Belmont captains Sophie Allison, Angelique Ross say Lions’ first grand final in two decades is ‘extra special’
Belmont Lions’ one and only A-grade flag came back in 2002. Now 23 years on, a new generation of players are ready to make the most of a long-awaited grand final appearance.
The significance of Saturday’s A-grade grand final isn’t lost on Belmont Lions’ A-grade co-captains Sophie Allison and Angelique Ross.
Allison says seeing the Lions through to their first top-grade grand final in 23 years was “extra special” considering they only ended a 22-year finals drought last season.
“It’s a big achievement, we’ve been talking about that it’s the first time we’ve been in the grand final since the competition started,” Allison, 27, said.
Winning the A-grade grand final in 2002 - the first year the league added netball - the Lions’ top side would go more than two decades without playing finals before returning last year with a well-timed late season run to finish fifth.
Heartbreakingly bowing out by one goal in an elimination final, a new-look Lions side reloaded in 2025 under new playing coach Shayna Brown to finish second and go all the way through to Saturday’s grand final.
But standing in their way is Thomson, who similarly wielded a new-look side to near perfection this year, the minor premier’s sole loss to the Lions in round 13.
Dominating their qualifying final against the Lions, the Tigers - chasing their first flag since 2017 and fourth overall - arguably hold favouritism heading into the decider, but it isn’t stopping the Lions from believing they can bring the trophy home to Winter Reserve come Saturday.
“We’re so hungry, we want it more than anyone,” fellow co-captain Angelique Ross declared.
Bouncing back from that qualifying final defeat, where 22-year-old Ross went down with an ACL injury in the first term, the Lions found a way to overcome Inverleigh by 10 goals in a preliminary final.
Ross recalled getting goosebumps watching her Lions’ response from the sidelines.
“This opportunity doesn’t come very often, so after the hard year we’ve had, to come together as a group and really just play our best on Saturday was just super exciting... now we’ve just got one more to go,” she said.
The Lions will bring defender Lara Demko into their grand final squad in lieu of the injured Ross, as Brown took over Ross’ goaling duties in last week’s prelim.
“I knew Shayna was going to step up, and we have Tegan (Edwards) ready to go,” Ross said.
“Having Ella (Wasik) there to be the core, she’s been there all year, Shayna slotted in perfectly, she’s a veteran, she’s been doing it for years.”
Challenged to bring together a new group - featuring returning Lions players, several Corio recruits including two-time Margaret Webb medallist Molly Gribble and Zoe Saunders and Ella Wasik from St Albans and Bannockburn - Ross said the group was “super united” on-court, while Allison believed the club’s strong culture had helped strengthen those new bonds.
“The girls who came across wanted to come because they’ve seen how good Belmont is, and how much we enjoy it,” Allison said.
“Our off-court stuff is just as strong on-court.”
‘Our biggest supporter’: Lions primed to win flag for injured twin
Yianna Ross’ first-ever Belmont game without her twin sister Angelique Ross came in Saturday’s preliminary final triumph over Inverleigh.
This weekend’s A-grade grand final against Thomson will be second, goaler Angelique — the Lions’ co-captain and two-time league hot shot winner – having ruptured her left ACL after an innocuous landing early in their qualifying final loss to the Tigers, while dealing with a broken hand.
Regrouping to prevail 55-45 over the Hawks a week later, defender Yianna, who arrived at Belmont four years ago alongside her sister, declared the Lions were determined to win the trophy both for Angelique and the wider club as it chases its first A-grade flag in over two-decades.
“That’s her first time missing out on a game in four years, and trust me, she would be out there if it was anything but what she’s got unfortunately,” Yianna said.
“A lot of us are very close on the team, and obviously it devastated us when we saw her go down.
“It’s been a tough week in our household with Angelique – netball is everything to her – but she’s our captain and we know we have to get out there and we’re going to do it for her and for us.”
For Angelique, 22, her energy and excitement to bring a trophy back to their beloved club hasn’t wavered in the face of a devastating injury blow.
Yianna described her twin as the “biggest rev up” personality.
“She’s excited for us, and we definitely couldn’t do it without her on the bench either,” Yianna said.
“She had red marks all down her leg from clapping (it so hard against Inverleigh).
“She’s the team’s biggest supporter and she always will be.”
It’s proven a complimentary dynamic between Angelique and her fellow co-captain Sophie Allison this season.
“I think Soph takes the more, ‘take a breath’ (attitude), and I just come in, smash them with a ‘lets just go out there, we’ve got nothing to lose’ – it’s a great partnership’,” Angelique said.
Asked if she had any impassioned words planned for Saturday, Angelique said: “Might have to contact (senior football co-coach) Andy Walsgott, he’s pretty good at a good rev up.”
Making the 90-minute round trip from Point Cook to Belmont multiple times a week, the sisters pointed to the club’s culture as a major sticking point for their continual involvement, while Yianna praised A-grade playing coach Shayna Brown’s work since arriving from Corio in the off-season, adding the change had been good for players.
But it’ll make for an interesting subplot to Saturday’s grand final, with former Belmont A-grade coach Anthony ‘Birdy’ Burton – who brought the Ross sisters into Belmont – now with Thomson as a senior performance development coach alongside ex-Lions defenders Puonyuom Mathiang and Anger Akec.
“He’s a character, but we all love him,” Yianna said.
“He took us a long way at Belmont, from where we were at the start four years ago.
“Him and Shannyn (Leach) have done a great job with all the girls at Thomson, credit to them.
“Hearing his voice (on the sidelines) is very familiar, so just got to stay focused.”
Earlier: Brave Lions battle way into big dance
Belmont Lions has rebounded from a season-ending ACL injury to star goaler Angelique Ross, a composed preliminary final win seeing the GDFNL club through to this year’s A-grade grand final.
A horror 43-goal qualifying final defeat to minor premier Thomson saw Ross – the competition’s reigning two-time leading goalscorer – go down early with what later was confirmed as an ACL injury.
But the Lions have earned their chance at redemption with a 55-45 win over premiership dark horse Inverleigh, who had previously defeated the Lions back in round 16.
Ross’ goaling partner in crime Ella Wasik stepped up in her absence to sink 45 goals at 80 per cent, while experienced playing coach Shayna Brown (10 goals) came back into the squad from a suspension to work alongside Wasik.
Armed with the strong defensive work of Sophie Trezise, Sophie Allison, Yianna Ross and Rachel Kirtley, and hardworking midcourters Zoe Saunders and Molly Gribble – the latter fresh off a second Margaret Webb medal – the Lions were able to generate +15 more chances to score, as they put the foot down in the final 15 minutes to turn a four-goal lead into 10 by the final siren.
They’ll face the benchmark team in Thomson in Saturday’s decider at St Albans, the Tigers’ recruitment of new and returning names helping them rebound spectacularly from a ninth-placed finish last season.
Opening their season with 12-straight wins, the Tiger lost to Belmont 50-60 in round 13, but have won their last six as they strive to win their first A-grade flag since 2017.
Meanwhile, the Lions took their time to gel a new and purported superteam under Brown, the squad a combination of last year’s Lions’ and Corio outfits, alongside former Bannockburn goaler Wasik and St Albans’ Saunders, before going on a 10-game winning streak from to rounds 5 to 14. They’re 4-3 in the last six weeks.
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Originally published as Belmont captains Sophie Allison, Angelique Ross say Lions’ first grand final in two decades is ‘extra special’
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