With more than 1200 players and about 67 teams from eight regions converging in Geelong over the long weekend, the newly badged FV Shepparton sent four delegates of its own in the form of its boy’s under-12 and under-14 sides alongside the girls under-13 and under-15 sides.
And thanks to some penalty shootout magic, the drive back to Shepparton included some hard-earned silverware.
Shepparton’s under-15 squad, competing in a merged 15-16 division, belied their underage status to not only finish third with a 2-1-2 record, but also book a grand final date with FV Greater Bendigo.
With both teams finishing 0-0 at Stead Park, co-captains Lexi Boswell and Elisa Nigro, alongside Lara Marr and Macy Carrafa, shot truly from the spot in the following penalty shootout, while Mae Goodman-Steers’ vital save helped deliver Shepparton the title.
“Mae Goodman-Steers was our keeper for the tournament, and she absolutely kept us in it,” Shepparton coach Sheridan Fairless said.
“She made a penalty save in the shootout and had some unreal moments across the three days.
“We were really strong from defence right through the middle of the park and into attack, and every single one of the girls contributed to our team performance over the weekend.
“It was fantastic to see the girls holding the cup at the end of a long tournament weekend.
“I was super proud not only of their performance on the pitch, but the way they went about representing the region off the pitch as well.”
In another promising herald of the talent coming up through the ranks, the Jimmy Avram and Klodjan Skenderas-coached under-14s also made a strong dash for silverware, book ending an unbeaten group stage with second place in the division.
The under-12 boys helmed by Luke Nardella showed their class in a competitive age bracket, narrowly missing a finals spot despite picking up two wins.
Meanwhile, Kellie Crosier’s under-13 girls enjoyed a strong campaign, making it all the way to a finals showdown against South West, rounding out a successful foray into the Country Championships.
“Kiara Ruijters and Nick Corbo did a power of work pulling our representative program together on very short notice so we could get our local kids down to Geelong and compete,” Fairless said.
“It was a great experience for all of them.”
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