Grubbers battle on without star defender to claim A Grade flag

A 19-YEAR drought has ended, with Ocean Grove Netball Club winning the Bellarine Netball League A Grade premiership.

The Grubbers and Geelong Amateur took centre stage at Grinter Reserve a year after the two clubs last met in the A Grade Grand Final, with both sides jostling for the premiership.

Nothing separated the two sides in the first quarter with the contest deadlocked at 14 apiece at quarter time.

Ocean Grove took the lead in the second quarter to lead 25-29 over the minor premiers at half-time, a crucial lead that would play a pivotal role in helping the Grubbers over the line.

Leading 36-40 at the final break, Ocean Grove staved off any comeback attempts late-on winning the fourth term 9-13 to ultimately seal the club’s first premiership win one year short of two decades.

Ocean Grove earned the eight-goal win the hard way, with star defender Kelsey Ollis going down with a knee injury in the contest.

Ocean Grove captain Emily Moroney said it was a testament to the group, adjusting to Ollis’ injury and coming out with the win.

“It was pretty heartbreaking to see Kelsey go down, but that’s where we showed our strength and our determination,” Moroney said.

“Once she went down, we stuck together as a team and did it for the ‘family’, we pulled together and kept playing.

“We have this saying of ‘family’, we are a family and we’re all so close. We back each other up and we believe in each other, and that’s what I think we did today.”

Rebecca O’Neill tallied 40 goals in the Grand Final, reaching the 1,000 goal mark for the season.

Her counterpart Ruby Watson, who achieved the same feat earlier in the year, managed to score 37 goals.

Today’s win marked the third time Ocean Grove has been crowned premiers.

Its previous two grand final years took place in 2004 and 1986.