Finals action gets under way in Picola District Football Netball League with elimination bouts kicking off

First to progress in the senior football was Katunga.

The Swans served up a second-half demolition against Jerilderie in a savoury display at Tungamah, stepping on the gas after the main break to race out to a 16.15 (111) to 5.2 (32) victory.

Katunga co-coach Brad Crowther said a touch of complacency had seeped in during the first two quarters, but that was quickly squashed out when it got down to brass tacks.

“We started off really well; we kicked three goals for the first three or four minutes,” he said.

“I think the boys thought it was just going to happen from there and they sort of backed off a bit and Jerilderie took it up to us a little bit for the next quarter-and-a-half.

“I think there was only a couple goals in it at half-time, so we just put it on the boys a bit that we needed to make a bit of a statement.

“We came out in the second half and really put them to the sword.”

The Swans punched out to a 20-point lead at quarter-time and maintained it until the half.

But Crowther, alongside coaching partner Nick Flanagan, knew it wasn’t enough.

Missed chances, kicks out on the full et al left a lingering taste on the Swans’ mentors’ tongues, so a well-aimed rev up and call for heightened desire proved to be a winning combination for Katunga to kick on.

Josh Smith shifted from the wing into midfield and moved the ball about with more urgency and, up forward, Darcy Laffy was right on the end to convert.

Katunga’s five-goal third quarter transformed its lead from 20 to 44 at three-quarter time — but the onslaught was yet to cease.

The Swans added six more majors in the last term for good measure, underscoring the improved performance following the half-time break.

“We probably didn’t really take our chances in the first half either, kicked a few out on the full, and a few easy ones we probably should’ve taken which obviously wasn’t ideal,” Crowther said.

“The second half was really pleasing for Nick and myself to really run over the top of them and come away with a good, solid win.

“We just hunted the ball a bit more; the second quarter we were probably just a bit second to the footy and not willing to defend as hard as we should’ve.

“When we got into that second half, we were first to the footy and wanted it a bit more than we did earlier in the game.

“When we got down forward we started to make them pay which put the scoreboard pressure on and allowed us to run away with a bit.”

Laffy did the bulk of Katunga’s damage and stole the headlines with seven goals, but Smith was right alongside him with a best-afield game to wax lyrical about.

“(Smith) really just opened the game for us. He probably would’ve had 13, 14 touches in the third quarter and really got the footy moving our way,” Crowther said.

“Darcy Laffy had not too bad of a first half, (he) just wasn’t quite clunking them, and then it really turned for him in that second half.

“He was marking everything that was coming his way and kicked pretty straight as well, which is always good for the big forwards, run him into a bit of form.”

Meanwhile, Tungamah has a semi-final date on the cards after seeing off Picola United’s challenge.

The Bears ruled the roost in a Sunday special at Katandra, walking away with a 11.12 (78) to 5.8 (38) result to the elation of the travelling fans.

On the A-grade netball front, Waaia ensured its season stayed alive with a nine-goal beating of Rennie.

The Bombers were tossed out in last season’s qualifiers by eventual runner-up Katandra, but Saturday’s 44-35 pushes Waaia into a semi-final against the loser of Katamatite and Katunga.

Meanwhile, Strathmerton will meet the loser of Deniliquin Rovers and Katandra after moving past Tocumwal 36-29 on Sunday.

Watch some of the footage from the Strathmerton and Tocumwal game on the weekend as captured by News photographer Rechelle Zammit.