Tongala A-grade: Ready for their grand final match up with Mulwala are (from left) Alyce Bower, Corey Drennan, Sienna Johnstone, coach Grace Hammond, Halle Gray, Gemma Brennan, Chelsey Wright, Alicia White, Meg Brennan and Milly Brock. Photos: Tracey Hughes Photography
Tongala has a shock grand final match-up with Mulwala on Saturday at Moama Recreation Reserve after top-of-the-ladder Deniliquin Rams was knocked out of the Murray Netball League A-grade premiership race.
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The Blues defeated Deniliquin for the first time in 2023 in the qualifying semi-final, winning by nine goals.
Then, on Saturday in the preliminary final, Mulwala defeated the Rams by two goals.
In round 18, Tongala was an eight-goal winner against Mulwala, having won the round 12 match-up by 14 goals.
Tongala goes in as favourite, but is aware of the potential for an upset given the straight sets exit of Deniliquin.
Mulwala finished the season fourth with a 13-5 win/loss record, but has a strong defence capable of matching it with the Tongala attacking unit.
* Moama and Tongala B-grade teams will meet for a fourth time this season in the grand final, the Magpies having won all three games so far.
In round three, they beat the Blues by 22 goals, in round 15 the margin was 20 and in the qualifying semi-final it was a 19-goal win to Moama.
Tongala recovered to win the preliminary by eight goals against Deniliquin, confirming its status as the second team (finishing with a 14-3 win/loss record after the home and away rounds).
Moama has not been beaten and has an attacking unit which has scored almost 200 more goals than Tongala and given away more than 100 less goals for the season.
* Moama will also go into the C-grade grand final with Tongala as the raging favourite, having won all of its 16 goals this season.
There is not much between the teams statistically, Tongala having scored 23 more goals then Moama and held opponents to one less goal.
Tongala has lost twice this season to the Magpies. The first by one goal round three, the second by 19 goals.
In the qualifying semi-final, Moama won by 14 goals against the Blues.
This weekend will be the fourth meeting for 2023 after Tongala defeated Deniliquin 53-27.
