Down for the count: Stanhoper winger Elliot Porch ends up on the court after attempting an intercept in the early stages of the 15-and-under grand final at Mooroopna on Saturday.
Kyabram district league netball powerhouse Tallygaroopna brought undone a season-long dominance of Stanhope’s 15-and-under team to finish square with the ledger on grand final day.
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While Stanhope had the two teams, its 15-and-unders alongside its C-grade team, contesting the grand final it was Tallygaroopna that was most strongly represented.
It had four teams involved in grand final day, collecting the 17-and-under title, losing the A and C-grade play-off games, then finishing as the unlikely winner of the 15-and-under game.
Stanhope had finished the season on top of the ladder and won through the qualifying semi-final in comfortable fashion on its home court two weeks earlier.
Tallygaroopna had finished the season third, but with only one less win than the Lions was always going to be a tough opponent in the grand final.
Last season, Stanhope was a powerhouse of the junior competition and with mother and daughter team Bec and Matilda Schubach back in the driver’s seat a back-to-back title seemed a likely scenario.
And while they did their utmost to produce the goods for the club, it was Tallygaroopna that upset the plans of another premiership result.
Going down fighting: Stanhope captain Matilda Schubach never gave up in the battle with Tallygaroopna as her team missed going back to back in 2023.
Bec Schubach was forced to go deep into her squad, using all 10 players at one time or another during the match as her team struggled to score in the early stages.
Amity Wright and Matilda Schubach managed just a goal each in the opening term and the Stanhope team faced a four-goal quarter-time deficit.
That margin was extended to three at half-time and, by the final change, when the Lions were again outscored, it was a nine-goal margin in Tallygaroopna’s favour.
Co-captain Ava Turner was in charge of organising the Stanhope defence, working with Jenna Quattrocchi to try and stem the tide.
Bella Davis played all but one quarter in the centre, Elliot Porch coming back onto the court in the final term to give her teammate some respite.
Brooke O’Shannessey spent the first half on the interchange, but came onto the wing in the second half to combine with Melia Child in the mid-court.
Stanhope outscored Tally in the final term by a goal, Schubach shooting six of its seven goals.
It was, however, too little too late and the team was beaten by eight, 19-27, at the final siren.
At attention: Stanhope co-captain Ava Turner is at full extension to try and stem the scoring of Tallygaroopna’s accurate goaling combination.
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