38 BENDIGO ADVERTISER
au
SPORT LODDON VALLEY FOOTBALL-NETBALL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
Pyramid Hills crown
Bulldogs
triumph
over
Mitiamo
BY KIERAN ILES
P
YRAMID Hill has
upstaged Mitiamo to
claim its second LVF-
NL A-grade netball
premiership in three years.
The Bulldogs under
the guidance of coach Deb
Forster capped a stunning
season with a 45-38 grand
final triumph at Serpentine.
Their win was set up in a
dominant first half, with the
Bulldogs winning the first
two quarters by four and six
goals respectively, to set up
a handy 10-goal lead at the
main break.
As expected from a Super-
oos team, which lost just one
season during the regular
season and advanced to
the premiership decider
with a victory in their only
prior finals match, Mitiamo
surged in the third quarter to
pull within five goals.
But a purposeful and te-
nacious Bulldogs were able
to hold their nerve and score
a spirited seven-goal win.
They were brilliantly
led by their skipper Gabby
Kennedy and goal attack
Zoe Kennedy, who won
the umpires nod as best
on court.
But as their coach
was quick to reinforce
post-match, it would be a
disservice to all seven girls
who took to the court, to
single out individuals.
Zoe is just so quick, she
opens the game up coming
into the ring, shes just an
awesome player, Forst-
er said.
Monday September 04, 2017
JUBILATION: Pyramid Hill players and their coach Deb Forster celebrate their 45-38 premiership over Mitiamo at
Serpentine on Saturday. Picture: NONI HYETT
But all the girls played
well and played their part.
Kate (Burton) was
awesome, Gabby really
stepped up, drove the ball
and displayed strong hands.
But again, it was just a
real team effort.
The Superoos swung a
surprise, with top defender
Tahnee Cannan a shock
inclusion after she was
expected to miss the game
with Bendigo Lady Braves
SEABL grand final commit-
ments.
Cannan, who finished
fourth in the league best
and fairest medal count,
played the first half before
making a dash for Mel-
bourne to join her Lady
Braves teammates in time
for their grand final at
Kilsyth Sports Centre.
Forster said it was a credit
to her players that they were
not fazed by her surprise
appearance.
I think with plenty of talk
about (her not playing), we
GRAND FINAL
Pyramid Hill 45 defeated
Mitiamo 38
Best on court: Zoe
Kennedy (Pyramid Hill,
goal attack)
were able to put it behind us
very quickly, she said.
The last time we played
Mitiamo we only lost by two,
and she played, and we had
a bit of a mix-up in the last
two minutes with Abbey
(Dingwall) coming off and
them scoring two goals, so
we were confident we could
win either way.
After a dominant season
by the Superoos, Forster
conceded some might not
have seen the grand final
result coming, but the coach
went into the premiership
decider confident, im-
pressed with the way in her
players had approached the
game all week.
Talking with the girls
during the week, they were
more excited than nervous
thats got to be a good thing,
she said.
Thursday night came
and the girls were pumped,
and that makes me feel less
nervous as coach.
Credit to Mitiamo, they
had a great season and
really made a run in the
third quarter.
While their form during
the year, in being the only
team to beat Mitiamo and
registering at least one win
over all other teams, pointed
to the Bulldogs giving the
premiership a real shake,
it was in many respects a
fairytale win.
Just 17 months ago the
club came perilously close
to not entering an A-grade
team, following a string of
player losses.
It was Forster, who
answered a last-minute
call to coach a team which
contained just three of Sat-
urdays premiership line-up,
and had been keen to retain
the role heading into the
new season.
The now premiership
coach said she had been
keen to retain the role head-
ing into the new season.
I didnt just want to finish
last year and be that fill-in,
I wanted to build on it and
give it a good go this year,
she said.
I cant believe we just
won, she added, acknowl-
edging the win had not quite
sunk in in the minutes after
the final siren.
It was a season not
without its hiccups. The
Bulldogs recovered from a
0-2 start to win their next six
games straight and 12 of 14
heading into the post-sea-
son, before a first-up finals
loss to Newbridge.
Zoe Kennedy said her
teammates belief they
could win the flag had
never wavered, even after
their qualifying final loss to
the Maroons.
bendigoadvertiser.com.
We had a bit of regroup I
guess and we all got together
and talked and sorted a few
things out, she said.
That really helped and
steadied this group for the
next couple of finals.
Looking back now, it was
probably a great thing to
happen for us. I dont think
we would be here now if that
didnt happen to us three
weeks ago.
For the second-straight
year, a season which
brought few defeats, ended
in heartache for the gal-
lant Superoos.
Coach Jenny Clohesy
spoke for her entire team
when she sincerely said they
were gutted.
The pressure was right
on from the start and we lost
our way a bit and took too
long to get back into our way
of thinking, she said.
They never gave in and
thats been the beauty of
these girls all year they
have been the most amazing
bunch of girls I have ever
coached in my life.
Im more disappointed
for them. I thought we had
the team to do it, but give
Pyramid their dues, they got
on top us from the start and
really carried on.
Its the same thing that
happened last year against
Newbridge and something
we will probably have
to address.
The Superoos had tireless
workers in wing attack
Gabrielle Marlow and wing
defence Abbey Hay, while
Julia Twigg impressed at
goal keeper.
The premiership line-up
comprised: Jess Holdstock
(goal shooter), Zoe Kennedy
(goal attack), Gabby Ken-
nedy (wing attack), Gemma
Scott (centre), Emily Prout
(wing defence), Kate Burton
(goal defence), Abbey
Dingwall (goal keeper), and
Lauren Moon (sub).