Women’s premier league minor premiers AKW Jets cemented their season-long reign with a grand final victory, beating Bar Up Bullbars 6-3 on Tuesday night.
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Jets led from the get-go, outpacing the Bullbars in the first half, and fending them off in the second half to stay on top.
For their first try, the ball moved through five sets of hands before reaching Australian representative Rhiannon Podmore, alone on the wing, who ran through to score.
Podmore went on to set up a series of tries, but the highlight, for her, was the team’s concerted efforts in defence.
“When they started to come back we just stuck in the grind and kept going,” she said.
“That was a highlight.”
Bullbars levelled with Jets, thanks to a Rachael Addison wrap, and pass out to a lone winger.
But Jets replied with a Sophie Crouch dive across the try-line, and a try through the middle by Christine Sterling medallist, Most Valuable Player Abbey Corbett to end the first half 3-1 up.
Bullbars found form in the second half, with Addison working off Michelle Forrell, Olivia Schultz and Serinah Maddox to wrap out and score.
But Jets replied, unrelenting.
Podmore worked with her best friend, Corbett, to draw defenders in, and move the ball to a try-scoring position, and wingers Sophie Crouch and Cath Salmon both scored.
Each round, Jets had a near-full complement of players, who looked autonomous on grand final night.
“We went through so many injuries but we never gave up, we kept on turning up week after week,” Podmore said.
“Playing together the whole season you get used to each other, you know what works, what doesn’t, and then in pressure situations you’re used to it, because you’ve done it all season, not just for the final.”
Bullbars didn’t have that luxury, and despite fielding a full squad at finals, they weren’t as cohesive as the Jets.
Salmon, who has played touch for decades, beamed with pride after the win.
“I’m stoked, I love to have the privilege of playing with such a nice bunch of girls,” she said.
“They have developed a lot, they listen, and they’re willing to learn, they’re just champions.”
The match was just as arduous as she had expected.
“I thought it was fantastic,” she said.
“They (Bullbars) never give up, they have hearts like Phar Lap, we said that at the beginning of the game, ‘don’t ever think it’s over because they’ll just keep on coming back,’ and they did.”
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Don Tuckwells Audio playmaker Bailey Porter won the league’s best and fairest award.