Mowers fall in girls grand final

A weak, but consistent, northerly breeze supported the home side’s efforts in the opening quarter and the majority of the game was played in Moama’s attacking 50 over the opening 15 minutes.

After the side missed a couple of opportunities to kick the first goal, Chloe Ryan finally slotted the game’s first with 3:50 on the clock and the Mowers went into the break up 8-0.

The game started to shift after the break and Shepparton United proved too strong around the middle of the park, able to work it inside 50 on several occasions.

Moama’s only opportunity to attack came off a 50m penalty, but the resulting scramble around the goalsquare didn’t lead to points.

The Demons found three behinds, including a disputed ‘touched’ call on the third, but eventually Leila Creevey opened the United account and the Demons had another on the siren to seize control 15-8 at the main break.

The second half became a story of missed chances for Moama.

Camped down in attacking 50 for long stretches of the third quarter, the Mowers couldn’t convert and eventually the Demons’ leaders would stand up, guiding their side down the other end and kicking two more.

One of Moama’s Bendigo Pioneers reps, Eliza Fraser, restored hope late with a major, cutting the lead to a gettable 11 points at the final break.

Even against the wind, Moama set up shop in attacking 50 for the first half of the final term, but came away with only one behind to show for it, and after several near misses, the Umpires’ Player of the Game medallist Tabitha Ingham put the icing on it for Shepparton United.

Moama’s Chloe Ryan nailed her second seconds from full-time to cut the margin to two goals, but it was the Demons’ day 5.5 (35) to 3.5 (23).

Moama coach Kate Christie had plenty of praise for her side despite the result.

“In the mid, they (Shepparton United) were amazing,” she said.

“Nakiyah Fraser, for us, absolutely killed it in the back line, she was our lifesaver down there.

“Our little girls, who were 13-14-year-olds; Sophie Millar, Chloe Ryan, Hannah Sara, they all stepped up to the game.”

Both sides had rep players come into the team for the final and Christie felt the weight of the Demons’ additions was a factor in them making the best of the important moments.

“There's only so much you can do,” she said.

“They had I think six or seven (Talent League players) in to my three, you can read the writing on the wall.

“Our youth girls, our really little girls, I think they did a tremendous job and I think if anyone was the team to beat this year, it was (Shepparton United).”

Christie told the squad before the game that she was leaving the coaching role after two years in charge.

With the growth of the game at the under-14, youth girls and women’s level, she believes the club is in a great position moving forward.

“I think the future of Moama is looking bright, we've got some great people stepping into different roles,” she said.

“I think Moama will be the place to be for the region in girls football and I'm just a bit emotional at the moment.

“You fight so hard for women's football for 30 years umpiring and (it’s great) to see every Wednesday (this year) when you come down, there's a hundred girls here that want to play football.”

Shepparton United also claimed the women’s grand final, 10.4 (64) to 2 over Mansfield.