Mooroopna and finals netball used to go together like orange juice and toothpaste.
Not anymore.
The Cats have squeezed every drop of success from the home and away season and, for the first time in club history, all five sides are destined for a brush with Goulburn Valley League finals netball.
Mooroopna’s A, B, B-reserve as well as 17-and-under and 15-and-under outfits finished inside the top six at the curtain fall.
By osmosis, the buzz is building ahead of this weekend.
“It’s just an amazing feeling around the club, the girls are all pumped and we’re just so proud that they’ve actually made it,” netball manager Janene Gattuso said.
“It’s just another history-making event for the girls.
“It’s wonderful when they’ve been on the bottom of the ladders for so, so many years to actually make it into the top half and have the five teams there ― it’s just awesome.”
Gattuso isn’t laying it on thick when talking about the club’s dry spell.
Before 2018 the Cats’ last A-grade finals appearance came in 1986 ― the same year as Mooroopna’s most recent senior football flag.
Only one Mooroopna netball side has made a grand final.
Last season the 17-and-under team pushed Echuca all the way, but crashed out of the race by nine goals.
The untenable curse remained, but this season the hex has been lifted ― and Gattuso has plenty of people to thank for sticking it out through thick and thin.
Take the A-grade cast for example.
Maddison Wong, someone who’s weathered the downturn and came out the other side smiling.
Bree Hanslow, Georgia Gattuso and Dayna Williams; same thing.
Ash Lancaster joined Mooroopna after winning a grand final with Shepparton United, while Shelby Britten and Ella and Genna Ogier made the Cattery their first pit stop after college basketball in America.
So why do they come and why do they stay?
Gattuso thinks she has the answer.
“We’ve now gotten on to a great coaching team,” she said.
“Jen Barlow was very instrumental in the start of it, she spent a few years with us and we actually owe much of the credit to her.
“Now we’ve got Di Hanslow and she’s just another master of coaching as well. She’s pretty much taken over where Jen left off.
“And also just the atmosphere around the girls, we’ve got a great playing group and they all enjoy activities both on and off the court.
“To the girls that’ve actually stayed around through those bad times and have come through it, it’s such a credit to them for sticking to the club.”
They’ve trudged through the mud and all that’s left for the Cats to do is play netball.
Whether five, one or none of Mooroopna’s sides progress through to grand finals, Gattuso only had pride to place on the distance covered by every single netballer.
“The nerves will be going very high, but hopefully the supporter base and the crowd and the club can get us through,” she said.
“The girls are winners no matter what happens, they’ve made it and whatever will be will be.
“I just wish the girls all the best and hopefully all their hard work and great effort that they’ve put in over the past few seasons will come to fruition for them.”