Thrilling win for the Giants

KORUMBURRA-BENA recorded its first win of the 2026 season with a six-point win over Kilcunda-Bass.

This was a particularly meaningful win, as the Giants not only claimed the four points but also won the Gus James Memorial Cup.

‘The family is well respected by both clubs, and both teams go into this match each year well aware of its significance,’ Korumburra-Bena club president Ken Myors said.

Myors said the Giants were elated by the win, feeling both joy and relief for finally getting a victory.

‘I was speaking to our captain Joel Cuman - who played one of his best games for us on Saturday - and he said he just feels different now, so this is a positive turning point for our season,’ Myors said.

The conditions at the Korumburra Showgrounds were ideal early in the day, with a breeze favouring the town end.

More importantly, the atmosphere was electric with a lot of excitement and buzz attracting a record crowd to the ground.

Not only were the Seniors playing for the Gus James Memorial Cup, but Korumburra-Bena was hosting its Ladies’ Day, the Auskickers made an appearance at halftime, and the veteran Giants and Panthers battled it out in the Middle Hotel Mental Health Cup under lights.

‘We had the Auskickers playing at halftime. We have 83 registrations this year, which is fantastic for our club,’ Myors said.

‘They got a kick out of forming a guard of honour for the Seniors when they came back out onto the ground.

‘Korumburra also won the Middle Hotel Mental Health Cup. The Middle Hotel sponsors both clubs and our veterans did well to battle it out in wet conditions.’

In the Seniors match, there was some trepidation in both camps, as both sides had a number of players out.

‘We knew it was going to be a tough day. We had to make a few changes to our lineup due to injury and illness,’ Kilcunda-Bass coach Lee Rowe said.

Kilcunda-Bass took the opportunity to add to its depth by debuting two new Senior players, Troy Alford and Ethan Hollings.

The first quarter saw Kilcunda-Bass out to an early lead, but the game was evenly matched by halftime.

‘We won the toss and kicked with the breeze first. We kicked 3.4 in the first quarter but didn’t take all the opportunities we could’ve and missed a few set shots,’ Rowe said.

At the end of the second quarter, Korumburra-Bena was up by two points - it was the first time it had been ahead at halftime all season.

‘We were happy we didn’t have any of our usual mental lapses in the second quarter,’ Myors said.

‘We played our best footy towards the back end of the game as our confidence went up and we really fought it out. We didn’t take our foot off the pedal and we responded to everything.’

Kilcunda-Bass rallied in the third quarter and was looking like it was going to go into the final stretch with a comfortable margin.

However, the Giants kicked a few late goals, only permitting Kilcunda-Bass a 10-point lead.

It all came down to the last quarter.

Korumburra-Bena kicked a crucial goal at the 22-minute mark, which put it ahead by two goals.

Kilcunda-Bass won a centre clearance and kicked a goal at the 27-minute mark, which had the Giants’ fans watching the clock.

Another centre clearance went in the favour of the Panthers, which sent the ball straight back into their forward 50.

However, the Korumburra-Bena defenders played exceptionally in the dying minutes of the game, turning the ball over and keeping the Giants six points up as the final siren went.

‘We were very happy with this win,’ Myors said.

‘Josh (Hopkins, coach) spoke about how happy he was to get the win, and he was very aware of the reason why we play (for the Memorial Cup) and what it means for mental health.’

For Korumburra-Bena, Cuman was the standout, as he was in and under everything all day.

Andy Mathers and Kodie Walker performed their roles well, and Jack Spencer was handy in the ruck.

Tom Crocker kicked three goals for the day and continues to be a strong target up forward.

Aaron Turton once again proved to be a valuable return to the club, adding another target for clean passage into the forward line.

For Kilcunda-Bass, Nathan Foote played sensationally, David Sollberger gave another impressive performance, and Rowe commended the work of the entire backline, which held up well throughout the game.

‘It was a sensational day for everyone. We all stayed to see the presentation of the Gus James trophy. There’s a lot of respect between the two clubs and a lot of good rewards came out of the day without getting the points,’ Rowe said.

Next week, Korumburra-Bena will face Dalyston, this time in the Ian Hillberg Memorial Match.

‘Dalyston got us by two points earlier this season, but we want to go back-to-back in the Ian Hillberg Memorial Match,’ Myors said.

‘Ian played a lot of footy for Korumburra and went on to have a long career at Dalyston. He was a lovely bloke taken too soon by cancer, and both clubs had a lot of respect for him.’

Kilcunda-Bass will be taking on Phillip Island, which is anticipated to be another tough ask.