Echuca and Moama’s senior football sides have made it through another week of Goulburn Valley and Murray league finals, respectively.

Along with Tongala in Murray Netball League, the three sides going for glory will have quite the fight in store this weekend in the semi-finals.

After evading a persistent Shepparton Swans in the elimination final, Echuca will do battle with storied rival and second-placed finisher Rochester.

Whoever prevails will book a place into the preliminary final against the loser of Kyabram and Mansfield.

The game will get under way at 2.30pm at Euroa Memorial Oval.

Echuca coach Simon Maddox highlighted the desire for his side to focus on itself, regardless who they come up against this weekend and through the rest of the finals.

“We'll just get our own backyard right. Whoever we play, it’s more important for us to get our structures right to go out there and win it,” he said.

"We have great respect for both those sides (Kyabram and Rochester) and both their footy clubs, they're perennial finals sides and they both finished above us on the ladder, so we're going to have to bring our A-game.

"It's exciting times at Echuca, we're still rolling, we're still in and we'll just take it one week at a time."

After getting its round 18 revenge on Numurkah in the elimination final, Moama has moved on to face Cobram in the first semi-final.

Playing at Numurkah Showgrounds at 2.10pm, the winner of the contest will go up against the loser of the table-topping clash between Congupna and Mulwala in the preliminary final.

Moama coach Liam Barrett highlighted the positive feeling around the club as the finals progress and the confidence his side has to go all the way this year.

“Everyone is feeling confident to keep pushing through finals, there is a great feeling among the group,” he said.

“We're not getting ahead of ourselves at all though, we know that it’s just one week at a time.

“There's a lot of belief of what we are capable of doing, we just need to make sure we don't get complacent.

“We’ll keep ticking every single box we can and, come game day, have the discipline to execute and achieve.”

Tongala A-grade escaped the second elimination final by the skin of its teeth, with Moama falling out of the hunt for glory instead in a 52-54 thriller at Memorial Park Deniliquin.

With the Magpies out of the way, the Blues now have a date with Mulwala in the first semi-final in a win-or-go-home bout at Nathalia Recreation Reserve at 1.30pm.

The winner of that match will make it through to the preliminary final to face the loser of Rumbalara and Nathalia.

Tongala coach Grace Hammond reflected on the depth of talent at the club, pointing to that as the main reason for its success across grades.

“There are girls playing B-grade that could be playing A-grade and same with C-grade who could be playing B, but we're just so fortunate as a club,” she said.

“It shows having seven teams into the second week of finals that from A-grade to under-13s we've got so many options.

“We've got depth right through the club and it's definitely not a bad problem to have.

“The future at Tonny is looking really bright and we're very fortunate for that.”

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Thursday, 16th February 2023

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