22 points. That is the closest any team has got to the undefeated Sunbury side in 2015, as the Lions aim for a clean sweep of the competition.
Standing in their way is the side that suffered that 22-point defeat in Round 12 – one of four defeats Melton Centrals have suffered to the ladder leaders this year.
Sunbury was just one of three undefeated teams at the end of the home and away season across the VWFL – Port Colts and Endeavour Hills the other two - with only Sunbury and Port Colts making it to their respective Grand Finals.
Amazingly the Lions kept their winning streak intact in the final round of the season, despite only fielding 18 players.
Sunbury’s Krystie Dudley said to make the Grand Final is an achievement in itself, with the club close to not fielding a side in 2015.
“There is a sense of great achievement in making this Grand Final considering that at the start of the year it looked like there wasn’t going to be a Women’s Football team in Sunbury,” Dudley said.
“We would like to thank the Sunbury Football Netball Club for coming to the table and taking us on board and to all the players and volunteers for all their hard work in getting us to where we are today.”
- CLICK HERE Sunday for a live video stream of the Grand Final
Melton has the mammoth task in front of it to defeat what has been the undefeatable in 2015, but coach Larissa Dern knows that on Grand Final day, anything can happen.
“It will come down to who the better team is on the day, the past 15 weeks don't matter now,” Dern said.
“We have watched our team grow and learn to play the Melton Centrals style of football.
“The girls worked as a team both on and off the field.
“They prepared mentally and only had their eyes on success - the level of encouragement and inspiration is phenomenal!”
It has been a long premiership drought for both clubs, with Sunbury last enjoying premiership success in 2010, when the club completed back to back flags against Lalor in North/West Division.
Melton’s last flag was back in 2007 in the final year of the Country/Division 2 competition.
Lisa Kirby will be one of the key players Melton need to stop, with the Sunbury spearhead having kicked 52 goals for the home and away season. Central controlled her output in two of the three home and away contests this year, reducing her to just the one goal in each match, but in Round 7 she led the way with six of the Lions 10 goals for the game.
In the semi-final a fortnight ago, Sunbury kicked five goals to two in the first quarter to set up their win. Melton will need to improve its first quarter output against the Lions, having only kicked three goals against them in the first term across four matches this year.
Will the winning run for Sunbury continue or can Melton cause the upset result?
SUNDAY AUGUST 30, PIRANHA PARK, COBURG: 10AM
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sunbury: Simone Craige, Natalie East, Iesha Lauaki, Sheleice Thomas-Cathay, Kristy Berger, Lisa Kirby
Melton: Charlene Agius, Kareena Jacobsen-Logan, Chelsea Forbes, Claire Rollinson, Nicole Undy
PATH TO GRAND FINAL
Sunbury
Semi-final: Sunbury 10.13 73 d Melton 5.1 31
Melton
Semi-final: Sunbury 10.13 73 d Melton 5.1 31
Preliminary final: Melton 5.6 36 d Manor Lakes 1.5 11
HEAD TO HEAD
Rd 2 Sunbury 7.9 51 d Melton 1.3 9
Rd 7 Sunbury 10.20 80 d Melton 1.0 6
Rd 12 Sunbury 5.10 40 d Melton 2.6 18
Semi-final: Sunbury 10.13 73 d Melton 5.1 31
Latest news on VWFL website:
Video stream link for ALL Grand Final matches
Division 3 Grand Final preview: Kew v Deer Park
Division 4 Grand Final preview: South Morang v Brunswick
East Grand Final preview: Gippsland v Ajax
VWFL finals information
Photo: Arj Giese
Last Modified on 27/08/2015 21:28