Sport
24 July, 2025
Thunder felled by Burras
It was a heart stopper at Murtoa on Saturday as the senior Thunder side fell agonisingly short against Minyip Murtoa in a thriller that went right down to the wire.
In a match with momentum swings and no shortage of drama, it was the Burras who emerged with the four points, edging past the Thunder in the dying minutes, by just two points.
Thunder came out firing, making the most of their opportunities early and taking a 13 point lead into quarter time after booting 3.2 to the Burras’ 1.3.
Both sides traded blows in a tighter second term, but it was Minyip Murtoa who clawed back slightly, reducing the deficit to eight points at the main break.
After halftime, the Burras found another gear, slamming home 5.2 in the third term to take a slender five point lead into the final change. Southern Mallee weren’t done yet, lifting in the last and briefly regaining the lead thanks to a clutch goal from the versatile Angus Dewar, who was a standout rotating between defence and attack.
But the Burras held their nerve, responding clinically in the dying minutes to reclaim the lead and hold on in a tense final few passages of play.
Liam Kidd was a key for Minyip Murtoa, finishing with four goals and named among the best alongside Kade Petering.
For the Thunder, Reid Polak led the goal scorers with three, while Dewar and Jarrod Stokes were among the most influential.
Stokes was dominant around the clearances, with strong support from skipper Billy Lloyd. Down back, Simon Clugston stood tall under pressure, while Brad Stokes and Rupert Sangster rounded out the best.
The narrow loss sees Southern Mallee drop to fifth on the ladder, and with just a few rounds remaining, they’ll be needing to bank some crucial wins to keep their finals hopes alive.
Final score Burras - 11.11 (77) def. Thunder - 11.9 (75)
Best, Burras - Kade Petering, Liam Kidd, Dusty Cross, Ben McIntyre, Nick Cushing, Oscar Gawith. Thunder - Angus Dewar, Jarrod Stokes, Billy Lloyd, Simon Clugston, Brad Stokes, Rupert Sangster
The Thunder Reserves side endured a tough day at Murtoa on Saturday, going goalless in a blustery clash against Minyip Murtoa that saw the home side claim a commanding 12.6 (78) to 0.3 (3) win.
Despite a strong wind advantage to one end of the ground, the Thunder were unable to capitalise, with the tricky conditions wreaking havoc on disposal and ball movement throughout the match. The Burras, however, adjusted better to the chaos and were able to maintain impressive accuracy in front of goal.
Thunder’s backline was under siege for much of the day, but Jonty Bellinger was a standout at centre half back, named best on ground for his composure under pressure.
Tim Sanford, returning from senior duties, did his best to lift the side and generated some much needed drive, but the team couldn’t convert its few opportunities.
Jake Parry continued his consistent season with another gritty performance in the middle, while Dean Perkins, Cody Frankel and Tristan Glare also battled hard and featured in the best.
With finals not looking out of reach, the Thunder will be aiming to finish the season strongly and find some form in the remaining rounds.
Final score, Burras - 12.6 (78) def. Thunder - 0.3 (3)
Best, Burras - Logan Petering, JAck Boschen, Thomas Vearing, Xavier Shevlin, Patrick Rabl, Jamie Whitehead. Thunder - Jonty Bellinger, Tim Sanford, Jake Parry, Dean Perkins, Cody Frankel, Tristan Glare.
Southern Mallee Thunder’s Under 17s put together a commanding performance on Saturday against Minyip-Murtoa, coming away with a 15.10 (100) to 4.4 (28) win in Round 13.
The Burras made the most of the strong wind early, opening the game with a quick goal.
But Thunder responded in style, moving the ball smartly into the breeze to take control of the quarter.
Max Roberts and Parker Hallam slotted a goal each, while Fletcher Keller made his presence felt with two majors.
At the first change, Thunder led 4.3 to 2.2.
With the wind at their backs in the second quarter, the Thunder boys lifted another gear.
The midfield gained dominance and the forward line capitalised, piling on six unanswered goals.
Fletcher Keller and Lenny Weir added one apiece, while Max Roberts and Will Fisher both booted two.
By the main break, the scoreline reflected Thunder’s dominance: 10.7 to 2.2.
The Burras returned from halftime with renewed energy and matched Thunder in a more even third term, each team kicking two goals.
Parker Gould added his name to the goal-kickers list, and in a proud sibling moment, his younger brother Ryder Gould also found the big sticks.
Heading into the final quarter, Thunder held a strong 12.10 to 4.3 lead.
The final term saw Thunder finish the game with polish, once again using the breeze well.
Will Fisher added two more goals to his tally, and Lenny Weir kicked his second for the day.
Down back, Max Spokes was rock solid across half back, and Oliver Credlin’s consistent form continued to impress.
In true country footy spirit, four Thunder players – Leith Horman, Evan Keller, Axel Decker and Kane Bastin – donned the Burras jumper for the day to help even up the numbers and ensure the game could go ahead competitively. A big thanks to these boys.
Final score, Thunder - 15.10 (100) def. Burras - 4.4 (28)
Best, Thunder - Will Fisher, Parker Gould, Fletcher Keller, Oliver Credlin, Ryder Gould, Max Spokes. Burras - Ryder Hudon, Finnian Delahunty, Archie Hogan, Jake McKenzie, Thomas Hotker, Lewis Thomson.
Determined to build on recent improvements, the The Southern Mallee Thunder Under 14s travelled to Murtoa - and they delivered, coming away with a hard-fought 24-point win in tricky conditions.
Kicking into a strengthening breeze in the first quarter, the Thunder surprised their opponents with a strong start.
The onball brigade worked superbly together, winning clearances and keeping the ball in their forward half, allowing Thunder to kick two unanswered goals into the wind.
With the breeze at their backs in the second quarter, Thunder controlled possession but couldn’t fully capitalise.
A crowded forward line made clean shots at goal difficult, resulting in one goal and five behinds for the term.
Despite their dominance, the Burras stayed within reach at halftime.
Minyip Murtoa lifted in the second half, using the wind to their advantage in the third quarter to close the gap.
Burras goaled in the opening seconds of the final quarter, reducing Thunder’s lead to just three points, but showed great composure and teamwork to rally when it mattered.
Bella Spokes was instrumental in settling the team’s nerves in the last, taking a strong mark and converting from a set shot.
Moments later, she laid a crucial tackle in the forward line, with the ball spilling free to Will Glen who snapped truly to push the margin out and seal the game.
Charlie Williams was outstanding all day, dominating around the ground and finishing with three goals in a well-deserved best on ground performance.
Edison Stasinowski worked tirelessly in the ruck, showing relentless determination.
Clancy Weir was a key contributor at both ends of the ground, adapting to whatever role the team needed. Harry Watson repeatedly put his head over the ball and won important possessions.
The 24-point win, their second victory of the season, will no doubt provide a valuable confidence boost to the young Thunder side as they continue to build momentum heading into the back half of the season.