Round 18 - Saturday August 22, 2009
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Kindra Park 2.10pm
Umpires: Luke Olsen, Rob Wilson and Noel Butland (RUA) 
Coolamon ...... 3.2 .. 10.7 .. 16.9 .. 17.13 (115) 
Griffith ........... 2.1 .. 2.4 .. 4.5 .. 5.8 (38)
GRIFFITH: Brad Woolner, Matthew Kenny, Chris Toohey; Michael Duncan, Matthew Noonan, Myles Bunn; Peter Crawford, Ben Ford, Jonathon Gastin; Casey Moore, James Fallon, James Nancarrow; Shaun Curran, Jeff Harris, Cameron Harrison; Michael Harris, Jeff Mickan, Brett Owen; Justin Wade*, Andrew Cappello, Daniel Best 
GOALS
Coolamon: J Brown 5, A McKenzie 3, M McCauley 2, B Koop, B Edyvean, S Keenan, T Garrett, W Archibald, L Maloney 
Griffith: B Owen 2, J Fallon, P Crawford 
BEST PLAYERS
Coolamon: A McKenzie, T Garrett, L Maloney, M Robinson, R Chamberlain, J Maddox 
Griffith: M Noonan, B Owen, J Fallon, P Crawford, J Mickan, M Duncan
SENIOR DEBUT: Justin Wade 

A summary of match report, with thanks
A never-say-die attitude wasn't enough to save the Griffith Swans first grade team from a crushing 74-point defeat at the hands of the Coolamon Rovers on Saturday. The Swans went into the match, the last of the Riverina Football League home and away season, with a view to upsetting the second-placed Rovers.

The local Griffith team campaign looked promising in the first quarter, with the Swans kicking two goals to the Rovers three. "We were right in there in the first quarter, but after that we blew up a little bit," said Swans captain-coach Matt Noonan. In the second quarter, it became apparent the Swans' objective was now not to win, but to rather to limit the damage.

Coolamon displayed the tactics that earned it second place on the RFL ladder, booting the myriad of goals and depriving the Swans of any chance to get the ball. "We tried to make sure the Rovers didn't run all over us and I think we did do that, even though the scores don't reflect it," Noonan said. (The loss) was a bit hard to take, but the boys put in a valid effort, and I can't fault that."

Brett Owen, James Fallon and Peter Crawford all kicked goals for the Swans, while Noonan, Owen, Fallon, Crawford, Jeff Mickan and Casey Moore were named among the Swans best players. The team will now turn its attention to next season.

"We'll have to work on getting fitter and on possession, but hopefully the committee will look to recruiting some good forwards, because the other top three or four teams have the big blokes and we've had trouble with our forward line all season," he said.

"We've got the team; we just have to fix a few things and then there's no reason we can't be in the final next year."

(By Lucy Martin - The Area News, Monday August 24, 2009).

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Eastern Hawks 8.8 (56) def by Leeton-Whitton 16.13 (109), Narrandera 11.4 (70) def by Turvey Park 32.18 (210), North Wagga 6.5 (41) def by Mangoplash-CUE 18.15 (123); SUN: Ganmain-GGM 14.8 (92) def Wagga 12.9 (81).

Reserves: Coolamon 24.17 (156) def Griffith 5.7 (37)
Goals: M Butcher, D Catanzariti, A Cappello, T Matheson, J Gastin
Best players: D Best, J Tyrell, A Cappello, G Taylor, R Lamont, M Noonan
Under 17: Coolamon def Griffith on forfeit