Ocean Grove seizes third straight BNL title in thrilling win

OCEAN Grove has secured its third straight BNL A Grade premiership after beating arch rivals Geelong Amateur in a thriller at Grinter Reserve.

In one of the best grand finals in league history, a buzzer-beating goal by Grubbers gun Zanna Woods confirmed the 53-52 victory on Saturday.

Grubbers head coach Mel Holmes said the victory was reward for the team’s consistency in recent years.

“It’s an incredible feeling. To go back-to-back as coach and see the group achieve three in a row is really special. It’s a reward for all the hard work, discipline, and trust we’ve built together over the past few years.”

The win was soured by an ACL injury to captain Emily Moroney in the second quarter, however Holmes used this to fuel her three-quarter time speech and inspire the Grubbers to prevail.

“I told them to keep trusting the process, stay composed, and play our brand of netball,” she said.

“I asked them to give me everything they have and [to] do this for Em.”

Geelong Amateur and Ammos have been frequent Grand Final opponents in recent years and the Ammos beat Ocean Grove just a fortnight ago to progress to Saturday’s grand final, a loss Holmes described as a “blessing”.

“It gave us clarity on what we needed to sharpen up: our intensity, our decision-making and our ability to reset when things don’t go our way. The group responded so well and used it as motivation rather than a setback.”

Holmes, who has signed on to coach again in 2026, said that the spirit of the team has been key to its sustained success.

“It comes down to culture,” she said.
“The players genuinely care for each other and push each other to be better. We work hard, but also have fun, which is so important.

“[After the game], there was so much joy, relief and pride. The players, coaches, supporters, everyone came together. It’s those moments that remind you why you put in all the hours across the season.

“A huge thank you to the players, supporters, the community and the club for the trust and effort all year. Success like this doesn’t happen without everyone pulling in the same direction.”