The Inverell Saints are celebrating the sweet taste of victory after winning the Juniors and the inaugural Womens Premierships following the AFL North West Grand Finals held in Gunnedah on Saturday.
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The Saints juniors whitewashed the Moree Suns while the women triumphed over their Tamworth Kangaroos counterparts.
Juniors
A ten-goal effort from Lachlan Martin has spearheaded his teams emphatic win over the Moree Suns. Martin looked dangerous all day and his high flying mark in the goal square during the second term was one of the highlights of the day.
Jack Stafford's dominance in the centre saw him awarded the Best On Ground medal in the Grand Final. Cam Spark-Gaukroger was electric during the first half and set up numerous forays forward while Marli Gobbert displayed a workman like effort around the ground.
Coach Alan Martin was thrilled and relieved with the win following last year's Grand Final disappointment where his side lost after the siren to the Moree Suns. "It was what they had trained for all year," Martin said of his players. "They played as a united team and continually worked together. They did the hard stuff, the one percenters and put pressure on the opposition all over the ground."
The emphatic 80 point win on the weekend is the Club's second Juniors premiership since 2006.
Inverell Saints 6.9-45; 9.10-64; 13.14-92; 19.14-128 Moree Suns 1.1-7; 3.3-21; 5.3-33; 7.6-48 Goal Kickers: L. Martin 10, M. Gobbert 2, X. Gobbert 2, D. Whitton, W. McLachlan, C. Sparke-Gaukroger, W. Mozzell, J. Stafford
Womens
The Inverell Saints claimed the inaugural AFL North West Womens title after downing the Tamworth Kangaroos. Both teams were keen from the outset but the Saints proved to be more determined as they built a steady lead throughout the game.
Kyla Hamilton once again starred for the Saints booting five goals and was a livewire in the forward line. Alana Hanson and Georgia Strang enforced their physical presence around the ground while Tara Afford and Claire McCosker held their own in the backline.
Alana Hanson was named Best on Ground in the Grand Final. Coach Dick Gleeson, who had earlier given the girls one of the best motivational speeches at three quarter time, was full of praise for his girls. "They were challenged again and again but they stood firm and held their structure. They did the team things and worked really hard." Gleeson said.
Tamworth Kangaroos 1.1-7; 1.1-7; 2.6-18; 2.8-20 Inverell Saints 1.0-6; 5.0-30; 8.0-48; 8.0-48 Goal Kickers: K. Hamilton 5, G. Strang, E. Ford, A. Hanson
