Round 8 - Saturday May 30, 2009
Riverina Football Netball League
Venue: Narrandera Sportsground 2.10pm
Umpires: ----
Narrandera .... 6.1 .. 7.2 .. 9.5 .. 11.7 (73) 
Griffith ............ 2.2 .. 6.5 .. 8.9 .. 9.12 (66)
NARRANDERA IMPERIAL: Peter Bloomfield, Ben Davis, Luke Patterson; Liam Richmond, Jonathon Doyle, Andrew Ellis; Jorden Morris, Nic Hetherington, Zac Beaumont; Zane Litchfield, Brett Powell, Tim Matheson; Chris Walsh, Dean Hopwood, Jamie Grintell (c-c); Jonathon Dawson, Stuart Hutchins, Dale Hugo; Hayden Hutchins, Mark Ivanoff, Pat Mulquiny 
GRIFFITH: Royce Johns, James Smith, Simon Spiers; Andrew Cappello, Matthew Noonan, James Fallon; Ben Ford, Jonathon Gastin, Jason Bertacco; James Nancarrow, Rodney Simpkin, Dean Crack; Shaun Curran, Aaron Cocks, Kris Duncan; Michael Harris, Jeff Mickan, Myles Bunn; Michael Tyndall, Matthew Kenny, Cameron Harrison 
GOALS
Narrandera: B Powell 3, J Grintell 3, D Hugo, L Richmond, S Hutchins, Z Litchfield, M Ivanoff 
Griffith: A Cocks 5, R Simpkin 2, D Crack, S Curran 
BEST PLAYERS
Narrandera: P Bloomfield, D Hopwood, L Patterson, N Hetherington, J Dawson, J Grintell 
Griffith: S Curran, S Spiers, M Bunn, J Mickan, J Smith, A Cappello
Reports: Kris Duncan for allegedly kneeing Jonathon Doyle of Narrandera - dismissed.

A summary of match report, with thanks
Griffith officials will have to get their calculators out with the side only a mathematical chance of making the Riverina Football League finals, after losing by only seven points to Narrandera. The game was the last chance the Swans had of making the post-season matches on the back of their own results. But now they will have to rely on kind results and wins in every game for the rest of the season to be any hope of scraping into the finals after the gut-wrenching loss.

Swans coach Gerard Toscan said he road every glitch as the Swans simply turned over the ball in crucial situation too often. "There were a lot of stupid and frustrating turnovers, but they battled out really hard, we were good enough to win, but just couldn't," Toscan said.

"A few things went against us but that's always going to happen, but Aaron Cocks kicked five goals and he took a mark for number six, but it was punched out of his hands and not paid. "It was just one of those things; Narrandera did some bad turnovers as well, but in the end slightly less mistakes their way."
Griffith missed the services of Brett Owen badly, but strong games from ruckman Shaun Curran, Myles Bunn and Jimmy Nancarrow gave the visitors a sniff at a crucial come-from-behind win. In-fact, Curran only arrived at the ground 20 minutes before the first bounce, but Toscan has faith in the big man that he would be able to put his interrupted preparation behind him.

"I said to him (Curran) don't worry about this, I have done the same thing (arriving late) and you have these ripper games when you don't have time to think, you just go out there and play, and he had an absolute ripper," he said. Cocks continued to be a target up forward for the Swans as they started the long climb off the canvas, and at one stage levelled the scores in the later term with victory in sight.

But one last straight kick by the Eagles was enough to keep their own finals hopes alive, forcing Toscan to again face the reality Griffith only has an outside shot at playing finals football. "We've got the bye this coming week, but we've got everyone coming back after that Mick Duncan, Michael Johns, Brett Owen and others and while ever we can automatically make it, we'll keep thinking about the finals."

"Until we can't make it, when we get to the point the club will get together with the committee and look at the future direction of the club."

(By Scott Hazlewood  - The Area News, Monday June 1, 2009).  

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OTHER MATCHES - SAT: Eastern Hawks 7.5 (47) def by Turvey Park 13.17 (95), North Wagga 4.6 (30) def by Wagga 18.26 (134); SUN: Coolamon 6.10 (46) drew with Mangoplah-CUE 5.16 (46), Ganmain-GGM 15.6 (96) def Leeton-Whitton 10.10 (70). 

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Reserves: Narrandera 17.15 (117) def Griffith 4.9 (33)
Goals: C Lugton, N Campbell, J Tyrell, B Alban
Best players: B Woolner, R Best, G Taylor, L Catanzariti, J Wade, C Lugton
Under 17: Narrandera 29.12 (187) def Griffith 2.3 (15)
Goals: A Parr, A Tarr
Best players: C Moore, C Burge, A Demeyer, B McRae, A Tarr, C Hutchins