Sport
29 July, 2026
Warriors advance to preliminary final
Last Sunday, in perfect sunny weather for football with little or no breeze, before a good crowd, we saw the Warriors advance to this Sunday's preliminary final with a hard-fought 33-point win over a determined Rovers.
In the second semi-final, after half-time, the Bombers got their running game going and, with excellent teamwork, ran away with the game in the last quarter for a big win after the Mounties had more than matched them in the first half.
This now sees the Bombers go straight into the grand final on 9 August and the Mounties into the preliminary final this Sunday against the Warriors.
Once again, the 50-game milestone banner was used, with both Mounties premiership players Sam Murnane and Zaiden McIntosh, who are best friends, lining up for their 50th game in the second semi.
Our guest for the day, Regional Manager AFL for the Wimmera Mallee, Ange Ballinger, was very impressed with our set-up, the state of the ground, the number of volunteers we have and the standard of play. She also thought that the umpiring was very good and liked the fact that all five senior clubs in Ararat and the district took turns to supply umpires every week.
Warriors v Rovers
The game started with the Warriors kicking to the road end of the ground and, in the first play of the day, Charlie Horrocks took a big mark in the goal square to give them a great start. He then added another goal with a snap before Jehtt Alexander kicked Rovers' first goal. In a very even first quarter, the Warriors led by nine points at the first break.
At the start of the second quarter, Jehtt Alexander levelled the scores for the Rovers before Charlie Horrocks kicked his third from a snap to have the Warriors 11 points up at the main break.
William Jarrett put the Warriors further in front in the third quarter until Jehtt Alexander added two quick goals, one from a long way out and one after a mark close in, and it was anybody's game at three-quarter time.
The Rovers began to tire in the last quarter and, with Jehtt Turner and Toby Rameka-Matthews winning plenty of the ball, the Warriors added three more goals. Charlie Horrocks kicked his fourth, Toby Rameka-Matthews sealed the game midway through the last quarter, and Toby Louder kicked one himself.
We might see the Warriors have some goal-kicking practice at training after they kicked 18 behinds with their seven goals.
Jhett Turner and Toby Rameka-Matthews were the Warriors' best players, along with Charlie Horrocks, who kicked four goals. Jaxon Foster, William Jarrett and Ezekyal Turner also played well.
Rovers' co-captains Archer Reynolds and James Roberts, who are in their best every week, played well, while Jehtt Alexander kicked all four of their goals. Ted Tucker, Roy Brewis and Garang Wiew also played well.
Everybody at the game would like to wish Rovers' Noah Hughes a speedy recovery after suffering a knee injury in the second quarter.
Noah has had a good season and was giving his side plenty of drive when he had to leave the ground. In some late news, Noah has pulled up sore but otherwise had a good result.
Bombers v Mounties
For the first time this year, after Bomber Oliver McDougall kicked a goal after taking a mark, the Bombers were put under pressure by a determined Mounties side from the start of the game.
Sam Murnane put the Mounties in front after a nice snap, and they could have been a couple of goals up at the first break after a Charlie Ganley shot bounced in the centre of the goal line, did a right-hand turn and hit the post.
The second quarter started with Oliver McDougall kicking another two goals before Sam Murnane answered for the Mounties with a lovely long goal. Just before half-time, George Tucker won a holding-the-ball decision in the goal square and put the Bombers three goals up at the main break. The Mounties had played a good half of football and were still well in the game.
The complexion of the game changed in the third quarter when the Bombers got their trademark hard running, link-up and kicking to leading forwards game going, which the Mounties had no answer to. Small on-ballers Hughie Cameron and Archie Harris were winning the ball all over the ground as well as kicking eight goals between them.
Talls Peter Smith, Rowly Tucker and Tom King came into the game, and Oliver McDougall ended up with six goals. Young Oliver Seres, who loves to celebrate a goal, added two himself, and the Bombers went straight into the grand final with a big win.
Best players for the Mounties included Frazer White, Kobe Fratin, Kayde Werry and Ace Cocks. Charlie Ganley played well and kicked the Mounties' only goal after half-time.
Big thanks to Rhys Cronin, Mitch Laundy, Dale Hurley and Josh McCartney, who did a great job umpiring the games.
Preliminary Final Preview
This Sunday, we see the Warriors take on the Mounties for a place in next Sunday's grand final. The Warriors are coming off a good last-quarter-inspired win over the Rovers, whereas the Mounties, after a fighting first half, fell away against the Bombers, especially in the last quarter.
The sides have played each other four times this year, with the Mounties winning three. The last time they met, in the final round of the season in what was one of the best games of the year, they held on to win by nine points after a last-quarter Warriors comeback. On that day, Will Jarrett, Oscar Phillips and Toby Rameka-Matthews were best for the Warriors, while Kye Rimmell, Flynn McMahon and Rigby Holland were best for the Mounties.
In an interesting development, Warriors coaches Luke Foster and Scott Jackson have moved the Warriors' training away from Richardson Oval in recent weeks. Luke said the kids are getting more out of training on a bigger oval, but they may also be working on drills and set plays for the finals out of sight of the opposition.
Mounties coaches Andrew Cameron and Leigh Jeffery will be working on the good aspects of their first half last week against the Bombers and putting their last-quarter fade-out behind them.
It should be a very even contest.
Results
Sunday, 26 July
Elimination Final
Warriors 7.18 (60) defeated Rovers 4.3 (27)
Best
Warriors: Jhett Turner, Toby Rameka-Matthews, Charlie Horrocks, Jaxon Foster, William Jarrett, Ezekyal Turner.
Rovers: Archer Reynolds, James Roberts, Jehtt Alexander, Ted Tucker, Roy Brewis, Garang Wiew.
Goals:
Warriors: Charlie Horrocks 4, William Jarrett, Toby Louder, Toby Rameka-Matthews.
Rovers: Jehtt Alexander 4.
Qualifying Final
Bombers 13.6 (84) defeated Mounties 3.6 (24)
Best
Bombers: Oliver McDougall, Hughie Cameron, Archie Harris, Peter Smith, Rowly Tucker, Tom King.
Mounties: Frazer White, Kobe Fratin, Charlie Ganley, Kayde Werry, Ace Cocks, Sam Murnane.
Goals
Bombers: Oliver McDougall 6, Archie Harris 5, Hughie Cameron 3, Oliver Seres 2, Tom King, George Tucker.
Mounties: Sam Murnane 2, Charlie Ganley.
Fixture
Sunday, 2 August
Preliminary Final
10.30 am: Mounties v Warriors
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