Sport

In-form Valley dispatches Tatura, Average Joes newcomers step up to tame the Tigers

By Josh Huntly

Nov 24, 2025

Shepparton Average Joes player Kade Madigan pummels a forehand. Photo by Megan Fisher

Decisive back-to-back victories have Shepparton Lawn The Valley nicely poised in the Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association GM1 title race.

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The Valley has surged to the top of the ladder, impressively claiming nine out of the dozen sets available for the second straight week, this time overcoming Tatura on the Grasscourt Snippers’ home court.

Valley captain Luke Dixon maintained his perfect singles record with a tone-setting 8-2 victory over Nathan Broad, but, not to be outdone, Tatura’s Jack Bassett returned serve with an identical scoreline to get the Snippers on the board.

Ben O’Brien (8-3) and Matt Carroll (8-1) tipped the scales right back in The Valley’s favour and Darcy Curtis-McDonald further inflated the margin in an 8-4 result over Georgia McKellar.

Amra Fleming pulled a set back for Tatura, but a winning streak of three doubles matches proved crucial during the middle stages for The Valley.

Broad and Bassett snatched a late set, but it was all Shepparton as an unblemished 8-0 result for O’Brien and Curtis-McDonald underscored The Valley’s superiority on the day, securing them a comprehensive 9-83 to 3-50 victory.

The Valley, 3-1 after five rounds, overtook the Velvet Tigers to claim top position on the ladder, made possible by Shepparton Lawn Average Joes’ hard-fought victory against the Nathalia Lawn tennis court natives.

The Joes had a strong start through Zach Ranson (8-1), while newcomers Kade Madigan and Tristan Baldi were victorious in their sets to cancel out Eliza Long’s 8-7 defeat of Robbie Mifka.

Leanne More (8-2) and Ellie Mifka (8-5) swept the women’s singles, though the men’s doubles combinations, headlined by Tigers duo Pat Deery and Ned Nihill’s 8-1 result over Madigan and Baldi, left the match perfectly balanced after eight sets.

Jarrod Bingham and Nihill notched a crucial five-game win, but that was sandwiched between convincing triumphs to More and Mifka, before More teamed up with Ranson to deliver the game-clinching win and third on the ladder.

The Average Joes will have a well-earned rest, while The Valley will prepare for a rematch against reigning champion Numurkah.

Tatura’s chance for a second win will come against the Velvet Tigers.