Round 13 - Saturday July 10, 2010
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Mangoplah Sportsground 2.10pm
Umpires: Chris Moore and Wayne Smith (RUA)
Mangoplah-CUE .... 4.3 .. 6.4 .. 11.7 .. 15.12 (102) 
Griffith ..................... 2.3 .. 6.7 .. 7.7 .. 10.9 (69)
GRIFFITH: Ben McRae, Craig Lugton, Dean Catanzariti; Matthew Kenny, Matthew Noonan, Tim Matheson; Luke Humphries, Mathew Crack, Luke Piccolo; Dean Crack, Josh Whelan, Jonathon Gastin; Cameron Harrison, Matthew Hogan, Kris Duncan; Jeff Mickan, James Fallon, Alex Overs; Peter Crawford, Brad Woolner, Jack Tyrell
GOALS
Mangoplah-CUE: L Thompson 4, G Reid 3, J Phillips 2, C Willis 2, S Burge, Michael Byrne, G Noye, S Balding 
Griffith: J Fallon 3, J Whelan 2, J Gastin 2, M Crack, J Mickan, K Duncan
BEST PLAYERS
Mangoplah-CUE: G Reid, J Killalea, S Creasy, N Baggio, G Spriggs, Michael Byrne
Griffith: M Crack, J Mickan, T Matheson, C Lugton, A Overs, J Fallon
A summary of match report, with thanks
“The effort was there,” veteran Swans player Jeff Mickan said of his team’s 102-69 loss to Mangoplah- Cookardinia United-Eastlakes on Saturday. Despite the game still not breaking the Swans’ woeful 10-game losing streak, Mickan said the match was one of their best games for the year. “We played a good brand of footy,” Mickan said. “We played a good running game, and it worked well for us.

The forwards were taking marks and the midfield and defence also played well.” Despite having three of their top players out due to injury, the team held their own against MCUE, even leading the classy side 43-36 at half-time.

“As bad as a loss is, this is the best we’ve had,” Mickan said. “It was definitely a confidence booster, especially with three or more better players out and it put us in good stead for the last five games of the season.”

The last time the two teams met, Mango sent the Swans’ packing with an embarrassing 102-point thrashing and while Mickan admitted MCUE weren’t at their best, the performance put forward by the Swans was a huge step forward. “It’s definitely an improvement in effort,” the veteran player said. “I wouldn’t pick out a player that didn’t give everything and we should take a lot from that.”
While the local side got off to a slow start, kicking only two goals to the Goannas’ four, they went on the attack in the second quarter and jumped ahead to the lead the home side 43-36. But the Swans couldn’t shake their third quarter curse and lost both their momentum and possession, giving the deadly Mangoplah forwards opportunity to put five more through the big sticks.

While Griffith started to get back on track in the last quarter, it wasn’t enough to catch MCUE and they went to the bell five goals down. Going into the game, the Swans knew MCUE’s captain-coach Chris Willis would be dangerous after kicking eight goals last round.

But Mickan said coach Matt Noonan took the threat out of the game and didn’t let the star forward any opportunity for a repeat performance.

(By Emily Tinker – The Area News, Monday July 12, 2010).

 

OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Leeton-Whitton 13.3 (81) def Turvey Park 7.12 (54), Narrandera  6.5 (41) def by Wagga 14.16 (100); SUN: Coolamon 4.4 (28) def by Ganmain-GGM 10.13 (73).

Reserves: Mangoplah-CUE 8.11 (59) d Griffith 6.3 (39)
Goals: D Best 2, D Catanzariti, N Campbell, S Foscarini, J Ryan  
Best players: G Taylor, J Tyrell, B Woolner, J Collins, S Foscarini, D Best 
Under 17: Mangoplah-CUE 12.11 (83) d Griffith 6.6 (42)
Goals: J Parr 2, P Whittard 2, P Rose, C Moore 
Best players: J Tyndall, T Valeri, P Rose, S Nascimben, C Moore, M Griffin