After heading into the Picola finals series with every single side qualifying, the Deniliquin Rovers have five teams still in the hunt for grand final glory.
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The fourths footballers and the A-grade, C-grade, under-17s and under-15s netballer will play in the last game of the season this Saturday at Mathoura.
Four teams were eliminated after the preliminary finals at the weekend.
Results are as follows:
Football
Reserves
The sun was out and the Blighty footy ground was looking magnificent. Barooga won the toss and elected to go with the breeze in the first quarter.
The pressure was on early, with both sides moving the ball quickly. Rovers didn’t allow Barooga to make the most of the strong breeze, restricting them to just two goals, while applying plenty of scoreboard pressure themselves with 1.1.
The second quarter was just as hard-fought, with Rovers putting on a couple of goals while Barooga kicked 1.1 for the quarter.
The third quarter opened up a bit, however it was Barooga, with the breeze, who took control, kicking five goals to two.
Barooga were able to maintain the quick pace in the last quarter, while the Rovers seemed to slow a little.
Barooga won the quarter and the game, booking themselves a place in the grand final.
Jack Pekin kicked two goals for the day, with Bailey Caruso, Damian Hope and Harry Mcilwain kicking one each.
The Rovers backline stood up, doing everything they could to keep the team in the game, with Daniel Mison named best on ground, alongside fellow backmen Dylan Mills, Sam Richardson and Alex Rourke.
Andrew Simpson did the majority of the ruck work and was among the best, while Brad Taylor had another good game in the midfield.
Final score: Deni Rovers 6.9 (45) def by Barooga 10.3 (63).
Thirds
Pre-game, you could tell the lads were in for a big game against Berrigan.
Things started with all the pressure and tempo you would expect from a preliminary final when second played fourth.
Rovers overcame an early onslaught from the Saints, resulting in just five points in the first quarter.
The Rovers stood strong and were able to kick straight, adding 2.1 in retaliation.
In the second term, the wind died right down, removing any advantage Berrigan had enjoyed in the first.
Unfortunately, the Rovers were unable to impose themselves in the forward line. But the defensive unit stood tall, keeping Berrigan to just two majors.
The on-field pressure resulted in six behinds being scored.
After the half-time break, things were quite even in the third quarter, with Deni adding a single major while keeping Berrigan to just two behinds.
In the final term, the challenge was set. Needing a come-from-behind effort to continue their season, the lads finished very well, with both sides adding 4.2 for the quarter.
Unfortunately, the Rovers lads were beaten on the day.
Final score: Deni Rovers 7.3 (45) def by Berrigan 8.16 (64).
Goals: Ryan Squires 2, Callan Glenn, Isaac Behsman, Lincoln Meharry, Archer Moodie, Dannon Leetham.
Best: Jacob Holton, Ryan Squires, Reece King, Liam Taylor, Archer Moodie and Noah Dunn.
Fourths
Rovers started well in their preliminary final against Tungamah, kicking two goals into the wind.
Taj McCully and Ged O’Donnell were on fire in the middle of the ground, while Harry Rennie and Connor Sampson were on top on the wings.
Down back, Carter Sartore and Henry Campion, playing his 50th game for Rovers, were both playing well.
But it was the second quarter that put the game out of Tungamah’s reach, with Rovers slamming on five goals to none. Rovers led by 40 points at half-time.
The second half was a much tighter contest, but Rovers stuck to their guns and held their lead.
Jed Fitzmaurice and Callan Leiper were gaining plenty of possessions around the ground, Angus Knuckey was controlling half-back, and Ryan Bulmer was getting better as the game wore on.
Up forward, Lucas Braybon kicked his fourth goal for the game as the Rovers ran out 64-point winners to book their place in the grand final.
Final score: Deni Rovers 10.12 (72) def Tungamah 1.2 (8).
Goals: Lucas Braybon 4, Harry Rennie, Jack Brown, Callan Leiper, Cormick Hardman, Carter Sartore, Jed. Fitzmaurice
Best: Taj McCully, Ged O'Donnell, Jed Fitzmaurice, Lucas Braybon, Harry Rennie, Carter Sartore.
Netball
A-grade: Deni Rovers 42 def Tocumwal 35.
The Rovers have booked their spot in the grand final after a fantastic win over Tocumwal at Blighty.
The girls played with great intensity and determination from start to finish.
The defensive trio worked incredibly hard, putting pressure on Tocumwal and shutting down a lot of their ball.
Through the midcourt, the girls made some really good decisions in transition and did a great job of moving the ball with patience and purpose.
At the other end, the Rovers’ shooters worked tirelessly and showed great composure and confidence, especially when the pressure was on.
Players’ player - Pip Metcalfe.
B-grade: Deni Rovers 44 def by Tungamah 45.
Saturday was a game of heart, fight and determination as the Rovers’ B-grade girls took on Tungamah at Picola.
Our girls took a little while to settle in the opening quarter, and Tungamah capitalised on a few costly errors, taking a seven-goal lead into the first break. But the Deni girls weren’t done.
With some positional changes and a renewed energy, the Rovers came out firing in the second quarter.
They lifted, fought for every ball and chipped away at the margin, heading into half-time just two goals down. From there, it was an absolute battle.
Goal-for-goal, contest after contest - every pass mattered and every intercept mattered.
Unfortunately, the final whistle blew with the Rovers just one goal short.
Players’ player - Britt Kirby.
C-grade: Deni Rovers 34 def Dookie United 21.
The Rovers knew Dookie was going to be a tough opponent on Saturday, as one of few teams Deni lost to during the season.
And with the rain pouring from the first whistle, the girls were in for a battle.
The conditions were brutal, with the girls drenched almost instantly and a heavy, slippery ball making every possession a challenge.
But the Rovers knew they needed to play a clean, strong and controlled game and that’s exactly what they did. They came out firing and took control early.
The defensive pressure from Shanè Bothma, Catie Lewis, Montana Muldoon-Leetham and Erika Martin was outstanding, forcing Dookie to fight for every ball and every goal.
At the attacking end, Till Glowrey, Abby Whitehorn, Brittany Edwards, Elly Blake and Taylor Wilkinson held strong despite the weather and the pressure from Dookie.
They worked hard to maintain possession and continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Rovers continued to build their lead and, when Dookie tried to fight their way back into the game in the second half, the damage had already been done.
Under-17s: Deni Rovers 37 def Tungamah 28.
What a wonderful effort from the under-17s girls, who came away with a hard-fought win in Saturday’s prelim.
The girls showed plenty of composure, determination and belief when it mattered most.
To see this group reach a grand final is a fantastic reward for the commitment and effort they have put in throughout the season.
Under-15s: Deni Rovers 39 def Dookie United 21.
The under-15s produced a beautifully structured four-quarter game of netball on Sunday against Dookie, coming away with a convincing win.
The girls all played their roles with determination and intent, with each player stepping up when it mattered.
With great balance, quick hands and strong movement, the under-15s transitioned the ball beautifully and fed their shooters with confidence.
Their full-court defensive pressure was relentless, while the shooters delivered with precision and composure.
Under-13s: Tungamah 29 def Deni Rovers 21.
In what was a challenging and well fought game, the under-13s went down in their preliminary final against minor premiers Tungamah on Saturday.
Starting the match in wet conditions, the girls did well to execute their game plan of a settled first quarter, finishing just short 7-5.
The second and third quarters proved difficult, with Tungamah getting on two scoring runs to create a wide lead of 24-11.
The final quarter was the highlight of the game. With nothing to lose and a focus on having fun, the girls were able to win the last quarter and put up an impressive 10 goals.
Unfortunately the momentum was unable to get us over the line.