Interstate clubs Fremantle, Adelaide, Brisbane and Gold Coast would probably understand having no support among the 150-plus students involved in Tongala Primary School’s grand final parade last week.

The last day of term three happens to coincide with preliminary final week and has recently been adopted as Footy Colours Day.

And while all 10 Victorian clubs were represented strongly as each club had its theme song played, and students paraded simultaneously, there was only one interstate team with more than a sprinkling of representation.

No surprise that the selection of former TPS student Harley Reid as the number one pick in the 2023 draft and his arrival at West Coast Eagles has had a strong influence on the school.

Blue and gold jumpers with number nine on their back were more prevalent than even staples of Collingwood and Carlton.

West Coast was as well represented during the parade as any other club and when principal Rob Hogan invited students who had the Eagles as their second team to parade again few students were left cross legged in the audience.

Reid finished ninth in the Eagles best and fairest count that was won by Jeremy McGovern and was at the school a week before the Footy Colours Day to spend some time with students.

He will not be the only AFL player that Tongala students feel closely aligned to as Moama star Jobe Shanahan has been a regular at the school in recent years.

Shanahan, almost 200cm tall and a member of the GWS Giants development progam, is expected to go in the top 15 players at this year’s AFL draft after impressive results at VFL level for Essendon (11 goals, including a bag of five, in his three games) and another five goals in four games for the Allies during the National Under 18 championships.

He also kicked 22 goals in 11 games with the Pioneers and seven goals in three appearances, including two in the losing preliminary final team for Moama.

Mr Hogan’s own son, Lachlan, is also in the draft pool after twice playing with the Allies at the national titles and having a strong 14 game season with the Pioneers. He has been a regular at the school football clinics.

Both Lachlan Hogan and Shanahan were part of the Coates Talent League Team of the Year squad, but only Shanahan won a place in the elite squad (at centre half forward)

Also on hand to help at the football and netball clinics was Tongala teenager Jessie Johnstone.

There was even a “back of the ute” parade for staff - Michelle Hill (Lancaster’s A-grade coach and KDL senior netball coach of the year), Hollie Reid (sister of the West Coast star who was best on court in Euroa’s A-grade Goulburn Valley League netball grand final win on Sunday) and Gemma Brennan (part of Tongala’s Murray league netball premiership trifecta on the weekend).

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Saturday, 11th May 2024

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