James Murphy
The Western Border Football League stamped its authority on Saturday’s Limestone Coast Regional Carnival at Kongorong.
Competing in the Under 15 and Under 17.5 divisions, the league claimed the representative honours for both grades.
The Under 17.5 side was coached to victory by Ben Hardy and started its campaign with a strong win over the Mid South Eastern Football League.
They wasted no time setting themselves up in the 53-point triumph, where they held MSEFL to a single behind over two 22-minute halves.
Eventual Under 17.5 player of the carnival and captain of the WBFL team Kalan Shanks was in fine form to lead his side to the win.
Harry Wright was the focal point in front of goal with three for the match, while Jacob Todd also popped up with two in a strong display to start the carnival.
The win set up a finals-like clash with the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League in the last junior fixture of the day.
The KNTFL had also claimed victory over MSEFL, with a 39-11 point result.
As such a close contest was expected between the two leagues and spectators were not disappointed.
Western Border started well to open the scoring and hold the early lead.
However, KNTFL did not bow down and worked their way back into the half.
With eight minutes left KNTFL scored its third goal to bring it back to a one-point game.
Another major before the break put them in front and WBFL trailed 19-24 at the change.
It set up an exciting second half, with Hardy proud of the efforts shown by his Western Border boys.
“KNT fought it back and got in front at half time, but we just changed a few things and the boys really responded to that,” he said.
“We put some emphasis on our older guys in the midfield to play a role for the whole half – and they did that.”
When Jacob Todd converted from a set shot a few minutes into the second term he handed Western Border a lead it would not give up.
In fact, WBFL piled on five consecutive goals in a purple patch of football to seemingly put the game to rest.
However, KNTFL refused to back down and kicked the last three goals of the game to keep the pressure on.
It was not quite enough to push them over the line and WBFL emerged eight-point victors, 50-42.
Wright was named best-on-ground for WBFL in that clash, with his efforts in the ruck in the second half earning valuable clearances to set up the win.
Harry Fisher and Nelson Forbes bagged two goals each, while Joe Judd and Lochie Thiele also impressed.
Thiele performed consistently across the day and earned the Under 17.5 WBFL league MVP award.
Hardy could not have been happier with the results and was proud to put on a strong display as a league.
“Western Border junior football is in a pretty strong and healthy place so it was good to show everyone where we are as a league,” he said.
With top-age players kitting up at junior level for the last time, Hardy said it was the perfect finish to their junior representative careers.
He said Shanks was a deserving recipient of the player of the carnival accolade.
“The big thing for him was he wanted to be a great leader and show his leadership and I felt like he did that,” Hardy said.
“Tyler Harris stood out across the day as well playing the small forward role and Keenan Dwyer in the back half was fantastic as well.”
However, with 12 players named in the Under 17.5 team of the carnival, there was no shortage of strong performances on the day.
KNTFL was best represented by Tom Anderson across their two games and he earned the MVP award for his league, while the Mid South East prize went to Robe’s Flynn Peel.
UNDER 17.5 TEAM OF THE CARNIVAL
FF – Brock Summerhayes; FP – Harry Wright, Nelson Forbes; HFF – Jackson Bowden, Billy Wiese; CHF – Cooper McCully; Wing – Angus McKenzie, Angus Clarke; Centre – Tom Anderson; HBF – Flynn Peel, Kalan Shanks; CHB – Ellis Cushion; BP – Joe Judd, Keenan Dwyer; FB – Lochie Thiele; Ruck – Cal Sparkes; Ruck Rover – Eli Redman; Rover – Aaron Zerk; INT – Makenzie Pickering, Jack Hagget, Harry Schroeder, Tyler Harris, Mitch Harrold.
