Underdog Olinda-Ferny Creek has taken the Outer East Football Netball League netball crown with a Grand Final victory in extraordinary circumstances at Gembrook.
In what many believe is the best game of netball since the League adopted the sport in 2005 OFC and top team Narre Warren were locked together at 36 all at the end of regular time.
They then went goal for goal in Extra Time as torrential rain fell and when the buzzer sounded it was the women in red and white who prevailed 44-43.
During the season OFC and Narre Warren clashed three times with Narre, led by former Australian player Erin Bell, winning comfortably on each occasion.
However Olinda-Ferny Creek has an amazing history in the top grade of the competition winning every grand final since 2016 and taking home the Minor Premiership when there were no finals in 2021. The women in red and white had a crown, and a reputation to defend.
In the first quarter OFC made it clear they had come play and at times held a three goal lead.
OFC captain Krista Carpenter, a local schoolteacher, read the game like a Year One book and set up numerous scoring opportunities for Goal Shooter Hayley Howard and Goal Attack Taylah Werner.
Two other mid court veterans, Madeleine Guz and Alice Paget were almost faultless with their ball movement and loaded up the pressure on the Narre “mids”.
Narre Warren went to work in the second quarter and at times had their noses in front.
The top team looked to set-up a premiership victory in the third term with relentless attacks which OFC defenders Brodie Smith and Bronwyn Simpson worked overtime to stop being converted into goals.
It was more of the same in the last quarter but the OFC veterans, some of whom had played in the Club’s first flag way back in 2015, refused to buckle.
Incredibly, with the scores locked together on 36 all and three seconds left on the clock, Erin Bell missed a goal in wet and blustery conditions sending the game into overtime.
It was then that the heavens opened up and the rain bucketed down drenching players and hundreds of supporters.
OFC and Narre once more went toe to toe with Howard and Werner repeatedly scoring clutch goals to keep the red and white in the match. When the final buzzer sounded it was the veteran team which prevailed by the most slender of margins. It was certainly a win for the ages.
Fittingly it was Krista Carpenter who was named Player of the Match.
OFC President Michael Hill said post- match “ we are so incredibly proud of this group of women, they have been the benchmark for Outer Eastern netball for the best part of a decade”.
Hill said the final series had again underlined the incredible depth of talent at Olinda-Ferny Creek “eight of our nine teams played finals and our Women’s Football side made the Preliminary Final in the top division in just its second season. But the netball win is absolutely the icing on the cake.”
OFC Players Win Awards
Meantime Olinda-Ferny Creek players were prominent at the recent Outer East League end of season awards.
James Royle-Young won the Best and Fairest Medal in Premier Division Reserves while Melanie Thomas took home the top award in Premier Division C Grade.
Another netballer, Hayley Howard, led the League scoring in the elite division- Premier A Grade.
Hayley, along with Krista Carpenter, made the Team of the Year.
In a fitting recognition for a team which finished fourth in the top division OFC ‘s Matt Scharenberg, Lachlan Taylor and skipper Kelsie Currey were selected in the football team of the year.
Olinda-Ferny Creek’s exciting young Women’s Football side also did well. Simon Gilson was named coach of the Team of the Year and four of his players won gongs in the side- captain Maddy Collins, Grace Belloni , Casey Seymour and Chelsea Wilson.
OFC’s Women’s Team was also the “Best Conducted Club”.
Season Finale
To cap off a marvellous season for OFC a number of club members have been invited to the MCG this Friday morning where they’ll be a part of the Channel Seven Grand Final build-up while one of the Club’s AusKick children will present a Premiership Medallion on Grand Final day.
