An enthralling Heidelberg Golf Club Division 1 Grand Final rematch resulted in St Mary’s maintaining their unbeaten start to the season, following a three-point victory over Diamond Creek Women’s 1 at Plenty Park Oval.
In a match filled with great skill and plenty of pressure, the Burra were able to hold on for a terrific 5.11 (41) to 5.8 (38) victory over the Creekers.
The result means St Mary’s remains undefeated after three rounds, ending the week in second position, while the Creekers move to 2-1 but have kept their place in the top four.
It was the battle in the middle that kept this game intriguing throughout the afternoon, highlighted by a high-quality ruck duel between St Mary’s Georgia Kitchell and Diamond Creek Women’s Holly Pink.
Usual suspects like Elyssa Rees and Brigid McEntee stood tall for the visitors, while Maykaylah Appleby and Karly Cobern had patches of brilliance in midfield for the home side.
Defensively, Stacey Cross excelled to keep her brilliant start to the 2025 campaign intact for the Creekers while at the other end, Hannah Elliott was tasked with the job on star Diamond Creek Women’s forward Linda Thorp and produced a respectable performance.
In her 100th senior game, Thorp kicked three majors to add to her eight-goal effort from the previous round, while Burra forward Charlotte Evans booted multiple goals for the first time since Round 7 last year.
Jaydah Hope for the Burra and Adele Coppola for the hosts both threatened in attack also across the match, with Hope kicking her side’s first goal of the match.
Before that goal though came Linda Thorp’s first inside the first minute and a half of the game that lifted the home crowd.
However, after Hope’s major, the Burra took control for the remainder of the term, adding a further two goals through Evans and Matilda Eames to enter quarter time up by 15 points.
It was then Diamond Creek Women’s turn to get on top to start the second, however they were unable to put any scoreboard pressure on the Burra initially.
They would eventually break through as the match closed in on half time, with goals from Thorp and Durante helping reduce the Creekers’ deficit to just two points heading into the main break.
That margin was quickly extended by the Burra in the first 20 seconds of the third thanks to Evans, before a Madison Bickerton goal pushed their advantage out to a game-high 17 points.
Opportunities came for the reigning premiers to extend their lead, but the Creekers would rally and find two late goals to reduce the deficit to only four points by three quarter time.
The pressure started to lift in the early stages of the last as both teams looked to gain the ascendancy in the contest. No goals were kicked by either side in the term, but both had opportunities to find the big sticks.
The home side had the final three chances of the game but just couldn’t get the goal required to get back the lead, allowing the Burra to hold firm in defence and secure a tight three-point triumph.
