EFNL 2024: South Croydon denies Eastern Devils historic Premier women’s three-peat among bumper weekend of grand finals
Eastern’s top women’s comp has a new premier, with South Croydon denying one of local footy’s most dominant teams of recent years a third-straight cup. But it wasn’t the only fairytale finish among five grand finals played. Full wrap here.
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The fairytale is complete for South Croydon.
The Bulldogs brought the Eastern Devils’ bid for a third-straight flag to a screeching halt on Saturday, claiming the Premier Division women’s crown in a 4.3 (27) to 1.9 (15) triumph at HE Parker Reserve.
Leading 2.1 to a wayward 0.5 at half-time, South Croydon tightened its grip on the cup in the third term, extending the margin to 15 points by the last change.
Finishing second at the end of the home-and-away season behind the Devils, South Croydon’s campaign had all the makings of a premiership after it ended the powerhouse’s 33-game winning streak in Round 13.
But the Devils weren’t to be dismissed quickly, returning the favour in the semi-final by 10 points, winning a spot in the decider a fortnight ago.
South Croydon senior women’s coach Simon Hammersley owed Saturday’s victory to the legion of the club’s contributors.
“It’s a bit surreal, I guess,” he said.
“It’s a lot of work – a community of people working in the same direction to try and get the team up and about.
“It was an amazing effort.”
Brooke Curren was best on ground for her tireless work across half-back, while 2022 league medallist Taylah Black, Elizabeth Griffin, Amy Grimwade and Katie Prendergast each kicked vital goals.
Hammersley said Curren couldn’t be more deserving of the medal.
“She’s a great rebounding player and reads the ball really well, intercepts it well and gets us going in the right direction,” he said.
“One of our other key backs had an injury early and she (Curren) had to play a bit tighter on one of the opposition players, and managed to do that.
“She was certainly and fairly adjudged the best player on the ground.”
Black topped the goalkicking this season with 49 majors, but it wasn’t just her attacking nous which stood out.
Hammersley said Black could give the league medal a shake again this year after finishing runner-up for a second-straight gong last season.
“Even on the weekend, she kicked the first goal of the game and probably had other opportunities, but as long as the team is kicking goals, she’s happy with that,” Hammersley said.
“At times Taylah was playing in our backline, just to try and shore us up when we were getting pinned down there and trying to help us work the footy back out.
“She’s a very selfless player and she’s had a fantastic year.
“I’d say she’ll be right up there in calculations for the competition medal.”
South Croydon president Steve Quon said the club sought to rebound after a heartbreaking preliminary final exit last season.
Saturday marked a second senior women’s flag in six years.
“We set a target after we missed the grand final last year, we had a rejig and set our standards and changed the way we wanted to play,” Quon said.
“Our philosophy from then was ‘no limits’ and that we were targeting to be elite. We want to be the best women’s program in the league and we planned all around that from way back then to get good people around.
“Knowing who the top dog was and has been for a long time, we knew to be the best we had to beat them.”
South Croydon fields two senior women’s teams, with the other pipped by a kick in the Division 3 semi-final.
Quon said the Bulldogs were setting a strong foundation for female pathways through their junior program, with women now making up half the club’s senior players.
“It’s a true 50-50 scenario – you go into our rooms on Thursday nights and we do maybe 120 meals,” he said.
“It’s very important to our club, the women’s program.
“To have 45, 50-odd women on our list is brilliant, and with an under-18s side coming up, eight or nine of those players will be eligible for senior football next year as well.
“We’re doing it through the juniors.”
Quon paid tribute to Hammersley, who initially stepped down as coach after falling short last season.
“He needed a bit of time for a breather and we had a good chat, and I said: ‘You’re the right person for the job without a doubt’,” Quon said.
“We got the support around him and got refreshed, he changed what needed to be changed to get things going.
“The results speak for themselves, and he’s just a brilliant coach for the women’s program.”
Alongside Hammersley in the coaches’ box this season was 10-time Vermont premiership great Craig Gislingham.
“We built the program up around excellent coaches with ‘Hammers’ and Craig Gislingham – you can’t get a much better senior assistant,” Quon said.
“The whole team bought into what we were trying to do.”
Much like last year’s attention was firmly fixed on returning to glory, Quon declared his club now had sustained success in its sights.
“Men and women at our club, we want to be at the top of Premier Division for sustained periods of time – we don’t just want to win one (premiership), we want to be up the top for a long time.”
Eastern Devils 0.1, 0.5, 1.5, 1.9 (15)
South Croydon 2.0, 2.1, 4.2, 4.3 (27)
Best players
South Croydon: Brooke Curren, Nicole Garner, Katie Prendergast, Tanikka Martin, Taylah Black, Belle Price
DIVISION 1
One of footy’s oldest adages again rang true in Park Orchards’ rousing come-from-behind premiership victory – you don’t have to be the best team all year, but the best when it counts most.
The Sharks toppled North Ringwood in a 5.3 (33) to 4.2 (26) cliffhanger on Saturday, overturning a nine-point three-quarter time deficit.
Finishing third at the end of the home-and-away season with a 9-4-1 record, Park Orchards’ collection of finals scalps also included East Ringwood (fourth) in the semi by 37 points before ending powerhouse and minor premier Donvale’s flag dream with a 28-point upset in the prelim.
Western Bulldogs VFLW talent Jorja Livingstone finished with two crucial goals for the Sharks on Saturday – including an off-the-ground sealer late in the final term which sent the faithful into raptures.
Reigning best and fairest Kristen Bertoldi was best on ground for the premiers, while Bri Clark, Daisy Cooper and Charlotte Smillie each finished with a goal.
Best players
Park Orchards: Kristen Bertoldi, Jade Hutchinson, Alannah Boell, Jorja Livingstone, Remy Archer, Dakota Hoen
DIVISION 2
Last year it was the Surrey Park men saluting the club’s first Eastern league flag – and this year the women have repeated the feat, winning their inaugural crown.
The Panthers completed an unbeaten season in their 5.4 (34) to 2.2 (14) victory over Montrose on Saturday, pulling away in the second term to lead by 11 points at the half after the teams couldn’t be split in the opening quarter.
Former Surrey Park junior Mia Kolednik took the honours for best afield, while Kalarni Kearns and Tess Reynolds fired off two goals each, with Taylah Morton also kicking a major.
Finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season with a whopping percentage of 1025, the Panthers won through to the decider with a 99-point win over the Waverley Blues in the semi-final.
Best players
Surrey Park: Mia Kolednik, Tess Reynolds, Paris Isaacs-Dunn, Hannah Bahn, Kalarni Kearns, Mathilda Lewis
Montrose: Zarley McGregor, Charlotte Green, Chloe Jones, Tiana Witnish, Jet Harris, Brittney Wilkinson
DIVISION 3
Mooroolbark went back-to-back with a 9.6 (60) to 2.5 (17) victory over Coldstream after taking charge in the second term – holding its opponent goalless after quarter time.
The Mustangs won the Division 4 crown last year – and had no worries in promotion – setting the pace again to finish on top of the ladder with a 12-2 record before winning their way through to the decider with a 39-point win over their eventual grand final adversary.
Lily Peacock led the way in attack for the victors on Saturday with three goals, alongside best-on-ground Lily McDonald and Rachael McManus with two, while Lily Chilver and Ruby Haberfield also hit the scoreboard.
Best players
Mooroolbark: Lily McDonald, Ciara Delaney, Ruby Haberfield, Bella McMaster, Jordyn Doevelaar, Lily Peacock
Coldstream: Sophie Stark, Georgia Byrne, Stacey Gilder Moate, Erin Rackham, Baylee Eastham, Maddy Stark
DIVISION 4
Ferntree Gully held on to etch one of the great stories of the Eastern league season, edging Bayswater 2.7 (19) to 2.4 (16) to lift the cup in their first season back in the women’s competition.
They came from behind in doing so after trailing by a kick at the final change on Saturday.
Breanna Carter was best afield for the premiers with two matchwinning goals.
Ferntree Gully finished on top of the ladder and lost just once this year, with its only blemish coming in the form of a five-point nail-biter against Warrandyte in Round 10.
Best players
FTG: Breanna Carter, Jessica Campbell, Ashleigh Hilder, Krystal Nuku, Nicola Junginger, Anaisha Sharma
Bayswater: Jenna White, Ella Smith, Georgia Cox, Paige Binning, Zoe Lynch, Kyah Burns
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