The Murray South East team has been chosen to contest the SA Country Championships next week-end at Port Pirie. Six players from the RMFL have been selected with Mypolonga James Pedler being named Captain. He is joined by his team mate Scott Meneghetti, Liam and Patrick O’Neil from Ramblers with Tyson Wait and Ryan Eyre from Imperials making up the rest. It’s a feather in the cap of “Big Jim” Pedler being named Captain. He just grows another brain in these games. He is a terrific performer and a great leader and for him to get the gig from the upper south east graziers is fair nod of approval. Good luck to all the boys, lets hope they all play well and come home unscathed.

Mannum V Imperials

Tony Fielke has pulled the greatest con trick ever in RMFL football. He has Ramblers and now Mannum believing they can win a Grand final. We are all playing for second; all he has done is lengthen the odds for the Blues punters. The last bloke who pulled this trick was Bernie Madoff, the greatest swindler of all time only he got caught and is currently serving life.  Imperials were very slick in the opening quarter; “Captain Smooth” Tyson Wait was in total control. Brett Williams won every tap and Imperials won every centre clearance. Clive Waterhouse won the game for Mannum. He gave his opponent Ryan Eyres a tap in the ribs in the second term, a fracas developed and Imperials went to water from that point on. They lost interest quickly when the blow torch was applied to the belly. Brad Wakefield stepped up and took control, Mark Mueller got his hands on the football and started to feed the running players and Imperials could stem the flow. Imperials kicked three goals after quarter time, Mannum kicked fifteen. That’s a big stat and in the finish it was a pretty impressive performance by the Roos. Imperials best players were in defence, Mannum had a lot more contributors and they made things happen. They had numbers at the ball, every time they were tackled or the fumbled they had back up and every time they went forward they hit a target. Imperials with six first choice players missing will lick there wounds and put this one in the memory bank .Andrew Warnest got through unscathed and with match time under his belt will improve. The bonus for Mannum has been the form of their two young players in Zak Bullard and Levi Krause who are playing exceptional football for their age. Mannum just needs to fire up Aaron Hockey, he is living on reputation at the minute and if he doesn’t crank up soon he could be kicking the dew off the grass come finals. There was a huge crowd present, the clubrooms were packed and country football in the humble league is alive and well. Coach Dave Dohleguy has kicked out the Fox Trot and the Pride of Erin and he has got the Roos doing the Mannum shuffle. It only comes out after 10.00pm and some of the patrons are quite adept at taking two steps backwards and one step forward after a big win.. Mannum just have to careful they don’t get ahead of themselves because as I left on Saturday night one punter was suggesting Mannum make up the tenth team in the SANFL.

Tailem Bend V Jervois

It was a shoot out at Tailem Bend. 41 goals scored on the toy ground with Jervois getting home by 12 points. Jervois ensured a finals berth with that win with the big men Shane Sterzl and Sam Braidwood doing the damage. Tailem Bend could consider themselves a tad unlucky as twenty goals would win most games. Laurie Rankine gave the Eagles something to aim at finishing with four goals while Ben Hansen back from Sturt due to the bye picked up four and gave the Eagles a bit of bite up forward. Tailem Bend did a fair job in keeping Trevor Rigney to three goals but in the wash up they couldn’t get the points. Jervois will play finals, Tailem Bend I’m not so sure. They haven’t been outside the top five all year , there wins have been few and far between and they are currently sitting on the cusp and can’t afford another slip up. The Lokan Cup always seems to bring out the best between these two sides and Saturday was no exception with Jervois continuing there recent dominance.

Meningie V Ramblers

It was always going to be tough for Meningie to roll the Roosters. The Rambler big forwards in Ryan Viney, Clint Girardi and Adam Jackson were always going to be difficult to match up on for the Bears defenders. They are just too big and strong and they finished with thirteen out of the tally of nineteen goals for the day. Ramblers took the wraps of new recruit Lloyd McIntyre, McIntyre hails from Corowa/Rutherglem in the powerful Ovens & Murray Football League and the mail is that he is pretty useful but he has awkward kicking style. The Roosters went down to Meningie to enjoy the hospitality, scoff down a few mullet sandwiches and wash them down with a few cleansing ales. They did all that and came home with a 91 point win. The Bears just couldn’t go with them, they don’t have the sized or the skill of their opponents but Ryan Mallard their best forward finished with four goals and at least gave Meningie some sort of target.