Square chases back-to-back flags as Magpies eye first
IT will be back-to-back premierships for Golden Square or a first cup victory for Castlemaine at the end of Friday night’s grand final in the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s football league.
The Bulldogs and Magpies will play under the Queen Elizabeth Oval lights in Bendigo’s View Street from 7pm.
In the run to the grand final the Tiahna Cochrane-coached Castlemaine won 33-29 on Golden Square’s turf at Fur Life Oval in Wade Street in the seventh round.
It was a two-point thriller when the teams clashed in the 16th round at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.
The Magpies were under pressure in the last term, but fought on for a 44-42 victory.
Week one of the finals series included the second semi-final showdown between Castlemaine and Golden Square at Camp Reserve.
This time it was the Todd Deary-coached Golden Square which led 21-13 at half-time and then scored 4.1 to nil in the third quarter.
Defences were on top in the last as the Dogs added two points and the Maine scored one.
Brea Ross and Tegan Williams led Golden Square’s attack on two goals each in a 48-14 victory.
It was consecutive defeats for Castlemaine who a week earlier was beaten 32-31 by Bendigo Thunder.
The Magpies struck back from those losses to keep premiership hopes alive by winning last Friday night’s preliminary final against Thunder at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park.
A hard-fought match ended in a 29-11 win for the Magpies as Aisling Tupper, Tia Davidge, Bridie Semmens and Jemma Finning were best.
Not only will Golden Square captain Amanda Carrod lead her team into another grand final, but also play her 100th match for the club.
Castlemaine’s Meg Ginnivan polled 23 votes to be joint winner of the Kangaroo Flat Ultra Tune fairest and best award with Megan Williamson from Bendigo Thunder.
For Ginnivan and her Magpies’ team-mates the goal is now to take the cup down the Calder to Castlemaine.
A sign of the strength of both grand final line-ups was the number of players selected in the High Street X-Ray team of the year.
Golden Square stars to be chosen were Amanda Carrod, Jessica Cox, Keely Hare, Carly Ladson and Andrea Wilson.
Representatives from Castlemaine in the team of the year are Tia Davidge, Meg Ginnivan and Shelby Knoll.
A talented line-up in the blue and gold includes Charlotte Beavan, Ruby Campbell, Emily Collins, Emma Gilligan and Liz Watkins.
The Magpies will also look to Michelle Barkla, Ella Cochrane, Beppina Marshall, Britney Oliver, Emma Pedretti and Taylah Sartori to play well in the finale to the club’s first season in the CVFL.
Both grand finalists have plenty of goalscoring power.
Leading goalkickers for the Bulldogs are Keely Hare 22, Emily Collins 17, Mia Ward 16, Charlotte Beavan 15, and Bree Heiden 13.
The Magpies have Shelby Knoll who kicked 50 goals to be runner-up to Bendigo Thunder star Britney Mueck, 59 goals, in the duel for the High Street X-Ray goalkicking award.
Other key players in the Castlemaine attack are Meg Ginnivan, 22, and Lily McNair, 15.
The High Street X-Ray team of the year for the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s football league:
B: Jessica Cox (Golden Square), Taylah Moore (Kyneton), Belinda Hateley (Kyneton).
Hb: Shae-Lee Murphy-Burke (Bendigo Thunder), Andrea Wilson (Golden Square), Phoebe Cuttriss (Bendigo Thunder).
C: Freyja Pearce (Eaglehawk), Megan Williamson (Bendigo Thunder), Lili den Houting (Eaglehawk).
Hf: Lila Keck (Strathfieldsaye), Britney Mueck (Bendigo Thunder), Keely Hare (Golden Square).
F: Tia Davidge (Castlemaine), Shelby Knoll (Castlemaine), Heidi Erasmus (Kyneton).
Foll: Carly Ladson (Golden Square), Amanda Carrod (Golden Square), Meg Ginnivan (Castlemaine).
Inter: Jessica Searle (Kerang), Drew Ryan (Eaglehawk), Britt Tangey (Strathfieldsaye), Quetta Holloway-Jinks (North Bendigo).
Written by Nathan Dole.
