Sports Reports: River Murray footballers moved from Sturt into West Adelaide zone

This post includes contributions from the SANFL, Commshake, Murray Bridge Golf Club, Derek Vanderzon, MMS Media and Daniel Irvine.

• SANFL moves River Murray into West Adelaide zone
• Coorong Cats are ready to pounce
• Golf winner crowned after three-way countback
• Tailem Bend and Karoonda break through on the bowling green
• Fame of Hall grows after Zeke Agars Classic win
• Rifle shooter Daniel Irvine pips Greg Traeger at the post

SANFL moves River Murray into West Adelaide zone

The River Murray Football League’s best young footballers will be wearing red and black from 2023 onwards.

The SA National Football League announced on Tuesday that it would change its country recruiting zones due to population growth in Sturt’s zone, which previously included both the Murraylands and Mount Barker.

From next season, River Murray footballers who step up into the SANFL will play alongside those from the Riverland and South East at West Adelaide.

• More information: sanfl.com.au.

Coorong Cats are ready to pounce

A mix of experienced and skilled volunteers will lead the newly formed Coorong Cats as the club primes itself to launch into the River Murray football and netball leagues in 2023.

Border Downs-Tintinara club stalwart Michael Kempe will take the reigns as the club’s inaugural president as it embarks on a new era.

The first constitution of the Coorong Sporting Association, to be known as the Coorong Cats, was also officially approved at a meeting at Coonalpyn last Wednesday.

“It’s an exciting time for the Coorong Cats, and I am privileged to play a part in the journey, which will ultimately see new opportunities for our players, members, volunteers and broader communities,” Kempe said.

“What I’m most excited about is that our kids will be able to play in a competition where team numbers are not reduced, and within more suitable age groups.”

• More information: www.facebook.com/coorongcats.

Golf winner crowned after three-way countback

The competition was fierce at Ritter Street last Saturday, with players needing to play to their handicaps to feature in the prize rundown, and there was a three-way tie at the top in the Stableford event.

Forty-point rounds were recorded by old warhorse Con Jones, the affable Ray Fetherstonhaugh and Adelaide tyre entrepreneur Michael Vella, with Vella coming out on top after his better back nine gave him victory on a countback.

A scrub on the first hole wasn’t the ideal start for the pint-sized Vella, but he soon steadied the ship to get to 18 points at halfway before powering home with a brilliant back nine of 22 more.

• Read more: murraybridgegolfclub.com.au.

Tailem Bend and Karoonda break through on the bowling green

In Lower Murray lawn bowls, Tailem Bend and Karoonda have both broken through for their opening wins of the season, upsetting previously unbeaten sides Mannum and RSL respectively, while Murray Bridge have bounced back from last week’s poor showing to take the points at Jervois.

At Karoonda, Ian and Len Symonds, Malcolm Waechter and Don Loller led the way with a 26-12 win over Graham Wakefield, John Howe, Chris Mundie and Adrian Bishop.

Wakefield started well by winning the first four ends and seven of the first nine, but the scores were soon tied at eight shots apiece as Symonds managed to pick up a three and a five while conceding mainly singles.

Unfortunately for Wakefield, the trend continued as the day progressed, with only 12 shots scored from his 10 winning ends, while Symonds had two threes, a four and a five from his 11 ends won.

Rowan Zadow, Rohan Tomkinson, Peter Jones and Gary Zadow needed a late flurry to hold off Terry McDonnell, Tommy Towns, Kelvin Newman and Trevor Dicker.

McDonnell trailed for most of the day, but edged ahead by a shot with a two on the 17th.

The home side responded immediately with a four, followed by one, one and another four for a nine-shot win.

Lynton Jones, Ron Van Tijn, Chook Fowler and David Evans secured two points for Mannum with a last-gasp win over Josh Porker, Paul Wegner, John Wegner and Bill Cornish.

A two on the 20th end looked enough to secure the win for Porker as he took a three-shot lead into the last end, but Jones came up trumps with a four to give him the win by a single shot.

At Tailem Bend the home side were far too good for RSL, powering to a 42-shot win with all rinks up.

Duane Edwards, Rob Hales, Brett Reschke and Stuart Rooke had a day out against the in-form Max Wilkin, Michael Walker, Anne-Marie Kuchel and Gillian Newell with an emphatic 33-8 walloping.

Sam Shepherd, David Hoare, Damien Ackland and Trevor Koop were also impressive with a 27-11 win over David Thiele, Noel Kneebone, Dale Neal and David Newell.

The remaining rink was a much tighter affair, with Travis Schenke, Merv Stevens, Kevin McDonald and Colin Baxter edging out Jason Sipos, David Graham, Kerri Bolt and Garry Daniel by a single shot.

At Jervois, Murray Bridge were too strong, winning on two rinks in a 21-shot win.

Darren McIntosh, Brian Leckie, Gerry Penta and Michael Ferris were convincing 13-shot winners over Tim Hicks, Steve Kroehn, Derek Vanderzon and Matt Wynne.

After a flying start, McIntosh snuffed out a comeback with a six on the final end before the break, and with strong support from Leckie maintained control throughout in their 28-13 win.

Ben and Ruby Traeger, Charlie DiSanto and Trevor Pevic were solid 11-shot winners over Rodger Zarantonello, Graham Fromm, Bob Solley and debutant Shane Fromm.

By the seventh end they were out to an 11-2 lead, and maintained a similar advantage throughout.

Only a four on the last end made the score a little better for home side in their 13-24 loss.

Graeme Herbert, Shawn Hicks, Graham Schenke and Jeremy Scannell kept Jervois in the contest for most of the day, but were almost overrun in the closing stages by Bruce Attrill, Peter Shilton, Tony Gill and Les Trewren.

Herbert had powered to a 13-nil lead after five ends, and led 24-7 after 15, but was outscored 16-2 over the final six ends to win by just three.

Scores of six, five and four turned what had looked likely to be a real trouncing into a close finish.

Fame of Hall grows after Zeke Agars Classic win

Racing returned to Murray Bridge Speedway on Saturday night with round three of the track championship, featuring six racing classes, with the main events being the V6 sprints Zeke Agars Classic, the Blackjack Speedcar Series and wingless sprints.

Ten cars fronted for action, but unfortunately the field was quickly reduced to eight with a multi-car accident on turn one during the opening heat.

When the V6 sprints returned it was a Nick Hall benefit race, as he remained undefeated all night and won the 15-lap final by more than six seconds.

• Read more: www.murraybridgespeedway.com.

Rifle shooter Daniel Irvine pips Greg Traeger at the post

Blustery but dry conditions awaited shooters on Saturday as they competed in the 12th stage of the annual Murray Bridge Rifle Club championship from a distance of 500 metres.

It was again a small target rifle field, with only the three competitors.

Greg Traeger was the runaway winner off-rifle with a 96.09, following a superb 49.05 in his first round, but he was pipped at the post for the handicap win by Daniel Irvine, who won it by a mere 0.2 points.

• Read more: www.facebook.com/mbrifleclub.

Email your sports reports to peri@murraybridge.news.

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