Shepparton United claimed the 2025 GMWGL senior women’s premiership.
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JORDAN TOWNROW
It’s been a long time coming, but Shepparton United is premier in the Goulburn Murray Women’s and Girls League.
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On Sunday, the grand finals took place, with the senior women’s fixture a tantalising prospect.
The Demons and Echuca finished the season with equal records of 11-1, with each club recording its sole loss to one another in the home and away season.
While the Murray Bombers claimed the latest scalp a fortnight ago, last year’s grand final between the two sides went down to the wire, presenting a deciding affair that was anyone’s to take.
Echuca looked to pounce immediately on the Demons, who had to overcome a slow start in last week’s semi-final, but their opening minute shot on goal at Moama Recreation Reserve registered a behind.
Shepparton United quickly tightened up defensively and with desperate efforts and high-intensity pressure dominating the play, neither side could break the goalless deadlock for the next 10-minute period.
Echuca would relent first though, as a patch of corralling pressure opened the door for Demon Charlotte Artavilla-Bennett to snag the game’s first major.
The Demons tormented the Murray Bombers’ vulnerable defence with another goal soon after thanks to a soccer off the deck by Jessica Allen, giving Shepparton United a 13-1 lead at the first break.
The next period was scintillating Demons football at its best.
The league’s leading goal-kicker Paige Baksh clunked a contested grab inside 50 and converted to rub salt in the wounds of her former side, before another inside 50 slipped through the cracks.
Echuca’s resolve seen all season long came to the fore midway through the second term as Olivia Dewar slotted the Sherrin from close range to draw the margin back to a gettable target.
It appeared the 19-point deficit would remain at the long break, but Baksh pounced with 12 seconds to play in the quarter to undo Echuca’s hard work, with the half-time scores sitting at 5.2 (32) to 1.1 (7).
Shepparton United coach Grant Searle was rapt with the Demons’ first half display as it placed the club firmly in the box seat.
“We wanted them to chase us, we didn't want to have to chase them,” Searle said.
“We wanted to sort of stamp our authority on the game early, we had a few plans in place to do that, and I thought we executed it pretty bloody well.”
The Demons continued their run of momentum into the third term by nailing the first goal of the period, before Echuca began to pluck away at the deficit.
Finding a patch of control, the Murray Bombers scored the next two goals, but with a three-goal buffer still in front of them, Kate Dixon’s women were tasked with an almighty uphill battle in the last.
Dixon provided a timely coach’s goal that reduced Shepparton United’s lead to 11 in the last, but unconverted inside 50 opportunities and a further behind saw any chance of a comeback begin to slip from Echuca’s grasp.
As the Murray Bombers rued their missed chances, a transition play from the Demons saw Payten Johnson slip ahead at full-forward and punt through the sealing goal to deliver Shepparton United’s maiden premiership, 7.2 (44) to 4.4 (28).
The silverware has been a long time coming for Searle and avenges last year’s heartbreak to the same opposition.
“(I'm) relieved. It's been a long time,” he said.
“I've been involved in girls and women's football at Shepp United since 2016-17.
“We've lost two grand finals by a point, one in youth girls and one last year, so relieved to finally get the runs on the board and the win is magnificent.”
United’s Molly Kennedy won best-on-ground for her impact through the midfield.
“What doesn't she add to the team?” Searle said.
“She's sensational, she goes about her job.
“I've coached Molly since we started in youth girls back 2016-17, and she loves her netball, but she's a sensational footballer and just having her in the side has just been sensational.”
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