Close as they come: A thrilling final term between Stanhope and Tallygaroopna ended in the Lions winning by a single goal after a series of offensive rebounds from Harley Trevena and Michaela Fisher eventually secured the team victory.
Capain and coaches: Stanhope C grade premiership captain Kara Canny (centre) with premiership winning co-coaches Bianca Atley and Bec Schubach. The Lions were the underdogs in the grand final, but overcame the odds to claim the title.
A Stanhope goal with seconds remaining in Saturday’s grand final at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve had a sea of maroon and gold supporters in raptures of excitement.
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They cheered as a see-sawing final term ended with the Lions winning their first-ever Kyabram District League C-grade netball title.
The Lions were a clear underdog going onto the game, their ladder-leading opponent having just lost just one game in the home and away season and won straight through to the grand final with a second semi-final victory.
Stanhope, on the other hand, had to do it the hard way and won finals against Undera, Merrigum and Murchison-Toolamba (the last by three goals) to earn a place in the final.
They finished the season in third, but were rarely headed in the grand final.
While the Lions were never behind in the last term a determined Tallygaroopna refused to lie down and continually responded to a series of Stanhope charges to tie the game on at least half a dozen occasions in the tense finish.
C-grade premiers: Stanhope’s C-grade premiership team (from back left) Bec Schubach, Harley Trevena, Meg Millar, Charlotte Grealy, Amber Lunney, Amy GIllie, Emily Argus and Bianca Atley. Front is Michaela Fisher, Hilary Grigg, Teagan Morrison, Emma Pettifer and Kara Canny.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
League officials were preparing for extra time when Stanhope missed a series of opportunities to ice the game in the unusually hot conditions that greeted players for the grand final.
In what seemed to be a matter of minutes into the final term Tallygaroopna, which had started the last quarter six goals behind Stanhope, had levelled the game on 25 goals apiece.
The Lions got out to a three-goal lead in that final term, but a series of unfortunate events, including a successful conversion that was reversed on the back of a contact charge, kept Tallygaroopna in the game.
Athletic Stanhope goaler Michaela Fisher, who had worked brilliantly in tandem with goaling partner Harley Trevena, pulled in a series of offensive rebounds but struggled to convert those into goals.
Fisher shot only two of Stanhope’s nine goals in the last quarter as Tallygaroopna threatened to turn the game on its head.
The teams could not be separated at quarter-time or half-time, 15 goals apiece a the long break.
Stanhope surged in the third when player of the match and co-coach Bianca Atley, and defensive partner Teagan Morrison allowed Talygaroopna three goals.
It gave the Lions a six-goal lead entering the final term, but Tallygaroopna was by no means finished.
Goal shooter Ane Henderson, who had shot just nine goals in two quarters on the court leading into the last term, shot 11 goals in the last.
While never headed the threat remained that the third quarter lead that Stanhope had worked so hard for would be reeled in.
Spoils of victory: Amber Lunney and her daughter Poppy Patten share a rare quiet moment after Stanhope players had been presented with their premiership medals.
Eventually, the siren sounded on the back of Trevena’s seventh goal of the term and Stanhope was a one goal winner — a strong supporter base rushing onto the court to celebrate the unexpected win.
Eleven of the 12-member Stanhope squad played a part in the 34-33 win, inspired by the defence of Atley and backed up by Trevena’s 19-goal game.
Co-coaches Atley and sideline-based Bec Schubach worked with captain Kara Canney to mastermind a series of interchanges that saw vice-captain Amy Gillie and Amber Lunney work through the centre to inspire several forward thrusts.
Apart from one quarter when Emily Argus was at goalkeeper, it was up to Atley and Morrison to control the opposition goalers, while captain Canny was the conduit to the goaling circle at wing attack.
Hilary Grigg was one of just four players to spend the whole game on the court, at wing defence, with Atley, Trevena and Fisher.
Charlotte Grealy worked with Canny on a wing and Meg Millar made a cameo in goals to experience the court time of a tense final.
Emma Pettifer was the other member of the Lions squad.
All smiles: Hilary Grigg and her daughter Agatha Young can’t hide the excitement of the moment just after the Stanhope team had won the 2023 title - by one goal.
Roaring Lions: Ella Turpin, Taylor Sutton and Grace Jackson-Kightly break into spontaneous celebrations on the final siren, after a nail-biting final quarter.
Too much tension: Ella Turpin and Taylor Sutton rode the roller coaster of emotions that came with the final quarter of the C-grade grand final, when Stanhope shot the winning goal with seven seconds remaining on the clock.
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