Castlemaine marks grand final appearance in debut season
CASTLEMAINE has marked its debut season in the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s footy competition by qualifying for the grand final.
Stung by consecutive defeats after a 13-nil run, Castlemaine took on Bendigo Thunder in Friday night’s preliminary final played under the Canterbury Park lights in Eaglehawk.
The Tiahna Cochrane-coached Castlemaine made a confident start to lead 14-8 at quarter-time.
Defences controlled the second term as both teams were held to a point each.
A goal and a great effort to keep Thunder scoreless in the next term gave the Magpies a two-goal buffer going into the last quarter.
Castlemaine added 1.2 to 0.2 to complete a 29-11 victory.
Lily McNair led the Magpies’ attack on two goals each as Shelby Knoll added the other.
Thunder’s sole goalkicker was Jaime Sawers.
Best for Castlemaine were Aisling Tupper, Tia Davidge, Bridie Semmens, Jemma Finning, Ella Cochrane and Lily McNair.
Castlemaine will now prepare for next Friday night’s grand final showdown with Golden Square at Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo.
The Magpies and Bulldogs will vie for premiership glory from 7pm.
This season’s meetings stand at two-one in favour of Castlemaine.
In round seven, Castlemaine won 33-29 in the Indigenous Round match played under lights at Fur Life Oval in Golden Square’s Wade Street.
The Magpies won a round 16 thiller, 44-42 at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve.
Three weeks later and it was the Todd Deary-coached Golden Square which won the second semi-final at Castlemaine, 48-14 to be first to the grand final.
Written by Nathan Dole.
