Hurstbridge keeps Mernda scoreless to claim maiden women’s premiership

Two fourth-quarter goals, including the skipper’s career first, saw Hurstbridge claim a maiden women’s premiership in a thrilling decider.

Hurstbridge celebrates its NFL Division 3 premiership. Picture: Supplied

Hurstbridge is celebrating a historic maiden women’s premiership.

In a tight, tense battle with Mernda, the Bridges kicked the only two goals of the game – both in the fourth quarter – to claim the NFL Division 3 flag.

Sheridan Bennett broke the deadlock with a classy finish on the run and was rewarded with the grand final medal.

Hurstbridge captain Amy Graham then picked the perfect time to score her first career goal to lead her team to a 2.3 (15) to 0.0 (0) victory at Preston City Oval.

Hurstbridge coach Paul Reid said playing through the finals had helped his team prepare for a dogfight.

“It’s always an arm-wrestle with those guys, we’ve had them five times this season and it’s always been low-scoring,” he said.

“Both teams have been high-scoring during the year but it just becomes an absolute arm-wrestle when we get together.

“They’d been the benchmark all year, Mernda, so you’ve got to feel for them but our girls really went hard (on Sunday).

“I think us playing right through the finals – they’d played two games in four weeks, which would have hurt them – and we had a really good game against West Preston the week before and that helped our girls understand what finals football was about.”

Mernda claimed an 11-point win in grading before swapping one-point victories during the regular season.

The Demons triumphed by 13 points in the major semi-final but Hurstbridge bounced back to dominate when it mattered.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bridges took a two-point margin into half-time and led by three-points at the final change.

Reid said Bennett’s goal was a major breakthrough.

“It was a relief, we’d had most of the play all day – I think the stats would show we had it inside 50 a hell of a lot more than them – but we just couldn’t score,” he said.

“The second one was icing on the cake, Amy is our captain and it’s the first goal she’s ever kicked.

“It just dribbled off her foot, I’m not sure how it got through, but she’ll remember that for the rest of her life.”

Bennett was awarded the grand final medal for her last-quarter heroics, while Belinda Harris, Renee Grant, Danielle Pike and Graham all impressed.

“Sheridan had a good game, she was tagged all day, but managed to break free in the that last quarter,” Reid said.

“I thought Dani Pike was just amazing for us, there’s nothing of her but she was in-and-under at every contest, goes in hard and has done it all finals series.

“Elana Currie was the other one down in the back pocket, (Ameerah Gentle) had kicked nearly all their goals this season and Elana did a great job shutting her down.”

Tianah Teo was Mernda’s best in defeat, while Shenay Reeves, Ruby Sommerville and Monica Bradford also impressed.

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It caps a rapid rise for Hurstbridge who entered a women’s team for the first time in 2019, making a Division 3 semi-final.

It is Reid’s first season in charge at Ben Frilay Oval having crossed from Eltham to team up with his daughter Stephanie.

“I’d been at Eltham for a long time but my daughter decided to play AFL at the age of 30 so she tapped me on the shoulder and said you’re coming with me,” he said.

“She was down at full-back for most of the game and then a stint in the ruck, she was pretty good actually.”