THE Ovens and Murray under-15 team finished its Victorian Country Championships on a high yesterday, beating reigning division 1 title holders Ballarat at Port Melbourne.
The O and M rebounded from Tuesday’s 41-point belting at the hands of Bendigo to beat Ballarat 7.10 (52) to 4.6 (30).
It ensured the O and M finished second, an improvement on last year’s winless championships.
Coach Mark Knobel said he was pleased with the way the squad rebounded.
“It was chalk and cheese again; we had a talk to the group about their preparation and they were really focused before the game,” he said.
“They all followed their instructions and played as a team and it was good to see them rebound after Tuesday.
“I’m disappointed they missed their chance (to win the division 1 title) on Tuesday but it was pleasing to see they learned a lot from that game.
“They would have learned that footy is all about preparation — you can’t just turn up and expect to dominate at this level like they do at their local clubs.”
Benalla’s Jake Pallpratt was again best for the O and M, finishing with two goals, while Sam Martyn, Sam Maddern, Tim Hallinan, Josh Porter and Hayden Edwards also put in strong efforts.
The O and M beat Geelong by 22 points on Monday.
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