COHUNA have continued to show the Central Murray Football Netball League why they are premiership contenders after their recent win against Swan Hill.
The 5.2 (32) to 23.22 (160) score keeps the Kangas in second place and after their 23 goal affair with the Swans, there is no doubt that they have the mentality for a successful second half of the season.
Cohuna had players Jackson Williams and Riley Hird return to the side prior to the contest after being sidelined with injuries.
Williams made a statement at the start of the contest, bagging the first goal of the contest, and his first goal of four on the day.
It was close by the end of the first quarter; Swan Hill were behind by just 11 points as they managed to take up their chances in front of goal.
The Kangas were in control of the contest for majority of the first quarter but their accuracy was left to be desired at times.
That would continue into the second quarter, but they still managed to lead by 48 points by half-time.
Cohuna’s interceptions in the backline was superb, being able to pick out passes then the offensive ball movement begins, something that the Swans couldn’t control.
Kangas head coach Jack Geary was pleased on how his run and carry system played a part of the contest after the match.
“Our half-back was incredible with the run and carry again today,” Geary told The Guardian.
“We wanted to be defensive first of all, then we wanted Swan Hill’s forwards to be ultra cautious when we have the run and carry system in effect.
“Our offensive thrust can be generated from our half-back.”
The run and carry system would continue during the second half, not allowing the Swans to get many forward 50 opportunities and constantly bringing the footy back to Cohuna’s forward half.
The Kangas built their lead up to 83 points by three quarter time, still a whole quarter that was yet to be played.
Swan Hill did managed to get a few more forward 50 opportunities in the final quarter, and they took advantage of it.
One of their goal kickers included a young Harry Graham who kicked his first goal in senior footy for the Swans.
But Cohuna blitzed the fourth quarter, banging in nine goals in that quarter alone to win by substantial 128 points.
Geary shared his thoughts on the contest, happy overall that his boys went in and got the four points with very limited injuries.
“We went into the contest expecting to win, but we weren’t sure how much we were going to win by,” Geary said.
“But we wanted to come into the match, have no injuries and take the four points which we did.
“Brenton Conforti pulled up with a tight hamstring but we will assess that over the week and see if he is fit to play again next week.”
At times during the match, the two sides were getting into scruffles; the game almost could have been considered a boxing match rather than a football match.
Geary was asked for his opinion on the scraps shared between the two teams.
“Yeah they showed a bit of fight on their home deck, we were expecting that,” he said.
“But we wanted to fly the flag, and when one of our own gets some attention from our opponents, we wanted to give some physicality back without crossing the line.”
Geary also had lots of praise for not only how Williams played on his first game back, but also how Jacob Mitchell and Jude Palmer played on the day.
“Yeah he (Williams) played well again today, he did have a calf complaint and we gave him until the end of the bye to rest it,” Geary said.
“But he was right to go, some outsiders might be surprised to see him bag four goals on his first game back after a month away.
“But for us, we knew what he is capable of doing with the skillset he brings to the club, and he definitely showcased that today.
“For Mitchell and Palmer, they both hit the scoreboard well today.
“We have done some fine tuning in the forward line on who stays deep and who pushes forward.
“With their selflessness pushing up forward, they were able to generate space in the forward line for others.
“But they were able to get their reward for doing that, so I say what goes around comes around, and that certainly happened today.”
Next week, the Kangas will be on the road to take on first placed side Woorinen in a top of the table clash.
Geary will focus on recovering the boys before putting their best step forward for one of the biggest matches of the 2025 season.
“Yeah we will focus on recovery for now, train well all week, then put our best forward next week,” he said.
“If we want to show that we are a chance for the flag later on this year which I think we are, we got to make sure we perform well in those big clashes.”
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Swan Hill | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 32 |
| Cohuna Kangas | 3.5 | 9.12 | 14.18 | 23.22 | 160 |
VOTES
3 – Jacob Mitchell (Cohuna)
2 – Jackson Williams (Cohuna)
1 – Jude Palmer (Cohuna)
