Sport
‘Complete team performance’ lifts Shepparton Park to midweek pennant division three glory
Shepparton Park capped a sparkling Goulburn Valley Playing Area division three midweek pennant season in stunning style, as it romped to a 16-75 to 0-53 victory over minor premier Seymour VRI in Tuesday afternoon’s decider.
A dominant performance from beginning to end, Park did not give the VRI squad an inch all day as it won all three rinks on its way to premiership glory.
Wes Gibbs was the star of the show for the Parkers, with his 24-13 victory in rink one setting the platform early.
From there, all of his teammates jumped on board, with a 27-18 win by Barry Nelson in rink three and a tight 24-22 victory for Murray Phillips in rink two ensuring all players wearing the maroon and yellow left the green with radiant smiles on their faces.
For team manager Val Gibbs, the overriding emotion after the match was pure joy as she soaked in the moment with her teammates, who also happen to be her closest friends.
“It is such a fantastic feeling, honestly I am just lost for words,” Gibbs said.
“We have got such a fantastic group of players, but the thing that really stands out is the way that we play as a team, some of us might be better than others, but together we are brilliant.
“Today was a great example of us putting in a complete team performance, and it showed in the way we won the match.”
Battling through the home and away season in second spot behind Seymour VRI, a team they lost to twice in rounds three and 12, Park players really hit their straps in the finals series as they began with a hard-fought eight-shot win over the minor premier in the semi-final.
Riding that wave of confidence, Park produced a masterpiece on grand final day, with the 22-shot victory evidence of a squad operating at full-flight.
“I could not be more proud of the team, the way they played today and over the whole season has been absolutely brilliant,” Gibbs said.
“The great thing was leading into the finals we hadn’t beaten this team, and now we’ve done it twice, so I think that shows how much we have grown over the year.
“To now be premiers, it is such a wonderful feeling.”