With a 40-point belting of Numurkah under its belt in round three — a side heavily fancied to be there at the pointy end come September — Tongala will head into its clash with Barooga full of confidence.
After three matches in Murray Football League, the Blues have got some real momentum behind them, with a 2-1 record putting them in sixth and almost halfway to matching their total of five wins in 2023.
Speaking after the Brett Deledio-inspired win over Numurkah two weeks ago, new coach Billy Barnes said the side was developing nicely as the players got to know each other on the field.
“We’re slowly starting to click with the new group,” he said.
“We’ve been able to learn how each other play and have everyone identify what their role is within the team.
“I feel like we’re starting to improve each week and something that we’re really focused on is going quarter by quarter, week by week, and just learning how the game evolves and how we can be better.”
Tongala will be heavy favourite when it heads to Barooga Recreation Reserve on Saturday, with the Hawks winless this season, their latest outing being a 79-point defeat at the hands of Nathalia.
With guns such as Sam Cipriani firing, having kicked eight goals in his past two matches, and Mackenzie Cowley having a solid impact in his return to the club after spending 2023 at Goulburn Valley League side Mooroopna, the Blues are seeing vast improvement and will continue to challenge teams throughout the year.
In the netball, the reigning champion A-grade outfit Tongala has continued on its winning ways in 2024 and Saturday should be no exception.
Averaging 53 goals a game, while only conceding a tick more than 30 — the best defence in the league — the Blues have hardly been troubled in any of their three matches this season and should comfortably account for a winless Hawks.
With weapons such as Milly Brock, Chelsey Wright and Gemma Brennan littered across the court, coach Grace Hammond has plenty of arsenal at her disposal and looks primed to lead her side on another strong campaign.