Tara Murray
Kyneton threw absolutely everything at Macedon but fell agonisingly short of a second straight Riddell District Football League women’s premiership.
While the Tigers went in as red hot favourites to last year’s decider, they were the underdogs this time round having not beaten the Cats this year.
After a slow start the Tigers worked their way back into the grand final and took the lead in the third quarter.
The Cats then kicked three goals in a row to lead by 13 points with three and half minutes to go.
It was far from game over, with the Tigers kicking the next two goals to reduce the margin to one point.
The Cats were able to hold on and win, 5.8 (38)-6.1 (37).
Tigers coach Phil Hawkes said they thought they had a chance in the final quarter.
“I thought when it was coming into the last quarter, I knew that seemed to be the scoring end and I was confident that we could come over the top and we almost did.
“When we got that 50 metre and we got within the point and still two and a bit minutes to go, I thought we could actually do it.
“But Macedon to their credit they got it out on the far side and they just bottled it up and the minutes went by and they finished up a point in front.”
It was the Cats that got off a flyer but couldn’t convert on the scoreboard, kicking 2.7 for the first quarter.
Hawkes had said in the lead up to the game that he knew his side could come from behind and get back into a game.
“We always believe that we can come back and we did and we levelled it,” he said. “Then they hit the lead and we come back again.
“It was a great game. I think the league would be very happy with this game and this time the tables were turned unfortunately for us.”
Laura Roberts kicked three goals for the Tigers and was really dangerous in the middle two quarters.
Co-captain Teagan Ainslie was awarded the best on ground medal.
Already one of the best players in the competition, Hawkes said she had taken her game to another level this year.
“We had a conversation at the start of the year as we’d lost a couple of key midfielders and we worked out how she wanted to play and how I wanted her to play,” he said.
“She played well and she stepped up and she was the league’s leading clearance getter.
“It worked and good on her, she deserved it.”
Hawkes said the loss would motivate the group with several players and that the belief is there to be there again next year.
Adding to the Tigers confidence is the talent coming through the youth girls side.
Hawkes said they had focused on bringing some of those girls up this year at the right time.
“I’m happy with what is coming through.”
