Although unable to defeat VU Western Spurs during the home and away season, Seaford were able to get one over them right when it mattered most – Sunday’s Grand Final at Piranha Park.
The Tigerettes were able to lead right throughout the day, save for a brief period in the second quarter, and were able to hold off a fierce final quarter challenge from the Spurs in taking out their premiership.
Seaford were able to settle in to the Grand Final the quickest, applying good forward pressure early in the contest and getting repeat forward 50 entries. Eventually, Hayley Certoma kicked the opening goal of the game from a good snap 30 metres out.
However, they would soon have to defend, as VU Western Spurs started to attack and created forward pressure of their own. Unlike the Tigerettes, however, the Spurs were unable to generate real scoring opportunities. Instead, the ball was transitioned well by Seaford when they were able to gain possession, and were rewarded with a goal from Margaret Hare to give Seaford a two goal lead.
When Michelle Densley converted from a set shot very late in the quarter, the Tigerettes had equalled their highest tally of goals against the Spurs in a game this season – all in the first quarter. It meant that the Tigerettes had found themselves 18 points up at quarter time.
VU Western Spurs desperately needed a response to open the second quarter, or face a mountain to climb if they were to get back into the Grand Final. Displaying the fight which saw them knock off Chirnside Park in the semi-final, they were able to generate a response which saw three goals in 10 minutes.
Jessica Heath was able to get the first goal of the second after being the recipient of a holding free kick. It was evident that the Spurs had increased intensity in an effort to get into the game, and Kirra Myers led the way by kicking two goals in three minutes. Her first goal was a set shot from straight in front, before snapping through her second goal to give the Spurs their first lead of the afternoon.
It appeared as though their swifter ball movement, which wasn’t as evident in the first quarter, would overwhelm Seaford. To their credit, though, the Tigerettes came back at the Spurs, and started to get some much needed time in their forward half. Eventually, their efforts inside 50 yielded a reward, with a kicking-in-danger free kick going the way of Claire Weiss. Weiss goaled to give Seaford back the lead, taking a five-point cushion into the second half.
The third quarter was the Naomi Brisbane show. Brisbane took over the game for the Tigerettes, with her high marking, accurate kicking and zippiness in the forward line on display.
Firstly, Brisbane fortuitously marked a miskick from co-captain Alice Rogers, and converted the set shot to extend Seaford’s lead back out to 11 points within two minutes of the third quarter. After that, she was on the end of a holding free kick, and extended the lead further out to 17 points.
Her third goal was perhaps her finest, however. She took a contested mark with four Spurs’ players surrounding her, and then converted the set shot to give Seaford a match-winning 24-point lead at three-quarter-time.
The last quarter was a dour affair for the first 12 minutes of the term, which was exactly how Seaford wanted the game to pan out. It meant that VU Western Spurs had left a run too late to close the margin.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying, however. The Spurs had dominated territory throughout the last quarter, but were just unable to kick a goal quickly enough to put the Tigerettes under pressure. Eventually, Kerri Oldfield goaled with five minutes to go to at least give the Spurs a skerrick of hope.
Oldfield was able to kick a second goal very late to ensure that the game was at least close, with the final margin seven points in the end – Seaford third time lucky in season 2016, winning 7.2 (44) to 5.7 (37).
Brisbane’s game-breaking three goal third-quarter was able to ensure that she took home the best on ground medal from the umpires.
By Michael Thompson
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Last Modified on 23/08/2016 23:14