Castlemaine fights Square for premiership

JUST as they did a year ago, Castlemaine and Golden Square will fight for premiership glory in Friday night’s Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s football grand final.

The Magpies and Bulldogs will play at Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo’s View Street from 7.30pm.

The Jordan Cochrane-coached Castlemaine is chasing a fourth consecutive premiership.

Golden Square beat Eaglehawk by nine points in last Friday night’s preliminary final.

The Magpies go into the season decider as hot favourite against the Carly Geary and Bec McLay-coached Golden Square.

The grand finalists met on Good Friday at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve where the home team won 54-nil.

Castlemaine marked a 26-point victory on Golden Square’s turf in Wade Street in the eighth round.

The Magpies were down 14-9 at half-time of the second semi-final against the Bulldogs played at Camp Reserve.

Castlemaine scored eight goals in the second half to complete a 62-27 victory as Jemma Finning, Maeve Tipper, Eillish Cumming and Grace Brady led the way.

Castlemaine full-forward Eloise Gretgrix led the league’s goalkicking race on 53 in 10 matches, but did not play in the second semi.

A sign of Castlemaine’s strength is a list of goalkickers which includes Jemma Finning, 32; Brianna Burt, 31; Tiahna Cochrane, 16; Maeve Tupper, 15; and Georgia Gordon, 14.

Leading goalkickers for the Bulldogs are Gabby Drage, 24; captain Liz Watkins, 22; and Sarah Mannes, 13.

Best for Square in the preliminary final were Lauren Suleiman, Sarah Mannes, Mackenzie Bickley and Kate Douglass.

The Bulldogs’ line-up includes Jetah Keighran and Tanya Walsh.

Grand final night kicks off with the under-18 girls match between Woorinen and Sandhurst at 5.30pm.

The Woorinen Tigers went 11-1 in the home-and-away series to finish on top of the ladder.

A great streak by the yellow and black was ended in the 18th round when Sandhurst scored a 27-18 victory on the QEO.

Woorinen bounced back to win the second semi-final against Golden Square by 37 points.

The Dragons fired up for a 99-point win against White Hills in the first semi-final and beat the Bulldogs in the preliminary final by six goals.