Zebras. Cher. Dynasty.
Make whatever connotations you want out of that but they’re three things you can forever link St Mary’s Senior Football & Netball Club 1 to
after its Heidelberg Golf Club Division 1 Women’s 12-point premiership triumph over Montmorency Football Netball Club 1.
Explaining each in short – the idea of a group of zebras being called ‘a dazzle’ – each player representing different stripes. You could see cardboard cutouts of zebras and dolls in the crowd at Preston City Oval. It was something driven by coach Troy Bickerton all season long.
A big cardboard cutout of Cher was there too. Her hit song ‘Believe’ one of the driving forces behind the Burra.
And dynasty? Well, I think the three flags in four years speaks for itself. This one an undefeated season to go with that.
Anyway, back to the game.
The showpiece game of Sunday’s women’s grand finals got off to an electric start for the Burra, with co-captain Sarah Johnston delivering an incredible snap from a tight angle to give them the start they wanted.
The Burra led 7-0 at quarter time, but you felt like they were on top.
Montmorency 1 had something to say about this though, with Georgia Thomson delivering a response five minutes into the second term, taking a mark and running in to an open goal.
Monty’s first half challenge last three minutes, and it was the Coaches MVP who stood up – Kiara Delia delivering a snap towards goal under pressure and delivering to help the Burra lead 15-8 at the main break.
The third quarter was al St Mary’s 1. In the early stage of the third term, it was Marli Klaumanns-Moller who delivered another snap to give the Burra a 13-point lead.
Unfortunately, the Burra did have to deal with injury as well – a significant stoppage in the game was needed, with Madison Bickerton badly hurting her knee.
When play resumed, the Burra continued to go well, and it was Delia who delivered a goal from a set shot to help the Burra lead by 23 points at the final change, 31-8.
Just 25 seconds into the last term, Maykaylah Appleby delivered a terrific bouncing goal, and it was 29 points.
The game was over. Or so we thought.
With St Mary’s 1 players starting to cramp up, Montmorency instead started to take control.
Initially, Monty’s efforts looked to come to nought, as the Magpies scored four consecutive behinds, but they finally got the reward they deserved in the last quarter at the 18-minute mark when Tara Donnan scored from a set shot.
Five minutes later, Thomson scored her second, and there was still a little bit of interest in the game as the Magpies kept pushing hard.
In many ways, it was similar to the Division 2 grand final that preceded it.
Like Ivanhoe in that corresponding game, however, the Magpies simply ran out of time, and it was St Mary’s 1’s premiership, holding on for a 5.7 (37) to 3.7 (25) victory.
Co-captain Elyssa Rees was named best-on-ground in the victory, but it could have been raffled. Brigid McEntee, Marli Klaumanns-Moller, Rees, Delia, Emmison Zealley and Georgia Kitchell were all named as St Mary’s best, while Montmorency did not name its best players.
So – back to the zebras then. What’s it all about?
“Our theme is called a ‘dazzle’ of zebras – they are all individuals; all the stripes are different,” Bickerton said.
“It’s been our motto – we’re all individuals, but when we’re all together, we’re unstoppable.”
Bickerton said he embraced the title of being the hunted as the wins continued to stack up throughout the season.
“We didn’t want to say we were undefeated, as it’s a target on your back, but we were up for it. People said through the season we needed a loss, but I didn’t think so, we tried to win every game, and it fell our way, so it’s an outstanding season,” he said.
“We didn’t mention the undefeated season at all, we knew it would be a grind – finals are always, especially against Monty, being a tough side. It was all about the mental battle for us. We knew we had the skill, the players to get the job done, but it was more about the mental battle.
“It was a contested game. I was saying that I don’t think either side had a clean possession – everything was under pressure, every kick, every handball. It was a battle of attrition.”
Bickerton said in many respects, St Mary’s 1 had players approach the club to join, rather than it being the other way around.
“We didn’t actively go recruit girls, Kiara Delia, Jii Williams, Riley Anderson and Marley Klaumanns-Moller came from Greenvale and they actually emailed us in November last year,” he said.
“They said they were looking at changing and it looks like you guys have a lot of fun, can we come and train, and we said of course.
“Maykaylah Appleby was the same, she made contact through one of the girls she knows and said I want to make the switch, I want to come play for St Mary’s. That’s just our culture, the girls love it.”
Offering a word on Rees, Bickerton said the combination of her and Johnston leading the club was ‘perfect’.
“Elyssa is outstanding. She’s won three flags with us now as captain. She’s an outstanding leader. When I put it on her a few years ago to be captain, she has grown into the role really well,” he said.
“She’s always led on field really well, and over the last couple of years, off field, she’s grown into a fantastic leader. With her and Sarah Johnston, they are the perfect couple in captains.”
As for the club’s secret in creating two successful teams in 2026, with a premiership and a grand final? Bickerton said it was simply a ‘testament’ to all behind the scenes at St Mary’s.
“It’s a great season for the seniors to get the win. The division 3 girls, it’s their first season together. In February this year, we were sitting at the point where we wondered if we make the call to not go ahead with a team, do we just try and get the numbers together. To go from there to playing off in a grand final is just insane. It’s a testament to everyone at the club,” he said.
“I think there’s the culture and having a strong junior program is a massive key.”
-Michael Thompson (via The Northern Footy Show)
