Gallery | Mooroopna break preliminary final hoodoo to enter Goulburn Valley League grand final
At long last, Mooroopna is in an A-grade grand final.
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After an arduous back-and-forth affair with Echuca in the Goulburn Valley League’s A-grade preliminary final, Cats players and supporters alike chorused out when the final horn rang at Deakin Reserve: “We didn’t finish third!”
After the 37-41 result, Mooroopna coach Di Hanslow was the proudest person at the courts as she spoke with the News post-game.
“The girls have been trying to break past this particular stage for what feels like the past five or six years,” Hanslow said.
“Mooroopna has not made a (GVL A-grade) grand final before.
“They might have won a premiership back in the SNA day, but we have not won a premiership, let along made it to the premiership game for the GVL.”
The Cats make early inroads and lead by three at quarter-time, 9-12, before halving the contest with the Murray Bombers in the second to lead 17-20 at halftime.
Mooroopna’s goalers were calm and poised inside the third term to advance to a four-goal lead, but Echuca would test the Cats’ mental fortitude in the last.
With the preliminary final demons of old lingering in the back of the mind, the Cats allowed Echuca to tie the game at multiple stages in the final term as Rose Byrne shot from range with accuracy.
A substitution dilemma saw Cats goalkeeper Caitlin McLachlan forced to wait crucial seconds off the court leaving Mooroopna a player down, and a goal would come the way of the Murray Bombers because of it.
But in the last eight minutes, a late tactical change from Hanslow injected young 15-year-old Layla Ratcliffe into the contest as a goal attack, and she would show no nerves with a long awaited grand final appearance on the line.
Ratcliffe scored six of Mooroopna’s last eight to pull away again and take the margin out to four goals at the final whistle.
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Mooroopna's Bree Hanslow holds possession. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 2 of 13
Echuca's Greta Pearson and Mooroopna's Rhani Hendy watch one another closely. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 3 of 13
Echuca's Sheridan Townrow dukes Mooroopna's Asha Gray. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 4 of 13
Echuca's Greta Pearson is rewarded a free pass. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 5 of 13
Echuca's Sheridan Townrow looks to dish. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 6 of 13
Mooroopna's Rhani Hendy is covered defensively. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 7 of 13
Echuca's Steph Vick rolls over the ball. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 8 of 13
Echuca's Sheridan Townrow rises tall. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 9 of 13
Mooroopna's Bree Hanslow charges for a smother over Echuca's Ashlea Hare. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 10 of 13
Mooroopna's Bree Hanslow is composed in front of a loud crowd. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 11 of 13
Echuca's Rose Byrne and Mooroopna's Dayna Williams battled all day. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 12 of 13
Mooroopna's Ash Lancaster makes Echuca pay. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 13 of 13
Mooroopna's Caitlin McLachlin's defence stood tall in the clutch. Photo by Rechelle Zammit“We know Layla’s got so much talent and she can shoot so well, so it was worth doing it,” Hanslow said.
“It could be seen as a bit crazy to say ‘let’s put the 15-year-old in the heat of the moment’, but it changes up that goal circle combination nicely and with how late we did it, their defence didn’t have the time to adjust to it.
“Those little things help in big games and finals.”
Mooroopna will face Euroa in the A-grade grand final next Sunday, September 20, with the Cats hoping to overturn its three-goal qualifying final loss a fortnight ago.
“We know we’ve got to do a lot of work, looking how quickly they moved the ball last week against Echuca,” Hanslow said.
“But we’re really excited to be in the position we are now.
“You can’t win a flag unless you’re in that last game, and we’re in it now.”