BASKETBALL ... Warriors wanted
The Waikerie Warriors are calling for anyone interested in playing basketball this coming season to contact the Waikerie Sports Centre. Waikerie will be fielding boys under 16 and under 18 teams as well as girls under 16 and under 18 teams.
The under 16 teams encourage year seven students who are interested in playing to sign up. The Waikerie Warriors will also field two adult teams.
Anyone interested in playing is urged to contact the Waikerie Community Sports Centre on 8541 3477.

EIGHTBALL ... Bakara convincing winners
The Swan Reach and Districts 8-Ball played in the grand fi nal on August 31. Teams competing were Bakara and Netherleigh. The Bakara team were convincing winners, winning seven to one out of a possible 12.

LADIES’ GOLF ... Katrina top scores
Last Thursday ladies played a stableford round and Katrina Webber came in with 39 points, the best score on the day. Jane Zaleski was runner-up with 34 points and is hoping to break her handicap before the end of the winter season. Katrina was nearest the pin on hole No. 3 after the second shot and Denise Hassett managed a gobbler on hole No. 8.
Chris Fridd and Jan Pearson represented Waikerie at the Renmark Ladies Open Day, congratulations to Jan who was net runner-up. This Thursday will be a stroke round sponsored by the Waikerie Club. Hit off will be from 9 a.m. and play will be followed by a Championship lunch at the Waikerie Club any time after 12.30 p.M.

LAWN BOWLS ...Spring carnival begins
The Waikerie Bowling Club’s spring carnival began on Saturday, August 23. All fi ve days of this annual event was once again sponsored by the Waikerie Hotel Motel and the visiting bowlers who stayed there commented on the great facilities. Saturday’s event was a men’s fours competition with 20 teams taking part in three games each. After the fi rst game the hungry bowlers sat down to a wonderful meal catered by lady member volunteers. At the end of the day there was only one team who won all of their games. This team was skippered by Fred Kovaleff with Paul Kovaleff, Peter Starick and Ron Hunter, all from Penola. Runners up for the day with two wins and a draw were a local team skippered by Sid Copeland, with Clyde Wilson, Merv Rolton and men’s facility president, Jeff Mortimer. Sunday’s competition was a men’s pair event with 32 pairs taking part on the day and five managing to win all of their three games. Winners for the day on 88 points were R. Edlington and L. James from Mt. Gambier; second place on 87 points went to T. Lloyd and M. Squire from Adelaide; other three game winners were B. Davis and J. Morris from Freeling with 82 points, B. Brown and M. Norman from Clare, 82 points and R. Thompson, Waikerie with N. Hardcombe from Barmera, 81 points. On Monday, a Cosmo pairs event was held and only one pair managed to win all three games. This was a Waikerie team skippered by David Morley with Barb Taylor lending plenty of support. Second place with two wins and a draw went to Chas Bell and Greg Davis from Kangaroo Island. On Tuesday the event was again Cosmo pairs with three teams winning all of their games. First place went to Chas Bell and Bill Richards from Kangaroo Island with 84 points; second on 83 points went to John and Lyn Maloney from Hamley Bridge; third place with 82 points was Greg Davis from Kangaroo Island who teamed up with Jan Brock from Waikerie. Wednesday’s event was a mixed medley fours. The teams started the day by playing a game of mixed fours until lunchtime. After lunch the bowlers played pairs, teaming up with a member of their four. The last game of the day was another game of pairs where they teamed up with a different member of their team of four. All team scores were added up and the winners on the day with 290 points were G. King, K. Stokes, D. Brown and M. Fundak all from Berri. In second place with 274 points were C. and J. Milton from Balaklava paired up with H. Peebles and V. Hill from Waikerie. The prize for the highest individual score for the day went to Margo Fundak, from Berri with 85 points. Thanks to all the helpers and volunteers who make these carnivals run smoothly and successfully. In particular, special thanks go to the lady volunteers who put in a lot of time and effort to providing catering and cleaning for these events. Thanks also to the bar staff who always do a great job. There were also plenty of comments from visitors on the bowling club greens and surrounds, which is all managed and cared for by volunteers. Thank you for the great effort you put in to keep these areas looking lovely. Waikerie Bowling Club’s next major event will be a three day mixed carnival over the Labour Day long weekend in October.

MEN’S GOLF ... Neville Kelton wins Division two with best score of the day
Neville Kelton played some great golf in very tough conditions to lead the way in the Saturday Stableford round to win Division two with the best score of the day, with 40 points. The day’s sponsor was the Waikerie Murray River Queen. The Division one winner for the day was Wes Bald continuing his championship winning form with 35 points. Other winners were led by the consistent Jack Sullivan with 34 points and Peter Sellar with 33 points.
Next in line was John Schumann with 32 points and new member Mark Hall rounding out the voucher winners with 31 points. The course rating for the day was net 37.
Agri-tech NTP’s were won by Terry Harris on three and Jack Sullivan on No. 13. Oxford Landing long drive winners were Division one on No. 14, Wes Bald and there were no winners of the Division two long drive on No. 12. There were also no birdies for the day.
In Wednesday’s stableford competition, George Zaleski won with 41 points from Paul Smith, on 40 points. The course rating for the day was 37 points.
Next week will be a stroke round and the next round of the President’s Trophy. The eclectic competition is sponsored by long time supporter of the golf club Waikerie Building Supplies. Thanks to Graham for this support.
On Wednesday, September 17 the golf club will hold their Annual General Meeting at the clubrooms commencing at 7.30 p.m. A golf committee still needs to exist to manage golf and to provide an avenue to directly communicate with the Waikerie Hotel management. All members and supporters of the club are urged to attend. This meeting is extremely important and a key to the long term future of the Golf Club

MID MURRAY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
Sat. September 6 at Robertstown

GRAND FINAL

Under 13 9.35 am BSR v Sedan/Cambrai

Under 16 10.55 am Robertstown v BSR

B Grade 12.25 pm BSR v Ramco

A Grade 2.15 pm BSR v Robertstown

MID MURRAY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
Sat. September 6 at Robertstown

GRAND FINAL

Under 13 9.35 am BSR v Sedan/Cambrai

Under 16 10.55 am Robertstown v BSR

B Grade 12.25 pm BSR v Ramco

A Grade 2.15 pm BSR v Robertstown

MID MURRAY FOOTBALL REPORT ... Robby Roos make it through to final
Robertstown 17.6 defeated Sedan Cambrai 9.13 A great team effort ensured the Roo’s a spot in the grand fi nal next week, setting up another opportunity to challenge the BSR Bulldogs who have been the dominant team for the last few seasons. Sedan Cambrai were switched on early and had most of the play in their forward area. Patrick Neal’s defensive efforts stopped a few scoring shots for the Maggies. Costin roved the ball off the pack and put through Sedan’s first goal. They quickly followed up with another after receiving a 50 metre penalty. The Roo’s were struggling to get it forward and when it came into Sedan’s forward line again they had goal number three on the board. The Roo boys didn’t panic, although the supporters were starting to kiss season 2008 goodbye. Brad Noack won the ball out of centre, kicked it straight to Ben Ross at centre half forward and he put Robby’s fi rst goal on the board. Dale Button won the next centre clearance, and when no-one came to him, he went all the way to goal. The Roo’s were back in it. Sedan went forward again, but Brad Noack put a stop to that, taking a nice saving mark. Dale Button found space again and kicked his second for the term. Chris Pfeiffer was getting possessions in the centre and his body presence kept the pressure on Sedan. There was only one point in it at quarter time. Sedan started the second term with an early goal, but then Nathan Freeman took one of his many marks, got the ball on to Dale and Robby had the quick reply. Sedan were not to be denied and got one back themselves. Craig Dixon was throwing himself into the packs, and after some harsh treatment Robby had a free down ground. Two 50 metre penalties put Nathan Freeman in the goal square and he slotted the ball through. Some more undisciplined play by the Sedan back line player gave him another shot on goal. The pressure was starting to show and Robertstown took full advantage. Brad Noack marked a kick-in after a point, and delivered nicely to Dale and he made no mistake. Ricky Todd seemed to be struggling with the step up to A grade, but when the ball came his way he used his pace along the boundary and kicked a great goal on the run. Soon after Adam Schutz took a great two on one contested mark, gave it off to Ricky and he kicked his second goal from the very same place. Peter Burman, playing in his familiar full back position, really made it diffi cult for his opponent, spoiling everything and taking a nice full stretch mark. Aaron Niemz was working very hard in the ruck and at ground level, keeping the ball in the area until assistance arrived. A good quarter by the Green and Gold saw them hold a twenty two point lead at half time. Sedan Cambrai were not going to lay down, and they scored the fi rst goal of the third quarter. Craig Dixon continued to work hard and he cleared to Chris Pfeiffer who kicked long to Adam Schutz, over to Ben Ross for another goal. Sedan had a couple of opportunities, but missed their shots thanks to the pressure being applied by the defensive players. Jade Mosey saved a certain goal and touched the next attempt on the line. Ben Pfi effer and Peter Burman combined well to make it hard for any attacks by Sedan Cambrai. Brad Noack continued to hit the packs, dodge and weave his way through and fi nished off with a goal. Jason Lehmann was getting involved and Tom Ross marked the next kick in, kicked it in to Chris Pfeiffer who soccered the ball through. Adam Schutz took another great mark and kicked the goal making the margin 31 points at three quarter time. Sedan Cambrai had early chances on goal, but couldn’t fi nish off. The game held the same intensity all the way through and Craig Dixon’s desperation and toughness led the way. Brad Noack was on the receiving end of some rough stuff and the resultant free down the ground ended in a goal. Sedan responded with a soccer goal. Nathan Freeman won the ball out of the pack, got it on to Dale Button and he then kicked his fi fth goal for the day. Aaron Niemz worked hard all match in the ruck, and really got on top in the last quarter. The Roo’s were in complete control and the boys kept working hard. Dale Button took another mark, and handballed over the top for Nathan Freeman to fi nish it off. Nathan had four for the day. It was a real team effort, with everyone helping each other out. Coach, Peter Burman, was well pleased with his team’s efforts and now the opportunity opens up for another premiership. The Grand Final is at Robertstown on Saturday so for some entertaining football, get yourself along to the ground and show your support.

MID MURRAY NETBALL ASSOCIATION
Results: August 30, 2008

GRAND FINAL

Sub Juniors
Robertstown 43 def BSR 26
Best players: Robertstown - Coby Rodda, Kirsten Mosey. BSR - Denise Littlehales, Danielle Schirmer.

Juniors
Robertstown 44 def Sedan/Cambrai 24
Best players: Robertstown - Kasey Neindorf, Rhiannon Calley. Sedan/Cambrai - Chloe Schmaal-Henke, Jessica Green.

C Grade
Robertstown 33 def Sedan/Cambrai 30
Best players: Robertstown - Rachel Brooke, Jodi Kotz. Sedan/ Cambrai - Leonie Schultz, Jaymee Klose.

B Grade
Robertstown 36 def BSR 30
Best players: Robertstown - Tracey Rodda, Sherene Kimpton.
BSR - Shohan Fidge, Jennifer Steer.

A Grade
Sedan/Cambrai 40 def BSR 38
Best Players: Sedan/Cambrai - Vanessa Fiebig, Krystle Fiebig.
BSR - Every one great team effort.

RIVERLAND FOOTBALL ... BY BILL HABY
Waikerie withstood a strong Renmark Rovers fight back during the third quarter before going on to win the 2008 RFL second semi final by more than nine goals.
The Magpies impressive victory against quality opposition allows them to go straight into the grand fi nal while Renmark will have to defeat Barmera- Monash at Barmera next Saturday if they are to challenge Waikerie for the premiership.
Renmark kicking to the southern end of the Loxton North oval had first use of the stiff northerly breeze worth at least three goals.
Strong opening performances from Nathan Tape and Jim Thomson ensured the Magpies got away to a positive start, while the Rovers didn’t use the scoring end of the ground all that well.
Shayne Stevens and Nathan Tape teamed brilliantly to score Waikerie’s second goal of the match, reducing the Rover’s quarter time lead to just eight points.
The second quarter was all Waikerie, as good team football displayed by Luke Horner, Scott Pogorecki, Nathan Tape, Shayne Stevens, as well as Tom Hyde, was largely responsible for Ben Venning and Mark Ricciuto kicking two goals each in the first ten minutes of play.
Jake Collins and Ben Kayser were playing very well in the Magpie’s back half, while in almost complete contrast Renmark’s defence lacked concentration and discipline under pressure.
Craig Miller was rucking well for Waikerie as goals kicked on the run by Damian Stevens and Russell Boatswain increased the Magpies half time lead to thirty one points.
A sensational kick under extreme pressure from deep in the clubhouse pocket by Russell Boatswain scored the first goal of the second half as the Magpies lead continued to increase.
Shortly afterwards the experienced trio of Damian Stevens, Josh Keller and Nathan Tape combined well to get Waikerie’s tenth goal.
It may have looked like that at this stage of the game the Magpies had cemented their spot in the grand final. However from the twelve minute mark until three quarter time, Renmark kicked five unanswered goals to get within eight points of the lead.
Sparked by determined ball getting from the likes of Russell Menz, Simon Howard, Jarrod Wiese and Simon Callahan, the Rovers looked like a completely different side and if they had kicked better for goal they could have been in a far stronger position than they were at the last change.
Great ball getting by Nathan Tape, Jim Thomson, Russell Boatswain, Josh Keller, Shayne Stevens and Luke Horner saw Waikerie kick four goals in the first nine minutes of the final quarter as the Rovers defence began to wilt under the onslaught.
Ricciuto and Hyde were presenting strongly up forward, ensuring that the hard work which Damian Stevens and Boatswain were doing around the packs, got the maximum result on the score board.
Creative play from the ex-Crow’s captain Mark Ricciuto, Steve Leibich, Ben Kayser, Damian Stevens, Josh Keller, Luke Horner as well as the ever improving youngster Craig Miller ensured the Magpies lead kept increasing right up until the final siren, while Nathan Farr kicked Renmark’s only last quarter goal.

RIVERLAND FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD –
FIRST SEMI FINAL
A GRADE
Barmera-Monash 2-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 (72)
Loxton North 2-2 3-3 7-4 9-6 (60)
Best: Barmera-Monash – J. Smith, T. Fittock, D. Millard, M. Leyson, D. Whitbourne, S. Fraser. Loxton North – M. Hampel, C. Vowles, J. Nelson, B. Williams, M. Arnold, C. Kropinyeri.
Goals: Barmera-Monash – R. Price 4; T. Swanbury 2; M. Middleton, S. Horsley, R. Villis, J. Maschotta. Loxton North – M. Arnold, B. Stephens, B. Miller 2; J. Nelson, J. Albrecht, B. Williams.

B GRADE
Renmark 9-4 (58) d Barmera-Monash 4-2 (26).

UNDER 18
Loxton 10-12 (72) d Barmera-Monash 4-3 (27).
Best: Loxton – All played well. Barmera-Monash – A. Svendson, T. Packer, T. Miller, T. Clayton, T. Bartsch, M. Leigh.
Goals: Loxton – S. Proud 7; J. Benson, J. Fielke, E. Pontt. Barmera- Monash – C. Hanna, B. Broughton, T. Clayton, M. Henwood.

SECOND SEMI FINAL

A GRADE
Waikerie 2-1 8-6 10-7 19-7 (121)
Renmark 3-3 3-4 8-11 9-12 (66)
Best: Waikerie – J. Collins, B. Kayser, J. Keller, N. Tape, S. Liebich, L. Horner. Renmark – N. Farr, M. Martinson, A. Bryant, J. Rowe, H. Beavis, S. Callahan.
Goals: Waikerie – T. Hyde, M. Ricciuto 4; R. Boatswain 3; D. Stevens, N. Tape, B. Venning 2; J. Thomson, S. Liebich. Renmark – T. Thorpe 3; H. Deer 2; N. Farr, C. Seekamp, M. Camplin, R. Bennett.

B GRADE
Waikerie 9-8 (62) d Loxton 4-3 (27).
Best: Waikerie – P. Valente, D. Collins, B. Hoad, M. Butcher, J. Burnett, T. Micke. Loxton – G. Dahlitz, M. Hahn, B. Hoffmann, B. Roads, J. Perre, R. Maczkowiack.
Goals: Waikerie – M. Oliver 3; B. Pittway, B. Haynes 2; G. Bishop, T. Micke. Loxton – M. Hahn, J. Wright, D. Cregan, G. Dahlitz.

UNDER 18
Waikerie 4-4 (28) d Renmark 3-5 (23).

RIVERLAND HOCKEY ... Knockout finals for hockey teams
Waikerie’s senior hocKey teams this week face elimination from the finals race as they contest the first semi finals in all senior grades.
The A men will face Renmark in the first semi final on Friday night after Loxton defeated Waikerie three goals to nil at the weekend and Renmark lost to Berri four goals to three. Loxton moved into second place on the table, securing the double chance and Renmark dropped to third to face Waikerie.
The A ladies will also meet Renmark and will look forward to the encounter following their excellent form over the past few weeks.
The A men and women play Friday night under lights at Glassey park with the men’s game at 7.15 p.m. and the A ladies at 8.45 p.m.
The B men face Renmark on grass, on ground three on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Unfortunately for the B grade ladies, the White team bowed out on Saturday losing two goals to one in the local derby which saw the Black team move into the finals to play Berri Red in the first semi final at 3.30 p.m. on ground three.
The junior sides have five teams involved with the under 18 women playing Friday night at 6 p.m. against Berri in the second semi final having earned the double chance.
Saturday sees the under 11 mixed team play Berri in the second semi final on turf at 9 a.m. Unfortunately the under 13’s have missed the finals finishing fifth but most of the kids will get a game in the under 15’s as they have all played well.
The Under 15 women play in the second semi final against Loxton on ground two at 11 a.m. The Under 15 men have a bye and play in the preliminary final next week at 11.10 a.m. on turf.
The Under 18 men play Berri at 12.40 p.m. on turf in the second semi final after finishing second behind Berri.
All players and parents are reminded of the Waikerie Canteen commitments at Glassey park during the finals. Please see Brett Morgan and volunteer before you are assigned a time.

A Men
Waikerie 0 Loxton 3
Best players; J. Modistach, A. Fulwood, C. Traeger-Squires, G. Simpfendorfer , S. Pick.
Waikerie A men went down three goals to nil to Loxton last Friday night despite having their fair share of the play, but once again failing to convert chances up forward.
Waikerie were again without captain Ryan Edwards, with a troublesome knee injury and Cameron Hope was out with commitments in Adelaide with Grange. The opportunity to again promote some juniors into the side was encouraging, as youngster Clayton Traeger-Squires stepped up with his best performance at this level.
Waikerie began the game tagging dangerous Loxton stalwart Karl Henning and again despite his influence being nullified early, Loxton were able to step up through the efforts of other players such as Steve Trezise and Brendan Schultz.
Loxton had three short corners in the first nine minutes but were well held by the Waikerie defence, before Waikerie’s fi rst significant move forward came at the 23 minute mark. A good passage of passes from Brenton Kroehn and Mitchell Kleemann saw the ball cracked at goal by Kleemann as Matty Morgan made great position alongside the keeper. His deflection went just wide denying Waikerie an early goal.
Loxton responded in kind as Henning broke free in the circle, moved with the ball to the right and slotted through a fi rm shot on goal. Brock Traeger-Squires made two good saves with 13 minutes left in the half to deny Loxton, as Jeremy Modistach again proved unpassable as Loxton pressed forward.
Midfi elder Alex Fulwood was working hard down back and Shawn Pick was solid on the last line.
Waikerie’s strategy of playing three high strikers was simply not working, as this left a paddock in the midfield for Loxton to run forward. Continually the Waikerie defenders worked hard to defend their ground and clear only to see the ball return in kind.
Loxton’s goalie Schubert, was on top of his game as three shots from Waikerie in the last eight minutes were denied before Loxton on a fast break down the right wing scored through Brendan Schultz, as he ran unattended into the circle.
Loxton again pressed forward and a shot with 58 seconds on the clock was cleared high by goalie Squires resulting in a short to Loxton. Their shot on goal was well cleared by Graeme Bartel on the last line.
Waikerie were unable to find a short corner penalty in the first half and created only five realistic shots on goal for the half, reflecting the pressure on the defence and midfield.
The second half saw another dour struggle for the defenders with having three short corners in the first five minutes without scoring.
Youngster Clayton Traeger-Squires after a stint at half back, moved to the wing and showed good skills to move the ball forward to Nitschke, whose shot was again well saved by goalie Schubert. Waikerie finally won their first penalty corner at the 20 minute mark but again their shot was denied by Schubert.
Two further short corners to Waikerie were wasted as they failed to get a shot away at the top of the circle. Youngster Squires was getting involved in the play and showed strength and poise moving forward to win another short for Waikerie with nine minutes left on the clock, the resulting shot from Kleeman again was saved by goalie Schubert.
One final short came at the five minute mark but again Waikerie were unable to score before Loxton surged forward on a break with just 50 seconds left on the clock to score, ending the game at three goals to nil.
While Waikerie can be commended for searching for new ways to score, by playing three high strikers, it clearly came at a cost, allowing Loxton too much room to move into attack. Waikerie needs to settle their side, return Morgan and Simpfendorfer to defence where they can be more effective and look to score through their midfielders, Fulwood, Nitschke, Kroehn and Kleemann.
Coach Dean Bartel has to get more of the ball to optimise his strength and speed by playing a more central role in attack, while the inclusion of Cameron Hope as a striker will be optimal for Waikerie’s chances of advancing.
The efforts of youngster Clayton Traeger-Squires was encouraging for the ‘future’ and should see him in the mix at selections this week.

A Women
Waikerie 2 Loxton 3
Best players: Z. Broekx, L. Doecke, K. Fulwood, M. Lee-Morath
Goal scorers: K. Fulwood, V. Schmidt
Waikerie A women had another close encounter with a more highly rated opponent when they went down in the last few minutes to Loxton, after levelling the scores at two all late into the second half.
Loxton scored initially with the strength of their experienced attack showing through. Waikerie started to work the ball well into their forward zones resulting with a short corner penalty.
Kimberley Fulwood made a solid drag out and a strong hit into the circle from Carlye Waye saw Kimberley positioned perfectly to put a beautiful deflection past the keeper and tie the scores up at one apiece.
Loxton came back hard at Waikerie with the defenders forced to make several saves. Leesha Doecke in goals kicked out well and made several other saves by hand as well.
Zoe Broekx, Carlye Waye and Rosie Lawson were once again defending very well and with calmness and control were able to clear the ball on numerous occasions. Loxton finally broke the deadlock with another strong hit from a short corner.
Waikerie again rallied and after some promising passages of play finally forced a short corner. A good drag out from Fulwood was trapped neatly by Waye who passed across to Vicki Schmidt, who lined up the right hand corner of the tin and belted the ball through the Loxton defence to once again level the scores at two all.
Not to be denied Loxton again streamed into attack and scored their third goal for the night.
Waikerie tried desperately to get the ball through to their fast running forwards but time finally beat them and Loxton had hung on grimly to record the victory.
Best players for Waikerie were the ever reliable Zoe Broekx at fullback with yet another fine display of fi erce tackling and strong clearances, Leesha Doecke for another strong showing in the goals, Kimberley Fulwood for running hard all game and positioning herself well in defence and attack and first A game player Maxine Lee-Morath who had some great moments on the wing and contributed well to the team effort.
Special mention to Carlye Waye who has patrolled the centre half position for most of the year with considerable strength and skill and who was as calm as ever under the intense Loxton attacking pressure. Youngsters Brianna Seabrook and Maddie Miller also did well on the night.
This week see the A women take on Renmark in the knockout first semi final and provided they can continue to put scoreboard pressure on their opposition they will be a good chance to move forward to the preliminary final, having beaten Renmark at their last encounter.

B Men
Waikerie 0 Loxton 2
Best players; J. Redemski, A. Cryer, P. White

B Women
Waikerie Black 2 Waikerie White 1
Best players Black; All Played Well
Best players White; All Played Well
Goal scorers Black; L. Cronin 1, H. Schulz 1
Goal scorer White; P. Kroehn

Under 18 Men
Waikerie 2 Loxton 1
Best players; All played well
Goal scorer; A. Fulwood 2

Under 18 women
Waikerie 1 Loxton 3
Best players: S. Wilson, L. Dutton, J. Kleemann, K. Fulwood, A. Hansen
Goal scorer: L. Dutton
Waikerie succumbed to Loxton’s persistent attacking pressure to register their second successive defeat at the end of the season. Loxton attacked hard from early on and it wasn’t long before they had one straight drive past the keeper putting Waikerie on the back foot.
Waikerie replied with some coherent team attack but were unable to put the score on the board. The ball fl owed evenly from each half with neither team able to take control.
Late in the first half Loxton mounted another strong attack and scored again with Waikerie’s defence again, caught off guard.
The second half saw Waikerie have more of the play with plenty of players trying hard to get Waikerie on the board. They forced some short corners but once again were unable to score thanks to some very persistent and physical Loxton defence.
Loxton scored again late in the half to put their win beyond doubt. Waikerie finally gained some respectability when Lauren Dutton did a solo run down the wing and into the top of the goals to fire a strong hit past the outstretched keeper into the tin.
Despite the three goals to one goal score line, Waikerie had their fair share of the play but were outplayed by a Loxton team that were desperate to win and more determined to get to the ball first.
Best for Waikerie were Sarah Wilson who continued her season improvement with another solid performance at halfback, Lauren Dutton who worked hard all game to spur on her troops, Jordan Kleemann with some fine work in the backlines and Kimberley Fulwood who tried to put some spark into the attack despite receiving a nasty whack to the knee early on in the game.
Special mention must go to Angela Hansen on the wing who displayed some great stick skills and running into position to halt some aggressive Loxton attack and to Jessie Elphick who battled hard all night.
Waikerie now must regroup for their semi-final meeting on Friday night with Berri; the winner advancing straight to the grand final.

Under 15 Men
Waikerie 0 Loxton 1
Best players; B. Dolphin, R. Kleemann, P. White, S. Haese

Under 15 Women
Bye

Under 13 Mixed
Bye

U11 Mixed
Waikerie 3 Loxton 1
Best players; L. Frost, T. Doecke, N. Schmidt, C. Powardy
Goal scorers; M. Menadue, C. Powardy, S. Haese
It was a wet game for the Waikerie team last week, as they played fourth placed Loxton. Despite the rain, the team was eager to play and showed some excellent passing skills despite the slippery conditions.
Cooper Powardy and Max Menadue were at their best, creating space and working the ball through to the forward line.
Luke Frost and Nathan Schmidt continue to grow in confidence using their stick skills and contributed greatly to the movement of the ball forward. Aden Hocking and Jason Micke took on their players and were instrumental in the defensive circle keeping their players out of action.
Tim Doecke and Sam Haese combined well through the middle of the ground to give Sam plenty of room in the forward line to beat the goalie for the second week in a row.
Trinity Schmidt, Nick Hocking, Chris Tyler, Monica Hansen and Deanna Moore continue to impress, with confi dence and determination to tackle the ball carrier and play a team game. Well done everyone!!!

RIVERLAND JUNIOR FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
PRELIMINARY FINAL

UNDER 15
Berri 7-5 (47) d Renmark 6-6 (42).

UNDER 13
Waikerie 6-2 (38) d Loxton 1-10 (16).
Best: Waikerie – All played well. Loxton – N. Flight, A. Lehmann, J. Hundertmark, B. Schubert, L. McDonald, L. Forward.
Goals: Waikerie – L. Schiller 3; B. Fridd 2; B. Cain. Loxton – B. Schubert.

RIVERLAND NETBALL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL TIMES
Friday, September 5
@ Renmark Stadium
8.45 p.m.
A1 Waikerie v Renmark
Saturday, September 6
@ Renmark Stadium

10.00 a.m. - 15C2
1.00 p.m. - 15A
3.00 p.m. - 17B

RIVERLAND UNDER 13’S FOOTBALL ... Best and Fairest for Daniel
At the Riverland Under 13’s Football Best and Fairest medal count held on Friday, August 29, Waikerie’s Under 13 Captain Daniel Pierce was awarded top honours as the Best and Fairest player. Vice-captain of the Waikerie Under 13’s, Shane McKinnon came third in the count.

SOFTBALL ... Seeking softball players
With the softball season fast approaching, interested players are being sought by the Waikerie Softball Club. Since it’s r e - establishment in the Riverland Softball Association several years ago, Waikerie has experienced great success, with last season only losing the grand final by one run.
A meeting has been set for September 10 at 7 p.m. at the Waikerie Hotel, with all interested people encouraged to attend.
Kelly Chamberlain from the Waikerie Softball Club said that the club is hoping to nominate three teams this season with B and C grade teams, with the new inclusion of a primary school team. Interested players can contact Kelly on 8541 2815 or Sue Tape on 8541 4073.

Waikerie A1’s make grand final... and history
A1
Waikerie 58 def Loxton 53
Best players: Amy Cain, Angie Miller, Hannah Lehmann
For the first time in the history of the Waikerie Netball Club competing in the Riverland competition, an A1 team has played their way into the grand final.
Finishing in third place on the ladder in the 2008 competition, Waikerie has played in two sudden death finals to win the right to play for the big prize. Friday night’s game against Loxton was another testament to how well the girls are playing netball at the moment.
In the previous three games against Loxton, during 2008, Waikerie has been the big improvers after losing their opening match of the season against Loxton by 30 goals.
Last Friday night the girls took control of the game in the first five minutes of the first quarter and never really looked threatened from then on.
Gaining a four goal lead at the first break Waikerie continued to work hard against a strong Loxton side to maintain the lead and eventually win the game by five goals. Patient work from Angie Miller and Kate Harden both into the circle and through the mid court played an important part in the win, as did the excellent accuracy and tough physical play by goal attack Hannah Lehmann and goal shooter Amy Cain.
Once again the defensive team of Lauren Oswald, Nikki Liebich and Jess Heron put amazing pressure on the Loxton attack and were all instrumental in making turnovers, and working the ball into the attacking end for Waikerie.
This week will see Waikerie up against a very strong side in Renmark. The girls will once again have to take control of the game from the start and work together for four quarters if they are to make further history and become the premiers for 2008.
The team is organising a bus for the game on Friday night and seats can be booked through Carolyn MacDonald on 0417 816 667.

A3
Waikerie 43 lost Loxton 51
Best players: Donna Hartwig, Sue Tape
Well it proved to be a reasonably good season for a team that was pretty determined to finish better than they did in 2007. The girls started well, winning all games in the first round, slumped through the second round, then found the drive they needed to pick up the pace again in the third round. However no game had been won or lost by much, proving that the A3 sides were pretty evenly matched this year.
Bowing out to Berri in the first semi final last week the girls were ambitious and thought that they had what it would take to overcome Loxton in the preliminary final, to bounce back and face Berri again in the grand final, but Loxton had other plans.
Both teams were hungry for the ball and the win, the game started pretty well, goal for goal and the scores at half time were even. Jodie Schutz and Donna Hartwig shot amazingly. Jacki Miller, Amy Hartwig and Sue Tape fed the ball into attack with precision. Marisa Hand, Rachel Kratopoulos and Paula Mayfield gave everything they had in defence, which at some points paid off.
But nevertheless, Loxton had a side that was unstoppable and snuck away to an eight goal win by the end of the match. Thank you so much to those that watched, scored and of course, coach Julie Schutz, who endured the emotional ups and downs provided.

U15A
Waikerie 44 def Loxton North 36
Best: Lee Shaw and Jess Smith
Waikerie came into this game as underdogs, winning only one game against Loxton North this season. This however, did not show in the way the girls stormed to a 6 goal lead in the first quarter, catching Loxton North unaware. Alicia Curtis illustrated discipline in GD and played an outstanding game stopping much of North’s drive. Cassie Taylor went out hard in GK and picked up many intercepts playing tighter on her player.
As they always say, practice makes perfect, and in training the girls practiced hard to stop the flooding that North is used to. In the game the girls opened up the mid court which allowed a more fl owing game. Courtney Sim-Gully played another cracker at WD, working hard at intercepts and her footwork.
Adi Falicinella once again put in 100 per cent in WA and led well into space, backing up the attackers when needed. Lucy Eldredge used her speed and agility to work the ball around the ring and gain intercepts down the court. Lee Shaw was outstanding in centre, providing much needed drive and pressure on Loxton North’s WA. Lee was very focused throughout and played an almost faultless game.
Teri Wenske and Jess Smith played brilliantly as GS and GA, working so well together. Teri directed play well in GS and used her strength to hold her defender and get rebounds. Jess shot extremely well and was getting goals from everywhere in the circle. The girls held onto their 6 goal lead until the last quarter, where they stepped up and won the quarter by another 2 goals.
What a wonderful game to watch, with all girls improving from the beginning of the season. If the girls play like they did on Saturday they will take the grand final up to the wire. Good luck girls, you may even get three chocolates if you win!

SUB JUNIORS
White 19 def Green 16
Best on Court: White: Demi Taylor. Green: Emma Souter.

Red 16 def Blue 9
Best on Court: Red: Thaleshi Fridd. Blue: Besa Kafexholli.

JUNIORS
Blue 21 def Green 14
Best on Court: Blue Sarah Aucote. Green: Danni Tootell

Red 21 def White 20
Best on Court: Red: Reaghan Petherick. White: Jessica Dearman