Round 5 - Sunday May 9, 2004
Riverina Football League
Venue: Maher Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Rob Wilson, Duncan Potts and Darrin Tyson (RUA)
Turvey Park ..... 6.4 .. 10.5 .. 13.7 .. 14.9 (93)
Griffith .............. 1.5 .. 3.9 .. 7.11 .. 13.16 (94)
TURVEY PARK: Brad Walker, Jeff Fletcher, John Hoey; Anthony Craig, Doug McLean, Paul Donaldson; Truman Carroll, Blair Campbell, Tyrone Naughtin; Mitchell Sykes, Warren Sykes, Mitch Daniher; Jamie Pitt, James Elliott, Josh Kennedy; Michael Wilson, Andrew Loughman, Dane Campbell; Dale Isaac, Daniel Majman, Luke Webb
GRIFFITH: Myles Bunn, Simon Spiers, Daniel Best; Jason Hampel, Damien Scott, Jeff Mickan; Brett Owen, Rodney Duncan, Ben Ford; Jamie Bennett, Rodney Simpkin, Michael Duncan; Ashley Gardner, David Curran, Greg Tyack*; Ben Wade, Matthew McDonald, Shane Pound; Rick Frkovic, Trent Bradley, Mathew Crack*
GOALS
Turvey Park: J Pitt 7, M Sykes 2, J Elliott 2, M Daniher, W Sykes, D Campbell
Griffith: A Gardner 2, D Curran 2, M Duncan 2, J Bennett 2, M Crack 2, S Pound, J Mickan, M McDonald
BEST PLAYERS
Turvey Park: J Hoey, B Campbell, M Daniher, D Campbell, J Pitt, A Loughman
Griffith: J Hampel, R Simpkin, Myles Bunn, B Ford, B Wade
SENIOR DEBUT: Mathew Crack, Greg Tyack
A summary of match report, with thanks
With 12 minutes to go in the third quarter yesterday, Turvey Park led Griffith by 50 points. They lost by one. Mathew Crack lived every footballer's dream, booting a goal from outside 50 metres at the 32-minute mark of the last quarter at Maher Oval. Before the boundary umpire could collect the ball, the siren went, and Griffith took the points 13.16 (94) to 14.9 (93).

In a grand final rematch few would have predicted could go Turvey's way, the young Bulldogs played excellent football in the first half to take a commanding 38-point lead at the main break. Kicking three of the first four goals in the third term, Turvey Park looked set for its second win of the season as they led by 50 points at the 18-minute mark. But something happened. Griffith woke up.

Booting three goals in 10 minutes, including a brilliant soccer goal to Mick Duncan, the Swans had a sniff. With the wind at their back, out-injured coach Adrian Burns told his team to run hard and kick long. "We have to run the ball if we want to peg them back," Burns said.

"They're tiring and we are getting into gear." And Griffith got into gear. They started the last quarter with a goal inside 15 seconds and booted another one four minutes later. A Mick Duncan major one minute later put the Swans just 13 points down and within reach of one of the most remarkable comebacks in the Riverina Football League. Rodney Simpkin and ruckman Dave Curran were the driving force for Griffith and another goal with 10 minutes to go put Griffith down by just five points.

But Turvey didn't give up. Searching for a much-needed goal, the Bulldogs stretched the Griffith defence but could not come up with the knockout blow. The Swans started to waste the football and when Jamie Pitt threaded a left foot snap from a tight angle, his seventh for the game, it looked like Turvey had the points. Matt McDonald had other ideas though and kicked truly to reduce the margin to five points again before Crack's last second heroics. Burns was almost lost for words after the match.

"I'm wrapped, that was a great comeback," he said. "To fight back from there was incredible and it shows the character and passion of this team. They never gave up and I think a win like this will bring the team closer together for the rest of the season."

(By Dane Fuller - The Area News, Monday May 10, 2004).

​

OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Coolamon 28.20 (188) def Eastern Hawks 10.7 (67); SUN: Ganmain-GGM 21.21 (147) def Mangoplah-CUE 9.7 (61), Leeton-Whitton 13.14 (92) def Narrandera 12.18 (90)

Reserves: Griffith 14.10 (94) def Turvey Park 10.5 (65)
Goals: M Smith 5, M Scott 2, K Duncan 2, M Molloy 2, J Moat, Reece Hill, Chris Conlan
Best players: R Male, C Conlan, M Smith, K Duncan, A Trotter
Under 18: Turvey Park 25.18 (168) def Griffith 0.3 (3)
Best players: D Catanzariti, T Matheson, P Bugno, R Newman, K Duncan