On Sunday, the Benalla Juniors secured their place in the Wangaratta and District Junior Football League under-12 grand final with a heart-stopping one-point victory against the Wangaratta Tigers.
Benalla showed up to the Wangaratta Showgrounds with history on their side. They had beaten the Tigers twice in the regular season, by 19 and 28 points in rounds nine and 14, respectively.
Kicking with the wind in the first quarter, Benalla started aggressively but was unable to break through until captain Jack Hart snapped around his body for the Reds’ opener.
The Reds took a five-point lead into the first break, but the Tigers fired back in the second quarter with a goal by Logan Benton to take a five-point lead into half-time.
Benalla’s third quarters have been a strength throughout the finals, and this was on show again as the Reds held Wangaratta scoreless to take an eight-point lead into the last quarter. A Robin Arnold-assisted Jack Hart goal was the quarter’s sole major.
Sonny Nolan, Sam Mount and Xavier Beriman stood out in a Benalla-dominated quarter.
All was to play for heading into the last quarter as both sides tried to keep their premiership hopes alive.
As with the previous three quarters, goals were at a premium, with the Tigers’ Harvey Togolo-Hill the only one to slot the Sherrin through the big sticks.
Togolo-Hill’s goal ensured the game would be fought to the very last second.
Match-saving efforts from Ben Staggard, Louis Horne and Alby Dickson allowed the Juniors to hang on to a narrow lead. When a last-second Tigers shot sailed through for a point, delirium was sparked among the Benalla players and parents alike.
The Reds now advance to take on Myrtleford at the Wangaratta Showgrounds at 8:50am this Sunday.
The Reds’ task will be as big as Mount Hotham as they take on a Myrtleford side who defeated them by 55 and 63 points in rounds four and 10, respectively.
Score: Benalla Red 3.3 (21) def Tigers 2.8 (20)
Goals: Jack Hart 2, Robin Arnold 1.
Best: Samuel Mount, Jack Hart, Xavier Beriman, Thomas Snell, Sonny Nolen and Edward Sheehan.