With second spot wrapped up leading into its clash with Congupna, Tongala ensured the home-and-away season drew to a conclusion on a winning note.
With The Road requiring victory to have any chance at finals, the Blues slammed the door shut on those aspirations in a tightly contested eight-goal win at Congupna Reserve.
“It was quite a good game to finish the season off,” Blues’ coach Grace Hammond said.
“The girls played a consistent game; it was probably our best game in terms of feeding our goalers. We didn’t try to play a fancy game of netball; we just stuck to our systems.
“Credit to Congupna; they really pushed us, and it was a great hit-out.”
Milly Brock and Meg Brennan were powerful in goals once again, aided by a pressure-filled midcourt attack en route to the 52-44 triumph.
“Same as every other week, our pressure is what creates so many opportunities,” Hammond said.
“Everyone just played their role for the day.”
Tongala finished the home-and-away season with a win-loss record of 16-2, finishing second only to the unbeaten Deniliquin Rams, the second consecutive season the club has achieved the feat.
The Blues and Rams will face off in the qualifying final at Nathalia on September 2, with both sides earning a week off.
“We’ll be taking training as normal, just fine-tuning a few things. We know we’ll need our best against Deni; they’re the team to beat, and they have been all year,” Hammond said.
“We’ll stick to the basics and get them right.
“The vibes around the club are quite high; we have nearly every team in finals. The whole club is getting around one another, and it’s a really positive place to be.”