Epic Grand Final awaits after heavyweights reign supreme

We’ve been tipping it for most of the season but this weekend it becomes a reality – Old Brighton and Marcellin will face off in the Division 1 Women’s Grand Final at Box Hill City Oval on Sunday afternoon.

It will be the third time in five weeks that the two teams will face off, with one win apiece in the past two clashes.

Marcellin’s victory knocks Parkdale Vultures out of the Premiership race. The Preliminary Final started off very evenly with just a goal each way, but it was Marcellin with their nose in front thanks to a few handy behinds.

Marcellin doubled that lead from 4 to 8 points heading into the main break and looked comfortably in control of the game. But as they say, Finals Football is a whole different ball game where anything can happen, and Marcellin did well to keep their cool and keep their foot on the gas.

After half time they came out swinging in defense of their 2023 Premiership flag, kicking 5.5 and keeping Parkdale scoreless. Their defensive effort throughout the day was as impressive as their attack on the footy, really inhibiting the Vultures from getting into the game until the fourth quarter.

Perhaps it was fatigue from the afternoon heat that arrived when the sun broke through the clouds on Sunday afternoon, but Marcellin faded away in the last quarter kicking one point to Parkdale’s two goals. The Vultures should be proud of their resilience shown when the chips are down, as they clawed a 43-point deficit at three-quarter time to 31 points at the final siren.

Marcellin will need to look to improve on their stamina and endurance ahead of the Grand Final as they will have to put in a full four-quarter performance to beat the likes of Old Brighton.

Zagotinos was the leading goalkicker for the game, with three goals, whilst Zoe Glascott slotted two, to bring up 60 goals for the year for the star forward. It marks the seventh week in a row Glascott has kicked multiple goals and the fourteenth time this season. Glascott, along with Old Brighton’s Lucy Tait loom as major factors for both teams in the grand final as they look to secure the Premiership cup. With absolute dominance in each forward line and no question as to either side’s ability to hit the scoreboard, it will come down to who wins the midfield battle and gets away the all-important center clearance.

Marcellin captain Alana Pane continued her impressive season with yet another best on ground performance. Of the 18 games she has played this year, Pane has been the best on ground for Marcellin on a massive 14 occasions.

Lucy Burgess kicked two goals for Parkdale to be the best on ground, whilst vice-captain Isabella Daddo and and captain Breanna Allen were both impressive. Whilst it marks season over for Parkdale, the team will be impressed with their performance over the season. Finishing third and two win ahead of fourth, as well as some thumping wins over Collegians in Round 16 and finals week one. To their credit, the Parkdale Vultures have made finals for the past two years now. The season wouldn’t have ended how they would’ve liked, but a strong fight this season will prime them for a big off-season and to return even bigger in season 2025.

Now we turn our attention to the big dance. The entire season has come down to this weekend’s game. With both teams evenly matched, they never seem to play the same style game against the other and prove impossible to tip in every match up. While Old Brighton likely go in as favourites, purely off their seamless run through finals, Marcellin will no doubt bring their a-game to the big dance as they look to win back-to-back Premierships.