Youth is a promise of more to come for Shepparton South

 

September 29 2009

Shepparton News

Grand finalists

Shepparton South and

Shepparton United

South's breakthrough season came off the back of a familiar team holding together defensively and doing enough in the front half.

With a junior girls' team that has made the past two grand finals, South will be hoping it has a large senior squad to call upon next year in its premiership defence.

United, for a season of transition, improved steadily after a slow start to claim the minor premiership.

With a high turn-over of players in the past three years, the Blues are now taking stock after missing out on winning the grand final with talk of players coming out of retirement.

The finalists

Shepparton and Tatura

Shepparton would be cursing its luck after Samantha McIntosh's season-ending injury after two rounds.

The forward already had seven goals for the season and was looking like the competition's new dominant player before her knee and leg injury against Numurkah.

In Suzan Tanrikulu, Shepparton has a skilful player its experienced and tough team can look to for goals.

Tatura also earned a reputation this season for being a physical outfit, but its finals exit to South in the preliminary final went down as a game where it couldn't convert chances when they presented.

The non-finalists

Cobram, Cobram Victory, Benalla, Numurkah, Kyabram

Benalla and Cobram arguably had the most to lose this season, with the Tigers making last year's grand final and the Rovers promising much after moving from Albury Wodonga Football Association.

While Benalla started well, second after the early rounds, it fell away as the season progressed and was unable to stay in the finals race.

Cobram ended the season as the form team, missing the finals even though it went unbeaten from late June until the end of the year.

Numurkah was off the pace, eight losses from eight against this year's top four teams tells its own story.

Cobram Victory missed out on its first finals campaign after losing on the final day, its top scorer Hayley Cornish the key to keeping it in the hunt with 14 goals for the year.

Kyabram coach Nunz Anastasio has declared his interest in taking on the lastplaced Go-Annas again next season, having guided the club to its first-ever win during this year's campaign.