Ammos and Grubbers to meet for third-straight decider

THE two best sides over the past three seasons will face off tomorrow (Saturday, September 7) in the decisive end to the Bellarine Netball League (BNL) season.

Ahead of the game at Leopold Memorial Park, Geelong Amateur and Ocean Grove already met three times this season, with Ammos winning all three.

However, Ocean Grove is poised to create another potential upset a year after its drought-breaking flag and is bolstered by the return of club junior and goaler Zanna Woods and midcourter Jess Leader.

Speaking with the Times News Group earlier in the week, Ocean Grove captain Emily Moroney, who joins the midcourt with Leader and Georgia Ryan, described Saturday’s encounter as “the decider” .

“It’s going to be awesome, it’s been us two clubs for the past few years now, and we’ve both won a premiership trophy, so this kind of decides who comes out on top after three years,” Moroney said.

“We’re all super-pumped preparing for Saturday, and we’ve got some good momentum going into the game as well.”

The Grubbers, in its first season under head coach Mel Holmes, finished the year with 16 wins and two losses. Following a Qualifying Final win against Queenscliff, the Grubbers fell to Ammos a week later, setting up a Preliminary Final against Torquay that it won comfortably by 16 goals.

Geelong Amateur have not dropped a game all year.

Ammos skipper Keisha Guilmartin said the introduction of speedy midcourter Kaitlyn Sheringham had been a welcome addition to Mel Savage’s group, which will play in its ninth-consecutive BNL Grand Final.

Sheringham and fellow midcourters Georgia Duncan and Romy Hardwood have provided goalers Darcy McFarlane and Ruby Watson with silver service; Watson again leading the competition with 895 goals.

Guilmartin praised the close games the two clubs’ rivalry had created over the years.

“The calibre of the players in the BNL is as strong as it has ever been before, so we just know Saturday is going to be no exception to that,” she said.

“It’s going to be a great challenge, it always is against Ocean Grove and it’s always a great game – it would be even better if we won it – but we know it’ll be a great Grand Final.”

Tale of the Tape:
Round 6: Geelong Amateur (52) def Ocean Grove (35)
Round 15: Ocean Grove (50) def by Geelong Amateur (55)
Second Qualifying Final: Geelong Amateur (63) def Ocean Grove (58)