all day burst through packs winning the disputed ball for Black.

Jack Christie had played a role down back and was moved into the forward line with immediate impact, kicking a goal. Red began to run in numbers with Black unable to match the lift in tempo, but to their credit in true Black spirit the side never gave up, with the likes of Brayden Jacobs continuing to give their all.

Although finishing strongly in the last quarter, it was too little, too late for Black with Red running out 28-point winners. We congratulate our club mates Red and wish them all the best for the remainder of the finals series.

Black U14 Coaches Damian and Zac would like to thank all players, parents and carers along with all the volunteers throughout the season. Without you all the season would not be possible.

Goal kickers: Ollie Parker 3, Riley Hilton 2, Noah Norman, Josh Montgomery, Jakobi Williams, Jack Christie.

Best players: Jakobi Williams, Josh Montgomery, Riley Hilton, Nicholas White, Charlie Bell, Brayden Jacobs.

Benalla Red

In a fantastic display of junior footy, Benalla Red and Benalla Black went head-to-head in the under 14 Elimination Final, with both teams giving their all in a game played in great spirit. From the first bounce, the contest was tight, with both sides moving the ball well and showing plenty of determination.

The scoreboard reflected the evenness of the game for much of the day, but Benalla Red managed to pull away late to secure a hard-fought 14.7 (91) to 9.9 (63) victory.

Benalla Red’s charge was led by vice captain Tom Mount, who produced his best game of the season. His leadership and relentless work around the ground inspired his teammates, setting the tone for the performance. The Red midfield worked tirelessly, linking up well and applying constant pressure, while the forwards made the most of their opportunities in front of goal.

Despite the loss, Benalla Black showed enormous heart and fight, pushing their clubmates right until the final siren. Both teams walked off the ground together in a show of unity, highlighting the strong spirit within the Benalla Junior Football Club. Benalla Red now turn their focus to another elimination final against the Kangaroos this Sunday.

Goal kickers: Tom Mount 3, Charlie Pollard, Jude Binion, Cash Nolen, Charlie Bowen 2, Jack Pollard, Sam Mount, Jack Hart.

Best players: Jude Binion, Charlie Pollard, Jack Hart, Cash Nolen, Sam Mount, Tom Mount.

Score:

Benalla U14s Black 9.9 (63) def by

Benalla U14s Red 14.7 (91)

Come and show your support this weekend

Finals Round 2, Sunday 24 August @ Wangaratta Showgrounds

8.30am – Benalla U12s Red vs Benalla U12s Black – elimination final

11.10am – Benalla U14s Red vs Kangaroos JFC U14s - elimination final.