Sport
Chance to go back-to-back as Shepparton Swans’ youth girls punch ticket to grand final
This year’s Northern Country Women’s League Youth Girls grand final fixture looks eerily familiar.
Despite a full spin of earth’s axis ― give or take a week ― since the 2022 decider, Shepparton Swans will again line up against Moama in a rematch of the big dance, taking to Deakin Reserve on Sunday.
The venue has changed, as has personnel, but Swans will be throwing everything behind their effort to duplicate last year’s 27-point triumph over the Magpies.
There was no swanning about for Leigh Egan’s charges in the semi-final as they were made to work hard for a six-goal win over Shepparton United and, despite the scoreline, he believes it was the sort of tune-up which may prove golden in the grand scheme.
“It was probably the hard game they needed to go into a granny,” Egan said.
“United played really well, every time we play them they force us into a scrappy one-on-one game.
“We’ve got a bit of talent in our team which should be hitting targets and United really nullified that.
“It was a good effort for the girls to stay composed and sustain their effort for the entire four quarters.”
Fortune favours the Swans when looking at past match-ups with Moama.
The side in red and white has beaten the Mapgies in six out of six of their last bouts, but forfeited what would have been the seventh instalment of the cross-state clash in May.
However, Moama features 2023 league best-and-fairest winner Shaleah Cooper and leading goal-kicker Katie Shanon (37 goals), leading Egan to believe repeating business of last year’s grand final will be far from elementary.
“They’ve obviously got talent, they’ve got three or four (Bendigo) Pioneers players and on any given day they can bring it to us like United did,” Egan said.
“But grand finals, you know what they’re like. The girls need to not change anything and approach it like they would any other game.
“And also just to enjoy the aspect of playing in a grand final, just enjoy the day and take it in for what it is.
“If they play well, hopefully they will get a good result, but the experience of playing in a granny will be exciting as well.”
Hoping to bask in premiership glory is a Swans outfit hardened by a thin year numbers-wise.
The pull of representative football has seen a revolving door of sorts within the side, but when all players are on the park firing together, there has yet to be an opposition capable of stopping the Swans.
To no surprise, that’s exactly what Egan wants to see out of his girls on Sunday.
“You’ve got your ball carriers, your Murray Bushrangers in Ellie Armstrong, Payten Johnston, Holly Egan and Atong Dang, these are girls who play rep level pretty much week in, week out,” he said.
“I’m not looking for anything extra from them, I’m just asking them just to do their job.
“And the rest of the girls along the edges of the pitch, when it’s their time to go, to do the best they can.”