A SEA of blue and white flooded the netball court as the final whistle of the A Grade grand final blew in Swan Hill on Saturday, signalling Balranald’s first grand final victory.
Roos playing coach Jess Parry described the feeling after the game as “surreal”.
“This club has waited so long for this and we knew that as a team,” Parry told The Guardian.
“Apart from Stevie (Bibby) and I, the rest of the girls on that court are born-and-bred Balranald girls, so they knew what it meant to the community, so there was always going to be that fight.”
It was a hard fought win for the Roos, who struggled against the less-than-ideal windy and wet conditions initially.
Opponents Swan Hill seemed to adapt a little quicker, getting themselves 11 goals ahead half-way through the second quarter of the match. But Balranald never looked like dropping their heads.
“We were just trying to apply as much pressure as we could, keep a bit of composure, and to make the most of our scoring opportunities,” Parry said.
“It was just making the most of our opportunities when we had them and working really really hard to try and create some momentum.”
Despite their six-goal deficit at half-time, the Roos came back on the court in the third quarter more determined than ever, finding their composure and getting a two-goal lead going into the last quarter.
The Swans couldn’t find the break they were needing in the last quarter, with Balranald keeping their nose in front to stay two goals ahead as the final whistle blew.
“We knew Swan Hill were going to be tough,” Parry said. “We just wanted to go out with that attitude that we were never going stop. We were going to keep pushing until the end and that is what we did and we were rewarded for that.
“To peg that back against a quality team like Swan Hill is incredibly hard to do.
“I’m so proud of the girls, they kept fighting, and they showed what the Balranald culture and spirit is all about – they got the job done.”
Final whistle
Swan Hill 33
Balranald 35
Best on court: Casey Frame (Swan Hill)
