by Brook Shaune-Bould
LAKE Boga have secured a spot in the Central Murray finals series, defeating Koondrook-Barham by 111 points.
The Magpies will meet Nyah-Nyah West United in Sunday’s elimination final at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve and will hope to emulate their feats of last season, when they defeated Tyntynder by 24 points in the corresponding fixture.
For Koondrook-Barham, the 19.15 (129) to 2.6 (18) defeat was their 16th consecutive loss and ensured they finished the season without a win.
While Lake Boga needed to win to ensure they played in the finals, they were slow start, missing easy kicks and struggling to move the ball around the ground efficiently.
The Magpies went into the quarter-time break with a 19-point advantage, but were clearly feeling the absence of key players including Angus Monfries and Lochie Laing, with the Raiders finding enough of the ball to suggest an upset could have been possible if they could find an avenue to goal.
Speaking to his players at the break, Lake Boga coach Shawn Filo told his players they needed to increase their pressure and focus on winning more one-on-one battles.
The Magpies took his advice to heart, slamming home six goals in the second term and five in the third, with the Raiders not scoring another goal until Mitchell Christensen stepped up in the dying minutes of the final term.
Koondrook-Barham’s back line was strong all day and their pressure around the ball was excellent, but they rushed every opportunity and lacked targets up front.
While the home side finished comfortable winners, the game also highlighted some of the issues that Lake Boga will need to overcome heading into the finals.
Filo said the team couldn’t expect to win against the hard-running NNW United on Sunday unless they lifted.
“I thought we were probably 15 per cent off today,” Filo said.
“There’s a chance to build some momentum and I’m not fearful of who we’re playing, whether that’s United, Balranald, Woorinen or Kerang, whereas in previous years, I would have said we need to come up with a game plan to actually beat that side.”
Filo said the Pies had proven that they could be competitive against the top teams, but they needed to be disciplined.
“As soon as we get away from the basics, which we did today, we’ll win against certain sides, but we won’t against those teams that are in the top five at the moment.”
Koben Ryan was among Lake Boga’s better players, kicking three goals and applying strong pressure at every contest, as were Ryan Fox and Darby Hayes, who also finished with three each.
Dustin Burns was another who worked hard and won plenty of ball through the middle for the Magpies, while Lincoln Sieben, Tyle Williams and Daniel Dzufer found some touch through the middle and across half-back.
For Koondrook-Barham, Jack Thrum was among the best players, along with Tom Amor, Ash Molin, Mitchell Christensen and captain Patrick Goble, who never stopped trying to win the ball around the stoppages.
While the Raiders will be disappointed to finish the season without a win, senior coach Will Callow will immediately turn his attention towards next season, with the proud club set to continue their investment in youth and rebuild in 2024.
Lake Boga, on the other hand, will be looking no further than Sunday’s knockout final against the Demons. Filo said after the match that players would be chosen according to who could compete in one-on-one situations.
VOTES
3 – Ryan Fox (Lake Boga)
2 – Dustin Burns (Lake Boga)
1 – Koben Ryan (Lake Boga)
