The Saints stunned top team Hamilton Kangaroos with a blistering opening quarter, slotting through 3.2 to nil at Melville Oval.

The Kangaroos steadied after that and outscored the Saints the next three terms, but could not drag back the deficit as Horsham went on to win 5.3 (33) to 3.0 (18).

Coach Mathew Taylor said he told his charges they “only had to worry about the first quarter” heading into the clash to start them on a strong note, and the girls delivered.

He lauded the efforts of best afield Coco Ledger, as well as ruckwoman Rene Caris and Tessa Marra.

Hamilton Kangaroos coach Brandon Weatherson said he was pleased with the fight his team showed.

“Our girls are pretty resilient,” he said. “It was a lit bit of a shock at quarter-time to find ourselves in that position. It was a position we hadn’t been in before.

“I think early we struggled with Horsham’s tackling pressure, but then through the game we warmed to it.”

Weatherson was thrilled to see how the female football juggernaut had caught on across the south-west this year. “It’s here to stay in Hamilton,” he said.

In other results, Portland pulled away in the second half to win its third-versus-fourth grand final against South Warrnambool 7.5 (47) to 1.3 (9).

Tigers coach Tony Jackson lauded his young charges’ efforts seeing off the Roosters’ challenge.

“They did play pretty well, although South has improved too and bundled us up a bit through the middle,” he said.

“(The Portland players) were first to the ball on most occasions and our tackling has always been good when we haven’t got the ball.”

Bethany Bates was judged best afield, leading the way in defence for the Tigers.

“She’s gotten better every game,” Jackson said.

Jackson also praised the efforts of full-back Sidney Dent and captain Tia Haines, the latter of whom he lauded as “in the top three for inspiration and leadership” in all the teams he’s coached over the years.

Roosters coach Alicia Drew was proud of the improvement her charges made over the course of the seven-week season.

“It was probably one of the best games we’ve played for the season,” she said. “The girls were just so hard at it.

“I just challenged the girls to make Portland really earn it: if they were going to win, they’d have to really earn it.”

Warrnambool defeated Old Collegians 2.2 (14) to 1.3 (9) in the seventh-versus-eighth final, while Horsham Demons accounted for Stawell 9.5 (59) to 3.9 (27) in the fifth-versus-sixth decider.