Mooroopna's Asha Gray will play a key role in the GVL A-grade decider.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
For one club, the A-grade Goulburn Valley League grand final is a familiar place; for the other, it is brand new territory.
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On Sunday at Deakin Reserve, the master of grand finals will tackle the apprentice for premiership glory.
Mooroopna is chasing history in its first ever A-grade GVL grand final appearance.
The Cats finished second on the ladder after a 15 win season with two draws and just one loss, before taking the long route to the grand final after a narrow three-goal loss to Euroa in the qualifying final.
After breaking its preliminary final hoodoo, Mooroopna coach Di Hanslow stated the Cats are raring to go for a blockbuster decider.
“The energy in the group is very positive,” Hanslow said.
“Everyone is very excited about being in the final and prepared to take on the challenge ahead of them.”
As for minor premier Euroa, supporters are getting used to seeing the Deakin Reserve asphalt on a sunny spring day in September.
The Magpies are chasing a second flag in three years, as they play their fourth grand final in a row under Ellie Warnock’s leadership.
“I’m honestly still pinching myself that this is our fourth straight A-grade grand final,“ Warnock said.
“It means so much to our girls and our tiny little town.
Euroa player-coach Ellie Warnock has helped guide her side into this weekend's GVL grand final.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“I still remember when I got asked to coach Euroa and I looked at the scores from that current season, and I thought to myself ‘how can turn this around’.
“My first year COVID cancelled the season, then second year was top six. Now four seasons straight of grand finals.
“It’s truly unbelievable, I’m so proud of what we have been able to achieve.”
Reflecting on the pair’s previous match, Hanslow and Warnock provided a glimpse into how they’ll prepare to break apart one another on Sunday.
“Both teams will have reviewed the match and looked at areas they feel they can improve on,” Hanslow said.
“A focal point for us is capitalising of our gains, having that intense defensive pressure and utilising multiple options in attack.”
Warnock echoed that goalscoring may be the differentiator of the two teams at the final horn.
“It’s always a really close game against Mooroopna,” she said.
“I think the major takeaway would be consistency and patience.
“That’s all it comes down to for us, taking our time in attack and not rushing.
“I think if our attackers are on, it’s always a good day.”
Hanslow finished with a spirited team message for her Cats as they aim to take down the league’s perennial contenders.
“We will be relying on all members of the team to step up,” she said.
“You win flags with the combined effort of all team members, taking control of their position.
“It's never on one player’s shoulders.”
The Cats will claw to unseat Euroa as Shepparton did in 2025 when the first whistle sounds at 2.40pm on Sunday at Deakin Reserve.
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