KOROIT veteran Kate Dobson’s career is 300 games long and chock full of memories from countless wins and losses.
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But the Saints co-coach was at a loss to recall a game as intense as Saturday’s Hampden league A grade grand final overtime thriller.
The Saints held off a gallant Hamilton Kangaroos to win a memorable decider 50-49 in front of a large crowd at Reid Oval.
The see-sawing contest was a grand final epic and a game destined for league folklore status.
Scores were tied at 40-all at the end of regular time after Kangaroos goal shooter Kelsey Lewis drained a long bomb with 15 seconds to play.
They’d fought their way back from 10 goals down in the third term to take the game to 14 minutes of extra time.
Koroit, desperate to atone for its 2013 grand final shock loss to North Warrnambool Eagles, was one goal up, thanks to a Carley Thomas sealer, when the overtime whistle went.
But the result could have gone either way, such was the evenness of the titanic battle.
“We provided very well for the crowd today,” Dobson said.
“I am actually a bit lost for words. I have been in this situation a few times actually but I am like ‘did that just happen?’ because it was just so close.
“That 14 minutes of that overtime (felt like it) went for three seconds.
“It felt way shorter than an average quarter.”
Dobson, celebrating her 300th A grade game, said the triumph was “amazing”.
“It was sheer excitement and relief actually,” she said of her reaction.
“My dad came up to me and said ‘did you script that?’. I am just so happy for the girls.
“Hamilton are awesome and they’ve done an amazing job but we believe, and you should believe, that we’re the best team out there.
“I know how hard each and every one of them have worked so they’re so deserving.”
Dobson said the Saints, whose only blemish for the season was a draw against Port Fairy in round 10, were determined to make amends for their 2013 grand final loss.
She said Saturday’s emotional victory helped ease the pain.
“It really, really hurt us last year; it dug really deep. This is the best medicine for it,” she said.
Hamilton Kangaroos coach Sara Byrne took her side from wooden spooners in 2013 to within a goal of a flag in the space of 12 months.
The respect she had for her team far outweighed any frustrations of getting so close.
“The tears certainly weren’t for disappointment; I am just so proud of my girls,” Byrne said. “I could not be more pleased with the effort they put in and the way that they fought back. For me they could have dropped their heads and really been creamed but they didn’t. They kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”
Byrne lamented the Roos’ slow start — the Saints led 16-9 at quarter-time — but said their determination to fight back was one of their best qualities.
She said both sides had their chances in extra time.
“We made a few mistakes but hey, so did Koroit and we had our opportunities, but I am not going to harp on about anything like that,” Byrne said.
“What they’ve achieved this year has been unbelievable.”
Carley Thomas shot 14 of Koroit’s 16 goals in the opening term as the Saints rattled the nervous Roos.
Koroit got to as much as eight goals up in the second term before Hamilton Kangaroos worked their way into the contest.
A Kelsey Lewis shot bridged the gap to three goals before Thomas strung three together, including one after the whistle, to put the Saints up 25-19 at half-time.
Koroit was in control early in the third term and extended its lead to 10 goals.
But Hamilton Kangaroos’ resolve came to the fore and they rattled off the next seven, with attacking duo Clare Crawford and Kelsey Lewis combining well, to get to within three.
Koroit pushed out to a seven-goal lead again late in the term.
Hamilton Kangaroos wrested the advantage in the fourth as Koroit’s goal duo Thomas and Rachel Dobson got the yips.
Crawford got the Roos back to within two before Dobson missed twice and Thomas, who was accurate early, followed suit.
Thomas broke the Saints’ scoring drought seven minutes into the term.
With the Roos’ defence on top, they bounded back and tied scores at 37-all with five minutes to play. Crawford put the grand final debutant in front for the first time with four minutes remaining.
Thomas responded before Rachel Dobson then scored her first and only goal of the term to give the Saints the lead again.
Koroit got two goals up and appeared home.
But the Roos came again.
Kelsey Lewis scored two goals, including a long bomb gem, to tie the scores.
Koroit took the next centre pass but an overzealous long pass was too hot for Thomas to handle, going out of bounds and sending the game into overtime.
The Saints brought Teagan Lang back on for overtime, replacing Rachel Dobson whose shooting confidence ebbed in the fourth term after a promising third quarter.
Lang had an impact at goal shooter.
Koroit got two goals up twice before Crawford and Kelsey Lewis, whose sister Rhianne had the task on Thomas, brought the Roos’ fans to their feet and tied the contest at 43-all.
Lang ensured the Saints took a two-goal buffer into the second half of the 14-minute overtime period.
Koroit, as was the case a handful of times, looked in control when it got three goals up.
But again the Roos surged.
They were one goal in arrears when Saints goal defence Holly Greene went down with an ankle injury with 86 seconds left on the clock.
Crawford responded when play resumed to tie the game.
Then Thomas, so often the Saints’ match-winner, sunk the winner, sinking the Saints’ 2013 demons in the process.
justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au