WPA: Camberwell 1 (2) def. Hawthorn 1 (1)

It was a fabulous spring day to become Champions of the Women’s Pennant A section for 2023.

Matching up against Hawthorn for the second year in a row, it felt different to last time. We didn’t carry the expectation of having finished first on the ladder or having beaten them during the year, however we did have the expectation that given our depth of talent, experience and collective wisdom, we knew we could beat them. As expected, the game was a tough contest from the outset but we closed them down early and started to play our game, passing short and around their key players, keeping possession and switching it around the back. We scored in the 3 rd quarter with a team goal, an inspirational slap out of defence from Claudia, up to Jane and then Lisa who sped out to the right before arching back and whacking the ball across the face for a scrummage and a Summer goal, setting the scene for a tight run down of the clock. But it wasn’t to be all smooth sailing as Hawthorn scored a pinpoint accurate goal off a short in the dying seconds of the game, forcing a shoot out to decide the winners. This was when Regan decided to enough was enough, as our teams goalie “no” she wasn’t going to let women more than twice her age, size and experience put the ball past her, and so she didn’t (apart from 1 and even then she got a glove to it). She held them while Summer put away another neat goal followed by Jac skilfully slotting her ball past their goalie to declare us WINNNNNNNNNERS!!!!!!!

Special thanks goes to our playing coach Hendo, to coach Johno and to our Team Manager Dee. We could not have achieved these lofty heights without you.