IT took 16 years for Nicole Dwyer to return to the grand final stage, but the wait was worth it when Port Fairy claimed its first top-grade flag on Saturday.
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The popular midcourter, a veteran of more than 300 games, was finally able to add ‘premiership player’ to her credentials following the Seagulls’ thrilling 58-53 extra time win over Camperdown.
“(It’s been) 16 years since I played here in a grand final and (I’m) finally back here and got the reward for the wait,” she said.
“I don’t know what I feel at the moment; it’s just a surreal feeling.
“I couldn’t actually hear it (the buzzer), the crowd was that loud. Everyone started jumping on each other, so I thought, ‘Well it is the end’, and I knew we were in front.”
The Magpies had defeated the Seagulls in their first three encounters of 2016, but the team from Gardens Oval finally got one back on the big stage in a relentlessly tough and skillful game.
Port Fairy leapt out of the blocks in three of the four regular quarters, building early leads before Camperdown fought its way into the contest.
Scores were level on 10 at quarter-time, while Camperdown led by a goal at half-time and Port Fairy by a goal at three-quarter time.
The Magpies started the better in the last, building to a two-goal lead, and they held a two-to-three goal buffer for most of the term, before Port Fairy fought back to level the scores.
Camperdown was driving the ball into the goal circle when the final buzzer sounded with scores locked on 46 apiece. Port Fairy worked to a goal in front by the end of the first extra period, and extended its lead to five goals in the second to post its breakthrough win.
Seagulls coach Megan Titmus – who was also involved with Terang’s and Warrnambool and District club Panmure’s maiden flags – lauded her team’s efforts in finally overcoming their 2016 nemesis.
“We’ve always tried to beat them throughout the year and left it to the last minute, I guess,” she laughed.
“I was just trying to be calm and settled for the girls because they just needed the belief. That’s all they’ve needed all year. They’ve had the potential to do it, they just needed the belief.”
Titmus praised best-on-court Carly Watson, whom she said had “grown in leaps and bounds” this season, but credited a whole-team effort for the win.
Emily Forrest worked hard in goal attack and moved well, finishing with 28 goals, while goal shooter Carley Thomas shot 30.