MULTIPLE Hampden league open netball premiership player Jacqui Bowman leaves the game neither as a Blue or a Saint but as a champion once again.
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The midcourter, who has played more than 350 games, finished her stellar career with a 12th premiership medallion after Koroit secured back-to-back open netball flags with a 41-32 victory over Cobden on Saturday.
The 39-year-old mother-of-two added the 2018 medal to her collection of victories in 1997, ’99, 2000,’05, ’08-09 with Warrnambool and 2011, ‘14, ‘16 with the Saints.
“It feels unreal,” the three-time league best and fairest (1996, 2000 and 2010) said.
“I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and think about it (her career) just yet.
“But after a few beers tonight I’ll look back and appreciate everything I’ve been able to and lucky enough to do.”
Playing at wing attack in her final game, the former Saints coach was pitted against a wounded 2018 joint league best and fairest winner Sophie Barr in a thrilling contest that went down to the wire in the nine-goal victory.
“I was surprised that I was lining up on her but it was probably a good move for Cobden,” Bowman said.
“It was a really tough tussle and I remember Soph coming up as junior and she has always been a good player and she left it all out there today.”
Outgoing first-year co-coaches Jess O’Connor and Carly Pulling ensured the Saints got the job done in Bowman’s swansong.
“We knew Cobden were going to be really, really tough and we have been happy with how we have been playing the last couple of months,” O’Connor said.
“We just knew we had to play our game, we knew it was going to be tough and physical game, and we just stuck to our style of play and it worked for us in the last quarter.”
Pulling said the emotions were running hot after they secured the tense victory.
“We are pumped it’s a little bit surreal at the minute," Pulling said.
“We (her and O’Connor) just keep looking at each other thinking ‘oh my god did this just happen’ and we are just stoked with everyone.
“Everyone played amazing and it was a really, really tough game.”
Pulling and O’Connor said they weren’t sure if they and a few other players would be playing next year as they made way for incoming coach Stacey O’Sullivan.
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