It was a tense start to the Southern NSW Women's League grand final at Maher Oval on Thursday, but ultimately it was Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong who ran over Coolamon to become back-to-back premiers.
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In a match between two undefeated sides, Ganmain flexed their skills to go home 4.6 (30) to 0.5 (5) winners.
Lions coach Luke Walsh said the premiership win was made even sweeter knowing it was their second one in a row.
"It's just so hard to do," Walsh said.
"There's been turnover but a lot of the team is returning from last year so for those girls to get the reward, the work that goes into it, the sacrifice and time, just to continue on once you've won one, to go and do it again is so hard to do, it does make it a little bit more satisfying."
Coolamon were poised to score early in the first quarter but an unlucky soccer went through for a behind to open the game.
The quarter continued mostly between the arcs with both teams defence working overtime to keep the forwards from scoring before a goal was scored.
A free kick to Skye Hamblin with four minutes left in the quarter got Ganmain the first major score for the evening, taking them to the first break leading 1.0 (6) to 0.2 (2).
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Walsh said it was by far the most stressful game of the season.
"That's the most animated I've been on the sidelines," Walsh said.
"We've been lucky to have some pretty big wins so it's been easier to stay calm but the pressure was just so high in the first half.
"Obviously they got the first couple of scores so it could have gone either way."
A swinging kick from Hamblin in the early minutes of the second term fell too far right, but clean hands in the midfield had the ball quickly returned to her hands. It wasn't to be though, with the ball falling right once again.
From the kick out Coolamon finally got a run, but push and shove led to a free kick reversal with umpire dissent causing the ball to take a 50m walk down the field. A kick later and the ball was back in Hamblin's hands once again and she converted for the second time.
With the siren ready to go, a fast pass into their fifty and co-captain Lucy Anderson slots a goal as the clocks ticks to half-time, Ganmain lead 3.2 (20) to 0.2 (2).
Neither side went into the second half unscathed though with Hopper's Jordan Barrett and Lions Ruben Bennett both helped from the field.
"We started to turn it around in that second half and I think our class showed up in the end," Walsh said.
"But to their credit they were so tough and that's why I never really felt that comfortable because they were so hard at it.
"It was just hard work all night."
A tight third quarter meant it took until the last minute for anyone to get a major on the board, but an outstanding kick from the pocket secured Kaitlin Logan the only goal of the term. With just a quarter to play Ganmain went into the fourth with a confident 23-point lead.
"The heart rate did go down the further the game went on, that's for sure," Walsh said.
With neither team successful in getting it through the big sticks in the final quarter, a four goal lead was all Lions needed to take home the premiership.
Southern NSW Women's League grand final results
Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong 4.6 (30) (Hamblin 2, Logan, Anderson goals) d Coolamon 0.5 (5) at Maher Oval.
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