Echuca's Courtney Thompson (right) protects the ball. Photos: Jazzy Johal
Echuca-Moama fell to Mooroopna in its Goulburn Valley Hockey Association decider, but the final result didn’t tell the full story.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
“Super proud of our team and what we did achieve and how we did play on Saturday; it would have been (one of) the best games we played all season,” River Rat and EMHC secretary Rebecca Webb said.
Hanna Rath fights for possession.
The women went down 2-0, losing to the minor premier for a fifth time in 2026.
Mooroopna had been a thorn in Echuca-Moama’s side all year, with the River Rats often narrowly on the losing side.
Georgia Thorpe runs after the ball.
The margin of victory suggests the champion was dominant throughout.
But Echuca-Moama more than held its own, being tied 0-0 at half-time.
Makayla Pendlebury looks for a teammate.
Webb said her side had more short corners, shots, and overall control of the contest in the first half.
But the inability to convert opportunities would come back to bite.
Tiana Thorpe closes down Mooroopna's Sukhseerat Khera.
Mooroopna quickly scored twice in the third quarter, one coming off a short corner and the other in open play.
“We just had to make sure that we didn't drop our heads, and we stayed in the game and fought to the very end,” Webb said.
“But obviously that's a hard one in a grand final when you're down two, to keep your head still in it.”
Mooroopna's Kerry Gannon looks to dribble past two Echuca-Moama defenders.
In their pursuit of a miraculous comeback, the River Rats flooded numbers forward.
The side left options in attack, even when it was defending, hoping for breakaway opportunities.
It’s not as if Echuca-Moama were inaccurate in front of goal either.
Lauren Calleja swings her stick for a pass.
Mooroopna’s goalkeeper was determined to keep the River Rats out, while its rearguard was arguably the most important factor on the day.
“They definitely have the strongest defence in the whole association, just the way they play defensively is very hard to get through,” Webb said.
The River Rats side that took on Mooroopna in the GVHA grand final. Photo: Echuca-Moama Hockey Club Facebook.
Echuca-Moama was gunning for a third straight title, with Mooroopna now a close rival moving forward.
“They were the team to beat, it was always going to be us in the grand final, Mooroopna and Echuca,” Webb said.
“They were our team to beat, and we did not get there at all this season.”
Webb remarked that there’s “always next year”, and if anything, the loss could only motivate the River Rats more as they become the hunter in 2027.
8°C