Sports reports: Murray Bridge United lose 2-1 in Anzac mateship match

This story includes contributions from Joe Di Santo, Daniel Irvine and Michael Potts. Send your sports reports to peri@murraybridge.news.

Murray Bridge United have hosted a number of games, from juniors through to seniors and the main event, the A grade Anzac Mateship Perpetual Trophy game, for Anzac Round.

A ceremony before the main game was conducted by former United player and current serving Army Reservist Joseph Di Santo, with Navy Reservist Sean Hickey sounding the Last Post; United life member Trevor Wehrman reciting the Ode of Remembrance; and past United player and veteran Craig Burgemeister, current Stirling player and veteran Michael Henn and veteran families also taking part.

United’s campaign to retain the trophy got off to the perfect start: they won the toss and at the 12th minute mark of the game striker Emmanuel Slattery put the home team ahead 1-nil.

Stirling coach Terry Hayes rallied the troops and his young charges brought a high energy back into the game.

United responded accordingly, resulting in a number of strong challenges and tackles from both teams.

The Aces won a penalty in the 41st minute which was converted by Stirling captain Jarrah Gardener, putting his team back on level terms going into the half-time break.

Both teams came out firing in the second half and earned a number of yellow cards.

The game’s high energy was too much for United’s goalkeeper, Sam Weightman.

In the 62nd minute he earned himself a red card, bringing his side to down to 10 men and earning another penalty for his team in the process.

After Weightman’s departure, United coach Jeremy Byrnes ordered his goal scorer, Slattery, to don the gloves, a move that surprised many.

Gardener again stepped up to the plate, and Byrnes’ gamble paid off: Slattery made a brilliant save, much to the delight of the Beatty Terrace faithful.

The save brought a new energy to the game – it had the home team believing Slattery could do it all: score goals and save them.

Until five minutes later, that is, when Kyle Delaney’s shot on goal spoilt Slattery’s moment; the ball trickled into the back of the net to give the Aces a 2-1 lead.

Despite the setback, United put the fight up to the Aces; both teams had their chances and the intensity remained high.

In an unfamiliar turn of events, Stirling’s coach received a yellow card in the 89th minute, bringing to a close a match which had it all and was played in the right spirit, reflecting the namesakes of the trophy.

United captain Dale Binney was awarded the Di Santo Medallion by retired Army Cadets officer Helen Di Santo for his outstanding efforts.

Earlier, United’s B grade had lost 0-6.

United will be at home again this week; they’ll take on Southern Breakers.

Trophies galore handed out at Anzac Day shoot

In the cool of the early morning, shooters have once more gathered at the Mount Barker and District Rifle Club on Anzac Day to remember the fallen, to pay tribute to both past and currently serving members of the Australian Defence Forces and to compete in an annual fathers and sons competition.

The competition, now open to all possible combinations of family, collects many from around the state: those whose names have long histories within the shooting movement and those who are just beginning.

This year the 46 who competed were rewarded with cool conditions, with the rain holding off until after the shoot, and with the gentlest wind that can be remembered at the notoriously hard-to-read range in Mount Barker, which still held a surprise for anyone who let their guard down.

Testament to this was the high number of shooters who didn’t drop a point during the two rounds of eight from 600 yards, and the very high scores registered in the shoot-offs for the Anzac Medals at the end of the day.

Individual honours for the day went to Philip Bradshaw (TR), Malcolm Hill (FStd) and John Cranwell (FO), who won medals for their disciplines in a very tight contest, especially in TR, where the shoot-off went past the set eight shots in order to determine a winner.

Top off-rifle scores for the day went to Duncan Muller (TR) with 80.11, Bill Gillis (FStd) with 95.03 and Cranwell (FO) with 96.08.

Other individual honours were the Jock Waugh Trophy for the-top scoring veteran over the age of 60, shared between Bradshaw and Andrew Heard, who both scored 80.10.

Heard’s score was also the top score on the day by an ex-serviceman.

Rounding out the individual honours was Muller, who also won the Robert Richards-Mousley Trophy for the highest scoring junior shooter under 25.

Family honours were divided initially into the historic “father and son” award, with this year’s Stien Shield won in TR by father-and-daughter combination Bradshaw and Lynlee Lowe with 160.17.

Bradshaw and Lowe also won the Sarre Cup handicapped trophy.

The F-open off-rifle winners, claiming the Braund Family Shield, were Stuart and Hamish Jolly, scoring 184.07.

The husband and wife trophy went to Lowe and Anaki Tovale, while Lowe and her sister Bronwyn Hajek won the Ted Deed Trophy for top-scoring siblings.

Bradshaw was a winner again in the Bill James Trophy for the top-scoring grandparent/grandchild combination, with granddaughter Rachel Hajek, while she and Lowe claimed the In-Laws Shield.

The competition also recognised those who came on their own to support the event and to commemorate Anzac Day in this unique fashion by awarding open pairs in each discipline.

This year in TR it was won by Heard and Daniel Nesbitt, while in F-class the winners were Frank Marshall and Tyron Murphy.

The Fathers and Sons Association thanked everyone for their ongoing support of this special and unique event in the shooting calendar and looked forward to its continued success next year, when it will again be held on Anzac Day at the Mount Barker and District Rifle Club.

Mallee Districts junior side takes the RMFL by storm

For the first time in club history, the Mallee Districts Storm has fielded an under-18s side in the River Murray Football League.

With the Mallee Football League folding in 2022, the Karoonda Football Club and Peake Football Club merged to form the Mallee Districts Storm, with the club unable to fill an under-18s side until the 2025 season.

The Mallee Storm under 18s played their first game against Tailem Bend at the start of April, with players from the under 15.5s helping to fill the side for the season.

Inaugural Mallee Districts Storm under 18 captain Bronte Zadow said it was a “big privilege that we can come out here and play U18s every week”.

• Read more: sanfl.com.au.

Nathan Ackland breaks through at Murray Bridge Golf Club

After some “nearly” rounds in recent times, Nathan Ackland has finally hit the Saturday heights by winning the weekend’s Stableford competition at Murray Bridge Golf Club with a whopping 43 points.

A handy player at the best of times, Ackers had a really good back nine of 23 points to ensure he would win any countback if he needed to, and also to claim the day’s pro comp for the best back nine.

After seeing his son triumph recently, he thought it was about time he showed just who was still the boss in the family.

It was just another beautiful autumn day with no excuses for golfers and did some of the others really cash in.

The very consistent Lucas Merchant starred again with 40 points to beat the very inconsistent Con Jones on a countback in A grade.

New-to-comp-golf C-grader Travis Woolley probably thinks golf is easy after blasting out 41 points but he will have to cope with about seven shots less on his handicap after Golflink savaged him for his great round.

This Saturday, qualifying round one in the club championships will be played.

An extremely interesting battle for the title is about to take place, with more than just the usual one or two players in the hunt this year.

Send your sports reports to peri@murraybridge.news.