All junior teams travelled to Wangaratta on Saturday, July 20 for the Reds to take on the Kangaroos and Black to play the Junior Magpies, with Benalla winning four of the five games on the day.
Under-12s: Benalla Red vs Kangaroos
Benalla Red took on a fifth-placed Kangaroos side.
Alby Dickson saved the day on multiple occasions with desperate play on the last line of defence.
Benalla’s bench was filled by Auskick stars all of whom impacted the game with determination and skill.
Captain and vice-captain Jack Hart and Samuel Mount produced amazing football to drag their side back into the contest.
Georgia Trethowan provided the highlight of the match, slotting an impressive goal, sealing the come-from-behind victory.
Score: Benalla Red 5.0 (30) def Kangaroos 4.3 (27).
Goals: Jack Hart 2, Jack McKenzie, Georgia Trethowan, Thomas Snell.
Best: Jack Hart, Samuel Mount, Angus Roscoe, Alby Dickson, Thomas Snell, Archie Evans.
Under-12s: Benalla Black v Junior Magpies
Co-captains Ollie Parker and Josh Bamford won the toss and kicked with the wind.
Benalla got off to a great start, kicking the first three goals of the game. The second quarter was low-scoring.
With regular ruck Jakobi Williams going down with concussion, Poppy Wilson and Max Yeun-Francis put up great fight in the ruck.
At half-time, coaches urged the players to keep attacking. Benalla got on top in the second half to run out a 29-point victor.
Score: Benalla Black 6.6 (42) def Junior Magpies 2.1 (13).
Goals: Oliver Parker 4, Caleb Thwaites, Jack Davies.
Best Players: Oliver Parker, Max Yeun-Francis, Caleb Thwaites, Jimmy Jackson, Matthew White, Ryan Lindsay.
Under-14s: Benalla Red v Kangaroos
The crowd drew collective breath through a combination of relief and admiration after witnessing the Nick Riewoldt-esque courageous mark by Benalla Reds skipper Harry Skelton.
Riley McCarthy played one of his best games for the year.
Noah Hogan, Xavier DeFazio, Charlie Pollard, Jack Pollard and Harry Skelton won the clearances from stoppages, and battled through relentless hard-work and cunning strategy.
Charlie Bowen returned to form with a dashing run, and Cash Nolan played a ripper first half of footy.
Arguably Red’s best game for the season, with plenty to look forward to over the next few weeks.
Score: Benalla Red 1.5 (11) def by Kangaroos 9.14 (68).
Goals: Harry Skelton.
Best: Noah Hogan, Riley McCarthy, Harry Skelton, Xavier De Fazio, Jack Pollard, Charlie Bowen.
Under-14s: Benalla Black v Junior Magpies
Black took on Wangaratta Magpies in a curtain-raiser for the Murray Bushrangers.
Captain Luke Boulton won the toss and elected to kick with the breeze. Hudson Blyss was commanding in the ruck.
Jackson Fry kicked Benalla’s first of the game after fantastic pressure was applied by the forwards. The ball was hard to handle but Josh Byers made it look easy.
At half-time it had been a tight contest, with Wangaratta in front. The second half was tough, one-on-one football with continual stoppages.
Ryder Humphries was enjoying his role at half-back. Joel Lewis laid some great tackles on much bigger opponents.
Noah Norman was relishing the conditions.
In the end it was Benalla’s willingness to work as a team and composure under pressure that saw it come home with a nail-biting two-point victory.
Score: Benalla Black 5.3 (33) def Junior Magpies 4.7 (31).
Goals: Josh Byers 2, Jackson Fry, Kobi Thwaites, Lachie Randell.
Best: Hudson Blyss, Kobi Thwaites, Josh Byers, Ryan White, Ryder Humphries, Joel Lewis.
Under-17s: Benalla v Kangaroos
In a thrilling display of teamwork and determination, the Benalla Under-17s emerged victorious against the Kangaroos despite challenging weather conditions.
The opening term saw them kick four goals, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Benalla continued its strong performance into the second quarter, maintaining momentum and adding another three goals to the scoreboard.
By the end of the match, Benalla had secured a significant victory with a 48-point margin.
Score: Benalla 10.8 (68) def Kangaroos 3.2 (20).
Goals: Josh Hart 3, Toby Reeve 2, Christian Squires 2, Bryce Cooney, Mitchell Cooney, Riley McCarthy.
Best: Josh Mathieson, Mitchell Cooney, Josh Hart, Sam Gates, Christian Squires, Bryce Cooney.