Dee-lightful: Shepparton United youth girls clinch historic flag

Shepparton United and Moama faced off in the previous under-18s girls decider, but it was the Mowers that came out on top after a fast start.

However, a resilient, hungry groups of girls from the Skene Street end of Deakin Reserve ensured they weren’t going home without silverware this time around.

Moama gun Chloe Ryan brilliantly snagged a goal on the run in the opening term to hand the Mowers a 1.2 (8) to nil advantage at quarter-time, the opening patch of play all residing in the black and white’s half.

Following the huddle though, the Demons’ Murray Bushrangers stars stood up.

Ashanti Walker sparked a transition leading to the Demons’ first score, before Leila Creevey slotted United’s opening goal.

Jamasyn Bilney put the Demons ahead by more than a kick, the siren ringing out as the ball flew over the painted line, United overtaking Moama at half time, 1.2 (8) to 2.3 (15).

It set up a thrilling second half of action, with a scoring end evident at Moama Recreation Reserve.

But despite the breeze, it was United that stamped scoreboard pressure in the third term.

Jarinda Bamblett converted, while Tabatha Ingham could not be tamed whenever the Sherrin was placed in her hands in the forward half, booting a goal on the run after weaving around Moama defenders inside the arc.

With a minute to play, the Demons had created a buffer of three goals, and looked set to cruise home in the final term, but Moama hadn’t finished as minor premier for no reason.

Following Ingham’s major, Moama’s Eliza Fraser was on the end of a clearance burst from the centre bounce, scoring a timely goal with seconds remaining.

As the clock dwindled to the final 15 seconds before three-quarter-time, the Demons were caught napping again, another clearance towards Fraser seeing the key forward snap around the body as the siren sounded, but the kick curved sharply for a minor score, although United’s 18-point lead was now a gettable 11-point margin.

Shepparton United coach Luke Maskell stated in the lead-up to the decider that nerves cost the girls in 2025.

In 2026, the Demons held them and ground out victory.

Moama had early territory, before congestion amplified in the heat of the final term.

It took until the final minute, but Ingham would boot the sealer, before Moama’s Ryan scored a consolation goal on the siren for a 3.5 (23) to 5.5 (35) full time result.

The mental demons of 2025: avenged; The Demons of 2026: premiers.

Maskell and assistant coach Lissy Down lauded the playing group for their maturity on the big occasion.

“We thought if we could them within a few points in the first quarter, we’d get them across the rest of the match,” Maskell said.

“We gave the girls a little bit of a spray about believing, and they actually came out and did it.”

“At the end of the day, it’s the girls that deliver it, we can’t do much on game days,” Down said.

“They have delivered on everything we asked of them in the last few weeks.

“They deserve this, they worked hard for it.”

Ingham’s two goals saw her awarded the AFL Vic Medal for best-on-ground as voted by the umpires, while Walker walked away with the media’s best-on-ground medal, after every touch she had turned to gold for the red and blue.