Round 18 - Saturday August 26, 2006
Riverina Football League
Griffith Exies Oval 2.10pm
Umpires: Scott Crowley and Simon Harrison (RUA)
Griffith ....................... 7.5 .. 10.11 .. 14.12 .. 19.20 (134)
Mangoplah-CUE ..... 0.4 .. 2.9 .. 7.10 .. 9.12 (66)
GRIFFITH: Matt Bunn, Daniel Best, Glenn Vaccari; James Toscan, Nathan Petersen-Gray, Roger Heenan; Dean Crack, Michael Duncan, Ben Ford; Daniel Meade, Joel Brown, Josh Ward; Craig Conlan, Gary Argus, Graham Foley; Jeff Mickan, Luke McLean (c-c), Matthew McDonald; David Pasin, Myles Bunn, Ashley Gardner
MANGOPLAH-COOKARDINIA UNITED-EASTLAKES: Xavier Higgins, Chris Higgins, Peter Treloar; Brett Howard, Geoff Spriggs, Stace Creasy; Luke Kendall, Neil Lawson, Adam Howard; Shaun Bennett, Sam Balding, Michael Cooke; Mitch Heydon, Barry O'Brien (c-c), Dean Howard; Nathan Johnson, Mitchell Balding, Mitch Reberger; Zeke Creasy, Stephen Wheeler, James Gorrie
GOALS
Griffith: M McDonald 3, L McLean 3, C Conlan 2, G Argus 2, J Ward 2, D Crack 2, A Gardner, M Duncan, J Mickan

D Meade, Matt Bunn
Mangoplah-CUE: B O'Brien 5, G Spriggs, M Reberger, N Johnson, N Lawson 
BEST PLAYERS
Griffith: M Duncan, Matt Bunn, J Toscan, G Foley, R Heenan, M McDonald
Mangoplah-CUE: C Higgins, N Johnson, X Higgins, S Balding, B Howard, M Balding
A summary of match report, with thanks
Following a turbulent final month of football, the Griffith Swans secured their place in the Riverina Football League finals on Saturday after dominating 68-point win against Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes at Exies Oval. The win not only secured the side's final berth but also meant they leapfrogged Narrandera and took fourth place on the ladder after Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong thumped the Eagles by 73 points on Saturday. The Swans started with a bang, scoring seven first-quarter goals to lead by 43 points at the first break - something that captain-coach Luke McLean had stressed to his side before the match.

"It's always good to play finals footy and we did a good job and fought hard," McLean said. "Now we have to keep winning because if we lose, we're out - it's very, very simply." The home side then continued the rout in the second quarter and extended the lead to 50 points.

However, as in previous rounds, the Swans were guilty of letting their opposition off the hook in the third term but stormed home in the fourth quarter to finish with a five goal to two run. McLean praised the Swans 2006 best and fairest Mick Duncan for his influence on Saturday's game. "I can't speak highly enough of him. He probably had his best game of the year,' McLean said.

(By Will Gilroy -The Area News, Monday August 28, 2006).

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Eastern Hawks 22.19 (151) def Coolamon 21.10 (136), Narrandera 12.9 (81) def by Ganmain-GGM 23.16 (154); SUN: Turvey Park 16.19 (115) def Leeton-Whitton 5.12 (42).

 
Reserves: Mangoplah-CUE 15.9 (99) def Griffith 10.14 (74)
Goals: J Harris 3, R Agresta 2, C Lugton 2, M Harris, W Tyndall, L Cavallo
Best players: D Scott, A Chalmers, N Kite, N Campbell, R Frkovic, G Minchin
Under 18: Mangoplah-CUE 16.9 (105) def Griffith 3.2 (20)
Goals: K Hicken, M Patterson, J Tyrell
Best players: J Smith, T Harrington, A Chalmers, N McGrath, J Gastin, D McGreal