Tallygaroopna was crowned Kyabram District League B grade premier after a stunning fightback on Saturday.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
To win a premiership, you often need to be able to take your game to another level when it feels like you’ve already given everything.
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Tallygaroopna was up against it on Saturday in the Kyabram District League B-grade netball grand final, but did exactly that, going to an extra gear when all looked lost, and the Redlegs were duly rewarded a shiny medal around their necks when all was said and done.
Facing minor premier Nagambie at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, and with what seemed like all of Nagambie lining the court, the Redlegs looked down and out trailing by eight goals late in the second term.
But Tallygaroopna produced one of the most miraculous comebacks against the odds in the second half to clinch the crown, edging ahead 49-48 by the final siren to ignite raucous celebrations from the Redlegs faithful.
“(It was) relief, obviously, but it was just, I think, a really great game of netball for both sides,” Tallygaroopna coach Kelli Halden said of her emotion at the final whistle.
“I think Nagambie played a great game, but so did we, and I think it just came down to some moments, and we took our opportunities which was good, because in the previous three quarters we hadn’t, while Nagambie probably had.
“It was just good to control (the final term) and the girls always knew, they knew that they could come back from that deficit.
“They were eight goals down, but they knew they could come back and win it.”
Despite making the better of the starts to lead 13-10 by quarter time, Tallygaroopna seemed almost overwhelmed by the occasion in the second term, with mistakes beginning to creep into the contest as Nagambie’s influence grew.
Having levelled the scores with the first three goals of the second term, the Lakers slowly but surely extended the lead, and the domination on court began to show on the scoreboard, with Nagambie’s lead at one point reaching 25-17 just before the half time break.
Tallygaroopna’s Tessa Warrin was named best on court in the victory.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Crucially, though, the Redlegs pegged back two goals just before the main interval to go in trailing 19-25, but with the all-important belief that they could still win.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Redlegs had only shaved a goal off the deficit to trail 26-30, but as the clock wound down, something extraordinary happened.
With a 5-0 run, the Redlegs exploded into life, erasing the entirety of the Lakers’ lead to draw level at 34 apiece, and while Nagambie to go ahead by one heading into the last, Tally was right in the hunt at 36-37 behind, and could sense it.
“Just control (things) and play our game,” Halden said was the relatively simple message at three-quarter time to her troops.
“Do the simple things, control what we can control, and the rest will sort of itself out.”
And so it did.
Going down by three early, the Redlegs rallied again, taking the lead at almost the final possible moment and hanging on to win 49-48 in a stunning comeback.
“I’m super proud of them,” Halden said of her squad.
“We’ve had a long year, and we've had some niggling injuries coming into the grand final.
“I think the whole team of 12 girls on that bench played the game today, which was great.”
Tallygaroopna’s Tessa Warrin was named best on court in the victory, having masterminded the comeback through the midcourt in the second half.
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