Murray: Congupna chases first premiership since 1993
Congupna’s premiership drought has entered its third decade. But it won’t be the only club aiming to break a flag drought come in September. See who else is in contention.
Country footy premiership droughts can be hard to snap as Congupna has discovered for more than three decades.
The club with one of the more unique nicknames, The Road, wasn’t playing in its present home when it last lifted the premiership cup.
Congupna played in the now defunct Tungamah District league from 1967 to 1995 before joining the Murray league in 1997.
The architect of the club’s last two flags, including its most recent 31 years ago, was a player who had savoured VFL premiership success with North Melbourne in 1977.
After playing exactly 100 matches for the Kangaroos, Xavier Tanner followed legendary coach Ron Barassi to Melbourne for a brief stint before returning to the country to coach.
Shepparton hardly won a match for two years before appointing Tanner coach in 1987, but the following season lost to Deakin Reserve cotenant Shepparton United in the grand final.
“United was our nemesis and we just couldn’t get over them,” Tanner said.
At the end of the 1990 season when it missed finals, Tanner’s job was advertised and Congupna pounced.
And, players who had been Tanner’s on field foes in the Goulburn Valley league including Shepparton United coach, Richard Warburton, turned teammates.
“We recruited brilliantly,” Tanner said.
“Players I had played against at Mooroopna, Lemnos and Shepparton United in the previous three or four years all came to Congupna at the right time.”
Congupna won the flag in Tanner’s first season and two years later it sat on top of the ladder most of the season before finding itself in deep trouble at quarter time of the grand final against Benalla All Blacks.
They kicked seven goals with the breeze to lead by 18 points before there was more cause for concern when Ron McColl was yellow-carded early in the second term.
Former Essendon rover Wayne Primmer coached All Blacks, whose star player and former O & M gun, John Martiniello, was best-on-ground with 41 possessions.
Score were level at the last change and The Road’s big guns sealed its second flag in three seasons.
Warburton booted six goals in his final match and fellow forward Phil Murray went one better with seven.
Tanner played until he was 40 before coaching the Murray Bushrangers between 2001 and 2005 with Kyabram’s Brett Deledio and Seymour’s David Mundy among the best players he coached.
But, 1993 was the beginning of a barren run.
Congupna lost its only Murray league grand final appearance in 1998 to Cobram and didn’t make another premiership decider until last year when beaten by Mulwala.
The club struggled before Covid, but rebounded to make finals in 2022 and the grand final last year.
It presently sits 10 points clear of second-placed Moama with two major signings from GV clubs, Kyle Mueller and Billy Cooper.
But coach Ben Bingham said there were no guarantees of success come September.
“It’s such a strong league this year we seem to be coming up against top-six teams every second week,” he said.
“Our draw is one of the toughest we’ve had compared to previous years and have been made to earn our wins.
“It stops us from getting carried away.”
MATCH DETAILS
CONGUPNA 4.3 7.9 12.11 15.12 (102)
ALL BLACKS 7.3 9.4 13.5 15.7 (97)
Goals: CONGUPNA: P. Murray 7, R. Warburton 6, D. Crowe, A. Bicknell. ALL BLACKS: D. Sharpe 3, A. Rolls 3, A. Putt 2, P. Woods 2, J. Martiniello 2, J. Beaton, S, Coutts, S. Allen.
Best: CONGUPNA: X. Tanner, A. Woods, R. Van Den Driest, P. Storer, R. Warburton, P. Murray. ALL BLACKS: J. Martiniello, J. Beaton, D. Wright, D. Putt, H. Davidson, L. Gilchrist.
IN THE PREMIERSHIP WINDOW
(Country clubs in flag droughts of more than 20 years that are in contention for September glory)
NYAH NYAH WEST UNITED
The arrival of Tony Berry from South Mildura as coach was the catalyst for the back-to-back flags won by Nyah Nyah West United in 2000-2001 that remain its last pieces of silverware.
The 2000 win was the club’s first since a merger in 1978 and the following year beat Tyntynder in the grand final by 22 points.
The Demons were beaten in the preliminary final by eventual premier Kerang and begins the run home to finals one game clear on top of the ladder.
PYRAMID HILL
A perennial presence in this company with its drought the state’s longest at 74 years.
Pyramid Hill beat Mitiamo by five points in the 1950 Mitiamo District grand final.
It joined the Loddon Valley league in 1995 and lost grand finals in 2019 and last year, but has beaten reigning premiers Marong and Bridgewater in the last two rounds.
YACKANDANDAH
Success-starved Yackandandah went into the 2000 grand final without winning a flag for 36 years and midway through the second quarter against Barnawartha trailed by 44 points.
Coached by Ross Hedley, Yackandandah produced one of the truly memorable Tallangatta District grand final fightbacks to win the premiership by 10 points.
Yackandandah is sitting on top of the ladder this season with wins against all other main challengers.
MOE
The second longest premiership drought at major league level, dating back to 1967, can end if Moe can perform in September.
It beat eventual premier Leongatha twice in the home and away rounds last year, but couldn’t get past the Parrots in two finals matches that saw the Lions bow out in the preliminary final.
Has beaten Leongatha again this season, but suffered a hiccup last Saturday when it was thrashed by Traralgon.
GRETA
After playing in four flags for Wangaratta Rovers, including two as captain, Mick Caruso’s premiership winning qualities moved to Greta in 1997 and culminated in the club’s last flag in 1999.
The Blues beat Moyhu in the Ovens & King grand final by five points.
Last year, Greta lost to eventual premier Bonnie Doon in the second semi-final and went down in the following week’s preliminary final.
WANGARATTA ROVERS
Four flags between 1988 and 1994 and champion players including Robbie Walker, Tony Pasquali, Peter Tossol and the Wilson brothers, among others, stamped Wangaratta Rovers as one of the strongest country teams of its era.
The Rovers were also brilliantly coached by Laurie Burt, but have only reached the grand final once in the last three decades.
Presently sitting second, the Rovers play reigning premier Yarrawonga at home in the final round.
STAWELL
Stawell Warriors were only in their infancy following a 1998 merger when they won their last flag 24 years ago.
Coached by Murray Emerson and captained by Toohey Medal winner Matt Ilsley, the Warriors recovered from a heavy defeat in the second semi-final to down Ararat in the grand final by 10 points.
Stawell, Ararat and Southern Mallee Thunder are locked in a three-way battle for flag glory.
ANGLESEA
Co-coaches Rob Benney and Bernie Purcell masterminded Anglesea’s 1999 Bellarine premiership win against Ocean Grove, which won a remarkable eight flags between 1994 and 2003.
Anglesea won by 22 points with former Geelong and Sydney speedster David Bolton part of the flag-winning team.
It presently sits third on the Colac District ladder after losing to ladder leaders Torquay last round.
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