We are set for three outstanding senior women’s Grand Finals this Sunday at Preston City Oval, and picking a victor in any of the three deciders is far from an easy task.
HEIDELBERG GOLF CLUB DIVISION 1
Diamond Creek Women’s 1 vs St Mary’s
Diamond Creek Women’s 1
Ladder Position: 2nd (9-5, 118.79%)
Leading Goalkicker: Linda Thorp (27 goals in 15 matches)
Most Times in Best: Maykaylah Appleby (11 times), Holly Pink (10), Karly Cobern (7)
St Mary’s
Ladder Position: 1st (9-5, 166.96%)
Leading Goalkicker: Megan Girolami (28 goals in 16 games)
Most Times in Best: Emmison Zealley (10 times), Elyssa Rees (9), Charlotte Karafilis & Georgia Kitchell (eight)
After missing out on finals last year, Diamond Creek Women’s have made a successful return to the post-season and will compete in their second grand final in the past three years.
Creekers captain Maykaylah Appleby was one of the few players who was part of her side’s premiership success in 2022.
But much has changed since that day and while they’re excited by the opportunity, Appleby explained her important role of ensuring her younger teammates were calm and composed ahead of the occasion.
“I think there’s a few nerves going around, getting them to settle down will be one of the things we encourage because there’s nothing to be scared of, it’s just another game of football,” she said.
Following her Division 1 NFNL best and fairest last year, Appleby has continued to play a key role in the Creekers return to the top, as one of the more experienced members of the list alongside Holly Pink, Linda Thorp and Karly Cobern.
Their defence has also been key to their rise too, with players such as Tiana McClain set to play a crucial role against a potent St Mary’s attack, in which their two leading goalkickers in Meg Girolami and Sarah Johnston have kicked 45 majors between them.
This weekend marks the third consecutive senior women’s Grand Final for the Burra, but their first in Division 1, after claiming the minor premiership earlier this season.
Regardless of the result on Sunday, it highlights the extraordinary rise of the club’s senior women’s program, one that co-captain Elyssa Rees has been a member of since 2021.
Rees says the team has reflected on their incredible achievements to date and hopes it can all come together this weekend.
“Before the season we discussed that a reasonable goal for this season would just be to be competitive. Making finals [exceeded] our expectations and now to be in the Grand Final is beyond what anyone could’ve imagined,” she said.
Rees has had another excellent campaign and may be in line for a fourth straight Team of the Year appearance.
Meanwhile other teammates have shown bright in 2024, including Georgia Kitchell, Brigid McEntee and Emmison Zealley in defence.
The Creekers have a 3-1 record over St Mary’s this season, but all four games have been decided by an average margin of just seven points, which is set to make for an entertaining clash.
CLEANING MELBOURNE DIVISION 2
Ivanhoe vs Lower Plenty
Ivanhoe
Ladder Position: 2nd (11-2-1, 427.78%)
Leading Goalkicker: Georgia Pirdis (46 goals in 14 matches)
Most Times in Best: Molly Uwland (15 times), Anna Williams (10), Georgia Pirdis & Federica Frew (7)
Lower Plenty
Ladder Position: 4th (10-4, 319.80%)
Leading Goalkicker: Amelia Mullane (34 goals in 13 matches)
Most Times in Best: Bree Unthank & Shae Audley (10 times), Ava Klaic & Amelia Mullane (9)
It’s been a historic first season in the league for the Ivies, who are set to compete in only their second-ever Grand Final, and first under the NFNL banner.
Ivanhoe have dominated for most of the campaign and come into this clash on an 11-game unbeaten streak, their last defeat coming against their Sunday opponents back in Round 5.
Whilst there was plenty of unknowns about what joining a new competition would like, Ivies co-captain Molly Uwland believes moving to the NFNL has been the best thing for the team, who now have a chance of claiming silverware in two day’s time.
“The work we’ve been doing is paying off and we’re really excited to get in there and get the job done,” she said.
Uwland herself has been one of the standouts of not just her team, but the entire competition. She has been named in her side’s best in all but one of her 16 appearances in 2024, and also held a 16-vote lead in the Coaches MVP award before votes went behind closed doors.
Her role on Sunday will be crucial alongside fellow midfielders Anna Williams and Emilia Bisogni, as well as ruck Zoe Doyle.
Forwards Georgia Pirdis and Federica Frew have also combined for 75 goals this season, with both set for big afternoons.
The Bears have made a successful return to the senior women’s competition and will compete in their inaugural Grand Final following three dominant finals victories.
They’ve prevailed in their three finals matches by a combined total of 199 points, conceding just 45 total points in the process.
Lower Plenty star Shae Audley said that everything has fallen into place at the right time for her team to have an opportunity to claim Sunday’s flag.
“Players are stepping up and doing things they haven’t done all season, possibly because of the bigger ground, which is maybe built on confidence and learnings throughout the season,” she said.
Audley has put together a consistent season alongside fellow ex-AFLW star Amelia Mullane, with both being consistently named in the best and impacting the scoreboard.
Others such as Bree Unthank and Milla Fereday have also added plenty to the team both up forward and in midfield, with both kicking north of 20 goals to date.
It’s an even 1-1 record for these two sides in their previous contests in 2024, and with the form both teams are in approaching the decider, it has all the makings of a memorable end to the Division 2 senior women’s competition.
NFNL DIVISION 3 WOMEN’S
Heidelberg West vs Panton Hill
Heidelberg West
Ladder: 1st (7-2, 211.61%)
Leading goalkicker: Kiana Horman (10 goals from 10 matches)
Most times in best: Emily O’Keefe (9 times), Kiana Horman and Chloe Rowan (8)
Panton Hill
Ladder: 2nd (9-4, 330.59%)
Leading goalkicker: Bridie Groves (26 goals in 15 matches)
Most times in best: Bridie Groves (11 times), Ruby and Bianca Walker (8)
Following a heartbreaking end to their inaugural campaign in 2023, Heidelberg West have bounced right back and are set to compete in the club’s first senior women’s Grand Final.
The Hawks have not tasted defeat since Round 8, with only one of their last seven matches being decided by single digits.
It’s that form that has the side excited about their potential of going all the way on Sunday, according to co-captain Taya Barnett, who says the trust her and her teammates have for one another has helped the side be successful so far.
“The energy in the rooms [after the second semi-final] was electric and I think the girls are very pumped for the Grand Final this weekend. We’ve had a lot of faith in each other, so it’s been quite positive, which is good,” she said.
A lot of the standout players from Heidelberg West’s 2023 preliminary final run continued to have a major influence in this season’s results, with Crystal Grech, Emily O’Keefe, Molly Reinke and Chloe Rowan all consistently terrific this year.
Kiana Horman meanwhile has added plenty to the group in her first senior season and has been a pivotal player at both ends of the ground.
This weekend is also Panton Hill’s first Grand Final in the senior women’s competition, as they look to complete an incredible inaugural campaign.
The Redbacks booked their place in Sunday’s decider after a narrow three-point triumph over Hurstbridge in the preliminary final, where Panton Hill had to hold on late.
In her first season of senior women’s football, Redbacks star Bridie Groves said the preliminary final victory has helped her team believe they get the job done on Sunday.
“It’s been pure excitement since that game and there’s been a few nerves floating around as well. We’re just really excited to get into Sunday and the lead up into it,” she said.
Groves has hardly put a foot wrong since joining the club in 2024, being named in her side’s best in 11 of 15 games while also booting 26 majors, the most of any player in Division 3 this year.
St Mary’s juniors Bianca and Ruby Walker have also had stellar campaigns, with Bianca being named in the best in the Redbacks’ last eight games. Their impact on this contest looks set to be a massive one.
Panton Hill have gone down in both of their matches with Heidelberg West this season, but their last loss was by only five points, creating potential for a similarly close battle on Sunday.
