Natimuk United young gun Ebony Rintoule has had an eventful finals campaign, and her toughest test could be yet to come in Saturday's grand final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rintoule started on the bench in both of the Ewes A Grade finals, but has been deployed rather suddenly after coach Cheryl Sudholz went down with two separate injuries.
"It was sort of unexpected," Rintoule said. "I was happy to sit on the bench and just watch them play. It was a shock when Cheryl got injured.
"But it was really exciting to get on. I was really nervous, but happy I got the chance."
Rintoule held her own, particularly in the preliminary final, coming on in the second quarter with her team locked in a tight contest against Harrow-Balmoral.
"I just had to play my game and try to stay calm," Rintoule said.
"There is a bit of pressure and the crowds are massive, but you just have to stay calm."
Rintoule did her bit at wing defence as the Ewes won a nail-biter by just three goals.
Sudholz, who also coached Rintoule as a junior, said she was a fantastic learner.
"Sometimes it seems like we might be overloading her with info about our style of play, but she's been great at taking it all in," Sudholz said.
"She's doing really well."
While Sudholz is hoping to be fit for the grand final, Rintoule will be ready and able if something unexpected happens for a third consecutive week.
"It just depends, but it doesn't really phase me," Rintoule said.
"It would be a great experience, but it just depends on Cheryl and how the team is going. We'll have to wait and see."
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.