By Tara Murray
The Northern Knights have capped off an undefeated season by winning the NAB League Girls’ premiership on Saturday.
The best team all season, with a draw against Oakleigh Chargers the closest any team got to them, the Knights put in a stunning display in the grand final against the Calder Cannons to win their first girls’ premiership.
Coaches from both clubs had spoken about how important it was to get a good start, but on game day it was the Knights who jumped out of the blocks.
Kicking with the wind, the Knights kicked the only three goals of the first quarter.
While the Cannons were able to get a bit more of the ball in the second quarter, when they had the wind, they were unable to put their efforts on the scoreboard.
The Knights, on the other hand, kicked the only goal of the quarter with their sole inside 50 of the term, increasing their lead.
The second half saw a bit more back-and-forth football, with the Knights making it tough for the Cannons to score.
As in the third quarter, the Cannons attacked the goals, but it was the Knights who kicked the only goal of the term to build what looked like being a match-winning lead.
The Knights sealed the win with the only goal of the last quarter, Alyssa Bannan winning a one-on-one battle from a kick out.
The Knights claimed the grand final with a 6.3 (39)-0.6 (6) scoreline.
Knights coach Marcus Abney-Hastings said the win had been two years in the making, with the side losing last year’s grand final to the Geelong Falcons.
He said they had made a real focus of getting off to a good start.
“Winning the toss and going with the wind helped a little bit with that,” he said.
“That was a real focus coming into the week. Our start last year was pretty good against Eastern, but there were just a few little areas of setting up behind the ball that we spoke about during the week and that came into focus in those first 10 minutes. I was really happy with the start.”
With the Cannons kicking with the wind in the second quarter, Abney-Hastings knew that they would try to hit back.
While the Cannons were able to get inside-50s, they weren’t able to convert, which is something Abney-Hastings said the Knights’ defenders played a big part in.
“I trust our leaders within the ground, within our backline – they [Cannons] were getting a lot of ball inside 50,” he said.
“I think ultimately our leaders really stood up, led by marvellous captain [Gabby Newton]. Within our backline, Phoebe Chisholm and Sarah Sansonetti are really strong leaders. They took the sting out of the game.”
Jessica Fitzgerald was awarded the best-on-ground medal, having had 15 possessions.
Fitzgerald was in shock after the game.
“I’m not too much about the individual achievement, I’m more about the team,” she said.
“It’s unreal to be around all the girls and have a great season. We’ve had our challenges [this season] – to get that win, it’s very special.”
Abney-Hastings said Fitzgerald was arguably their most important player.
“We’re really strong inside the contest,” he said.
“With Fitzy’s run and carry and her really good ball use, she’s probably our most important player.
“Her speed off the mark and how she takes the game on is absolutely electric – you can’t teach that.”
The premiership caps off three years in the NAB League program for several Knights players.
Among those who are finishing up at the Knights are captain Gabby Newton and her midfield partner, Britney Gutknecht.
Both girls were thrilled to have ended their time at the club in such a good way.
They said the experience of losing last year had really helped them.
“It’s amazing, especially after last year, that loss. To bring it home this year – it’s huge,” Newton said.
“We all knew what to expect and players who were part of that team last year were able to impart that knowledge on to the girls that hadn’t played a grand final
“We knew that if we could get on top of them in the first five minutes and keep our cool, we’d be able to shut them down in the first quarter.
Gutknecht added: “I think the loss puts it into perspective – how good winning actually feels.
“We had a big focus on keeping our heads up whenever we got a challenge during the game.
“A strong start and making sure it kept going after quarter-time was a key.”
