Country Championships: Ongerup struggle in return to top division finishing without a win from four games

A depleted Ongerup Football Association side have finished their 2023 campaign at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships without a win. It was a tough initiation for Ongerup in their return to division 1 at the annual championships in Perth last week. Hit hard by injury and player omissions in the lead-up to the carnival, Ongerup lost all four qualifying games to finish at the bottom of the standings. At Pentanet Stadium in Joondalup on Friday in their opening game Ongerup could manage only one major against Peel. Ongerup then lost narrowly to a wayward Avon side but things didn’t get any easier on Saturday. First Ongerup front up to Upper Great Southern and failed to register a major before a 68-point thumping at the hands of South West to close out their carnival. In a positive they lost to eventual champions Avon by only 13 points and got some valuable experience into their younger players. It was Ongerup’s first taste of division one football since 2012 but coach Chris Walker said it had been a difficult campaign with several challenges. In Upper Great Southern’s big win against Ongerup Ryan Bennell, Haiden Schloithe and Coen Marwick all kicked two goals. Ongerup held their rivals to only two goals in the first half but Upper Great Southern broke the shackles after that to run out winners, 6.8 (44) to 0.1 (1). Dean Rintoul was kept busy in defence for Ongerup while Mitch O’Neill, Luke Bairstow and Jacob Conti were also in the best players. South West kicked six goals straight in the first half and continued on that dominance in the second half, on their way to a 12.3 (75) to 1.1 (7) triumph over Ongerup. Connor Hawkins ensured Ongerup would finish with a major after his conversion with two minutes to play but his side were outmatched from the first bounce. Lewis Davis went into defence and battled hard while Mitch Smith and Charlie Kelsall also won plenty of the ball for Ongerup. Ongerup’s sole goal in the 1.2 (8) to 2.9 (21) loss to Avon came from the boot of Lewis Davis while Rintoul, Riley Bridger and Jayden Brooks worked tirelessly. Five goals to one in the first half set up Peel’s comfortable victory over Ongerup with skipper Bairstow the only goal kicker. Peel were big winners in the end 7.0 (42) to 1.2 (8) with Ongerup best served by experienced trio Rintoul, Bairstow and Brooks.