HARROW-BALMORAL etched itself into the Horsham District Football Netball League history books with a premiership to cap off an undefeated season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Only the Kalkee side of 2005 has achieved the same feat in the past decade.
It was not all easy going for the Roos despite the eventual 41-31 win.
Natimuk United, its grand final opponent, came prepared and put up a fight.
The Roos had the better of the opening term, restricting the Ewes to just six first-quarter goals.
The usually dominant Kirby Knight was kept in check by Harrow-Balmoral coach and two-time league best and fairest Ebonie Salter and goal keeper Amy Lewis.
The pair worked hard to deny Knight the ball and rebound any misses.
Anna-Grace Close and Amy Lewis each netted six goals at the other end of the court to help Harrow-Balmoral to a six-goal quarter time lead.
Natimuk United fought back in the second quarter and showed why it reached the grand final.
The Ewes trimmed the deficit to one goal, but another strong spurt from Harrow-Balmoral pushed the margin back out to nine by the halftime whistle.
Natimuk United never stopped trying in the second half but the Roos had all the answers.
Connie Toet and Emily Langley were able to feed the ball in to Close and Lewis effectively despite strong defence from Ewe defenders Jo Taylor and Sophie Hutchinson.
Salter said she was proud of the way her team kept its composure when the Ewes reeled in the margin.
She said the undefeated season was a great accomplishment for a team that pushed itself so hard.
"I didn't let the girls think about that through the year at all when we kept getting the wins on the board," she said.
"Now that we have done it we have a chance to reflect, and it is a really great effort.
"It doesn't happen very often at all, so I think that makes it a bit sweeter when you know you've worked really hard for it."