Young Tigerettes reach the promise land

From the first pass, Rochester looked in control of the contest with their assured ball movement when transitioning between defence and attack.

And coach Kristy Roulston couldn’t have been more pleased with her side’s output.

“Being composed and taking our time with the ball was one of the areas where we worked really hard this year,” she said.

“I’ve told them from the very beginning that it is okay to make mistakes during the game because you will always get another opportunity to make the right decision.

“They are a really great bunch of girls who have always wanted to learn and improve their netball which makes it easy for me.

“All of them get along really well and I think you can see that on the court by the way they play the game.”

League best and fairest Teal Hocking starred for the Tigerettes in a dominant display – seeing off several Echuca opponents throughout the contest.

“She is a very talented player and we’re lucky to have a player like her in the team,” Roulston said.

“Teal is very easy to coach and it’s a bonus to have her as a leader. Throughout the game she is always encouraging her teammates which always gives them a lot of confidence.

“Having someone who can inspire their teammates is extremely beneficial.

“I was really pleased with how Teal and Leila Palmer (who played in goal shooter) shot the ball.”

Now the team has proven their ability to perform on the biggest stage, Roulston said she is confident her players can progress through to the senior ranks.

“There is a lot of hope the girls can drive the club forward in the next few years,” she said.

“We lost last year’s grand final but to get back here proves we do have a lot of talent coming through.”