Round 17 - Saturday August 15, 2009
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Griffith Exies Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Gene Hodgins, Paul Smith and Bob Neighbour (RUA) 
Griffith ................ 1.2 .. 6.3 .. 9.5 .. 13.9 (87) 
Narrandera ...... 4.2 .. 8.4 .. 11.8 .. 12.14 (86)
GRIFFITH: Myles Bunn, James Smith, Simon Spiers; James Fallon, Matthew Noonan, Matthew Kenny; James Nancarrow, Mathew Crack, Jason Bertacco; Jonathon Gastin, Shaun Curran, Dean Crack; Jeff Harris, Michael Duncan, Brett Owen; Michael Harris, Jeff Mickan, Ben Ford; Kris Duncan, Brad Woolner, Casey Moore
NARRANDERA IMPERIAL: Matthew Bolton, Chris Smith, Andrew Ellis; Peter Bloomfield, Jonathon Doyle, Pat Mulquinny; Shaun Gehringer, Nic Hetherington, Toby Orme; Jamie Grintell (c-c), Chris Walsh, Luke Paterson; Jack Trainer, Ian Donaldson, Zane Litchfield; Brett Powell, Dean Hopwood, Dale Hugo; Jason Mimmo, Jonathon Dawson, Mark Flack 
GOALS
Griffith: M Duncan 3, K Duncan 2, J Harris 2, B Owen 2, M Crack, J Mickan, S Curran, J Nancarrow 
Narrandera: I Donaldson 4, T Orme 3, J Grintell 2, J Trainer, J Mimmo, D Hugo 
BEST PLAYERS
Griffith: J Bertacco, M Bunn, S Curran, M Duncan, J Smith, B Owen 
Narrandera: A Ellis, D Hopwood, I Donaldson, T Orme, J Grintell, P Mulquiny .

A summary of match report, with thanks
With the seconds running down and the Griffith Swans desperately making one final push up field, midfield dynamo Brett Owen quickly became a hero for the local side kicking a goal after the siren to seal a dramatic one-point win at Exies Oval on Saturday.

Despite neither side holding the short-term future of their clubs in its hands, both the Swans and the Eagles were desperate to prove they deserve to be in the Riverina Football League. But when Owen marked 30 metres out and threaded the needle, the goal sparked wild celebrations among the home crowd as Griffith scored a moral victory.

Swans coach Matt Noonan said his players kept faith they could overrun the Eagles in the last quarter, despite not being as efficient as they would have liked until the final term. "For the whole day it was a game of opportunities, and in the last quarter they could have had three more goals, but they missed them, and it was the same with us, Mick Duncan missed one 30 metres out straight in front," Noonan said.

 The Eagles will be left ruing their missed opportunities in the final term, with the visitors kicking 1.6, compared to the late run (by the Swans) that was started by ruckman Shaun Curran's goal.

Jimmy Nancarrow kept up the momentum going for the home side, converting on the run to set up Owen's final second heroics. 
The home side's returning stars shone on Saturday, with Duncan kicking three goals and proving to be a handful for the Eagles around the ground, while Curran dominated the ruck.  "He (Curran) played well, I think his hamstring is still a bit sore, but he battled through the game, and he gave us the first use of the ball and he and Axe (Michael Harris) won a lot of the ruck and at one stage they were feeding off us, but we just had to get a bit harder and get the ball in the hand first," Noonan said.

Ian Donaldson and Toby Orme provided the bulk of Narrandera's goals with four and three goals respectively, but the club's inaccuracy cost them to seem them finish in sixth place for the season. (By Scott Hazlewood - Monday August 17, 2009).

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Mangoplah-CUE 13.3 (81) def by Coolamon 17.16 (118), Wagga 15.19 (109) def North Wagga 4.4 (28); SUN: Leeton-Whitton 7.13 (55) def Ganmain 7.8 (50), Turvey Park 25.10 (160) def Eastern Hawks 4.5 (29).

Reserves: Narrandera 9.11 (65) def Griffith 8.8 (56)
Goals: G Argus 4, A Cappello, G Dreyer, L Catanzariti, J Wade
Best players: D Best, B Alban, C Lugton, L Catanzariti 
Under 17: Narrandera 20.20 (140) def Griffith 7.5 (47)
Goals: C Moore 2, T Valeri 2, H Porter, A Tarr, D Bartter
Best players: C Niven, C Moore, F Bruton, H Porter, D Bartter, S Brennan