It was an exciting contest from start to finish, with both sides throwing everything into the battle and neither team willing to give an inch.
Momentum swung throughout the match, with Finley and Tongala trading passages of strong football in a contest that kept supporters on the edge of their seats.
As the pressure mounted in the final stages, Finley showed tremendous composure to hold their lead when it mattered most.
Tongala continued to push right until the final siren, but the Finley Reserves held firm to secure a memorable one-point victory.
The narrow win sees Finley advance to the next stage of the finals taking on Congupna this Sunday while Tongala’s season comes to an end.
It was a fantastic finals contest that had everything - intensity, pressure and plenty of excitement - with Finley ultimately doing enough to get the job done when it counted.
Final score: Finley 6.2 (38) def Tongala 5.7 (37).
Goals: Paul Massingham 2, Liam Rafferty 2, Lachy Hawkins 2.
Best: Cameron Isedale, Lachy Hawkins, Jordan Sykes, Liam Rafferty, Jack Miley, Marcus Anderson.
Netball
Under-17s: Finley 31 def by Echuca 65
Going into the match the players knew it was going to be tough, and for a few of the girls it was a first final so the nerves were definitely there.
Finley’s enthusiasm was evident, but unfortunately Echuca pulled away in the second quarter and were able to secure their next finals spot.
Credit to each of the Finley girls on court giving it their all and making sure they left all they had out there.
C-reserve: Finley 20 def by Nathalia 69
An undermanned Finley team had only seven players and no bench, with at one stage only six players on the court.
As a result, some team members had to play in positions they were not familiar with.
Regardless, the team fought hard to the very end, and the players gave it their all, but were no match for a strong Nathalia side.
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