The Coleambally Blues came from behind to secure a famous win. Photo: Coleambally Football Netball Club.
The Coleambally Blues have stormed into the Farrer Football Netball League Under 18s grand final after a third quarter blitz to secure an 11-point win over minor premiers Northern Jets at Wagga Wagga’s Robertson Oval on Saturday (29 August).
The Blues held their nerve in a tight contest to run out 92-81 winners and book a grand final meeting with North Wagga next Saturday.
The Farrer Football Netball League is one of AFL Riverina’s senior regional competitions, featuring clubs from across the Riverina including Coleambally, North Wagga, Temora, Marrar and the Northern Jets.
On a cracking day for sport, the Blues had to fight back from a slow, slippery start against a Northern Jets side that had finished the regular season as minor premiers.
The Jets came out firing, with Ashton Harris bagging three goals in the opening 10 minutes before Coly settled through Alex Pound.
Goals to Johnny Star and Damon Pound then helped the Blues turn the game around, taking a one-point lead into quarter-time.
The second term was a seesawing battle, with both sides finding plenty of scoring opportunities.
But Coly proved more accurate in front of goal and took a 15-point advantage into the final change.
The Jets refused to go away.
With Damon Pound’s drive around the ground curtailed, the Jets midfield began winning regular clearances and cut the margin to just seven points.
Coleambally Blues players in a huddle during the semi-final on the weekend. Photo: Carl Chirgwin.
Then Dallas Hickey produced one of the moments of the game, breaking it open with an inspired bouncing run from full-back.
Alex Pound then showed his class late in the contest, slotting two goals to finally put the Jets away and secure Coly an 11-point victory.
Pound finished with six goals, while John Star kicked three and Damon Pound two.
Archer Gill, Alex Harvey and Harvey Pound also found the goals.
The Blues’ best players were A Pound, D Hickey, J Star, B Clark, A Gill, L Wells and D Pound.
The result means Coly now has one game standing between it and a Farrer League premiership.
The grand final against North Wagga will be played at Robertson Oval in Wagga Wagga at 9:30 am on Saturday, 5 September.
The Coleambally Blues have been part of the Riverina sporting landscape since 1965, celebrating their 60th anniversary last year.
Despite representing a small irrigation town, the Blues have built a reputation for punching above their weight and taking on clubs from much larger centres. The club has played across several competitions, including the Barellan & District, Coreen & District, Murray and Hume leagues, before joining the Farrer League in 2011.
The Blues have won six senior Coreen & District premierships, while their Under 18s enter Saturday’s grand final as defending premiers.
The club’s 60th anniversary celebrations even saw former Richmond and Greater Western Sydney AFL star Brett Deledio pull on the famous blue jumper.
Editor’s note: The result also inspired Region to put our own spin on what is arguably the most famous sporting headline ever written.
Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious appeared in The Scottish Sun after Scottish minnows Inverness Caledonian Thistle stunned football giant Celtic 3-1 in the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park in February 2000. Sub-editor Paul Hickson devised the headline as a play on the famous tongue-twisting Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins.
