The young Tigers were buzzing with energy, excitement and a few nerves, but Coach Trent Riordan kept things calm in the rooms.
His message was simple and steady, “I know you’re nervous and excited, that’s perfectly normal. Treat it like any other match. Lots of voice, lots of pressure, tackle hard, move the ball quickly… and most importantly, have fun.”
And from the first bounce, they did exactly that.
Rochester exploded out of the blocks.
Macca dominated the ruck, tapping cleanly to Frankie Hay who wasted no time linking the ball forward.
Ella Mundie was everywhere, fast, fierce and fearless, buzzing around like a Jack Russell terrier, chasing every loose ball and refusing to give up on any contest.
The Tigers’ teamwork was outstanding, loud voices, clean hands, heads over the footy, quick kicks forward and relentless pressure.
Every crumb left behind by the Hawks was snapped up by a determined Tiger.
It was a brilliant first quarter where every player stepped up.
The second quarter lifted the energy even higher.
Abi Reid stood tall and delivered two crucial goals, sending the Rochester crowd into a frenzy and setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Down back, Sophie Godden stood shivering in the cold as the ball barely reached the Tigers’ defensive end, but when it did, she was rock‑solid, shutting down every chance Eaglehawk tried to create.
By halftime, Rochester had kept Eaglehawk scoreless while the Tigers’ sharp shooters delivered a commanding 28 point lead.
Riordan pulled the girls in tight: “Keep up the great work. Abi Reid — what a stellar quarter and Alva Acocks, brilliant effort getting down low and winning the ball. This is exactly what I wanted — teamwork.”
Then there was the VIP crew, Zoe Mangan, Billie Watson, Abbie Griffiths and Charlotte Wolfe — loud, proud and absolutely unstoppable.
Their cheers echoed across the oval, a constant reminder of the girls who have to sit out this week.
The Tigers carried that motivation with them, determined to win it for their VIP sisters.
The second half saw Eaglehawk try everything to shut down Frankie Hay and Ella Forde, but the Hawks simply couldn’t keep up.
The Tigers’ stars were too slick, too fast and too game‑smart.
Every tag attempt was shrugged off, every contest met with confidence.
Quarter by quarter, Rochester showed how resilient, tough and united they’ve become.
Before the final term, Riordan delivered one last message, “Twelve minutes left girls. Dig deep. Keep up the teamwork. Win it for our VIP crew.”
The Tigers responded with a final quarter masterclass, tackling hard, running in waves, kicking truly and refusing to let Eaglehawk score at all.
When the siren sounded, Rochester had claimed a spectacular finals victory point 48 to zero.
As always, the young Tigers did the club proud.
They celebrated with joy but stayed humble, showing respect to the Hawks who fought hard all night.
Post‑game, Riordan praised his team’s sportsmanship, teamwork and the number of players who stepped up with their best game yet.
Then he turned to the VIP crew: “Yes, it’s disappointing to miss tonight’s game, but you girls were the best VIP crew, loud, proud and amazing. Thank you. And remember, next week another four girls will have to sit out. Keep that positivity going.”
A brilliant win. A united team. A club bursting with pride. Finals footy doesn’t get better than that.
Rochester 7.6 (48) defeated Eaglehawk Hawks 0
Goal kickers: Frankie Hay (3), Abi Reid (2), Ava Rasmussen, Izzy Ryan 1
