Grubbers end Ammos’ perfect season to repeat as premiers

OCEAN Grove’s ability to pull through at crucial stages has earned it another Bellarine Netball League premiership, in another thrilling contest against rivals Geelong Amateur.

Separated by two goals at three-quarter time, the Grubbers and Ammos went neck-and-neck at Leopold Memorial Park in their third-straight Grand Final meeting, but the Grubbers pulled away late with crucial stops to take home back-to-back flags 48-53.

Ocean Grove head coach Mel Holmes said it was one of the most scintillating finishes in her entire netball coaching career.

“I knew we could do, but I’m just really proud, it’s just an overwhelming feeling at the moment.

“The first game we played Ammos we weren’t at strength, then during the next two meetings we had with them this season we learned something from them.

“We worked through the areas we needed to improve upon and it proved successful on the most important day of the year.”

Ammos took the early advantage, creating a three-goal advantage at the first break, leading 15-12.

Ocean Grove’s midcourt led the charge in swinging momentum, with captain Emily Moroney in the thick of the action alongside Jess Leader and Georgia Ryan.

The push resulted in a 9-14 period and a 24-26 Grubbers lead at half-time, putting the underdogs in the driver’s seat with 30 minutes remaining.

Geelong Amateur tried its best to bite into the deficit, but Ocean Grove matched their opponents’ efforts, still leading by two goals and sharing 28 combined goals down the middle.

Both sides traded blows in the dying minutes with Ammos levelling the scores midway through the fourth quarter, before Zanna Woods converted three straight attempts to put the result beyond doubt with less than a minute to play.

It was a fitting finish for Woods, who re-signed with her junior club at the start of the 2024 season from Newtown & Chilwell to win her first A Grade flag.

O’Neill accounted on 38 goals and Woods finished with 15 for Ocean Grove. Ammos Hot Shots winner Ruby Watson finished the afternoon with 33, alongside Darcy McFarlane’s 15.

The win for Ocean Grove gives the Grubbers a 2-1 record in Grand Finals over the past three seasons against Geelong Amateur and ends Ammos’ bid for a perfect season – the Ammos had won all 19 games leading up to this afternoon’s decider.

Moroney, who received the best-on-court medal, said she wasn’t expecting to receive the individual honour, but praised her teammates in making it possible.

“It was a full four-quarter effort, for sure, I’m still speechless, to be honest; it was epic.

“Zanna and Bec [O’Neill] were incredible, every time we got to the circle edge, they were so clean and accurate, and they made it so easy for us to feed them the ball.

“The medal, though, could have gone to anyone, we all played our best games of the season today, which is what we want, but I didn’t think I was the one who was going to get it.”

In other senior Grand Finals, Geelong Amateur was victorious in the B Grade and E Grade deciders with wins over Torquay and Ocean Grove, and Ocean Grove took out premiership wins in C and D Grade with wins over Modewarre and Ammos respectively.