Just shy of 25-years has passed since a team of Horsham United netballers defied the odds and took home a second consecutive Wimmera Netball premiership.
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The year was 1996 and a United team of Julie Burke (playing coach), Pauline Butler, Jodi Bigmore, Karen Bird, Marcelle Perry, Vivian Hiscock, Penelope Stuart and Lisa Wright were taking on a strong side from Ararat at Dimboola Indoor Stadium.
The side prevailed 52-42 in a physical contest and were crowned champions for the second year in a row.
Jodi Bigmore was described as "Possibly United's best on court" by The Mail-Times which also described the battle between Ararat's goal defence Judi Smith and Karen Bird as a "top contest".
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Wing attack Pauline Butler's memory is a little hazy of the 1996 win, however she remembers Bigmore and Bird as being key pillars in the side.
"Karen (Bird) was the tall one under the ring and we had Jodi Bigmore in goals that year," Butler said.
"Jodi she was a very accurate shooter and a pretty dominant player and she was really hard to combat, I can remember that, but yeah when Biggles was on she was on and if she missed any Karen was under the ring to get the rebounds and put it back in for us.
"For United to come away with back-to-back victories was pretty exciting at the time and fantastic for the club, it was a pretty exciting era."
Wimmera netball legend Julie Burke was playing-coach of the United side in 1995 and 1996 and although she doesn't remember every detail of the 1996 grand final (that can happen when you're a part of 35 career premierships) she looks back fondly at the win.
"United had never won one until '95, so to win that and then to win another one was just unbelievable," Burke said.
"I think we were favourites given we won the year before although it was pretty even.
"We certainly celebrated, they cut the net off the ring, they don't do that anymore, you know we pinched that from basketball.
"I think we did a pub crawl on the Monday with the footballers and that just was all day.
"Stuff like that doesn't happen now."
One of the more humorous tidbits Burke recalled from the 1996 grand final day didn't even occur on the court.
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"We used to have a breakfast at the Vic hotel before the game," Burke said.
"You'd go before the grand final and the girls of course were that nervous, there was always the talk that I didn't realise that they'd snuck a bit of wine into their orange juice.
"That was the funniest thing when after we won, that night one of them, Karen Bird I think and Pauline butler fessed up to say that they had a little bit of wine in their orange juice.
"So you know that was something that was unheard of."
Once Horsham United disbanded the 1996 six side slowly "gravitated" towards the Horsham Demons according to Burke.
Despite moving on from the club, a bond had been formed between the players that would connect them for at least the next 25 years.
"We've remained close since, we often have girls weekends away as a reunion," Burke said.
"We try and have a trip away once a year, just to catch up and reminisce about it.
"They were great days at United."
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