Geelong Advertiser

Sweet redemption

Werribee’s Jacinta Savory is seeking …

- ALEX TIGANI GDFL NETBALL GRAND FINAL

A-GRADE netball powerhouse Werribee Centrals will be hoping to welcome Jacinta Savory to the club’s long list of premiershi­p winners against Thomson on Saturday.

Savory, 20, joined the club from the Melbourne University VNL side at the start of last year and looked to have rejuvenate­d the side ahead of a po- tential fifth straight A-grade title.

However, it wasn’t to be as Thomson stars Shannyn Leach and Errin Lang put an end to their club’s eight-year drought.

“Last year’s game was a blur but I do remember there was so much pressure on everyone going for the five-peat,” Savory admitted. “Now I think the pressure has alleviated because we’ve all worked on all the areas which cost us when it mattered last year.”

Savory took the competitio­n by storm last year when polling 12 of a possible 18 Margaret Webb medal votes in the opening six rounds.

She would then finish eighth in this year’s count with 17 votes before gaining selection in the league’s team of year.

“Thomson are a great team. It will be a great match either way, so I think it’s time for redemption,” she said.

Arguably the match-up of the game will take place between Werribee captain Amanda O’Malley (goal keeper) and Thomson’s Lang.

Lang went one better than last year’s runner-up placing in this year’s Webb medal count to add the coveted award to her premiershi­p (2017), interleagu­e best on court (2016) and leading goal-scorer (2018) accolades.

O’Malley, who finished runner-up this year by a single vote, was recognised as the GDFL’s best interleagu­e representa­tive a few weeks before her 200th game.

“Errin has that shuttle move to the ring that a lot of the goalers in the league can’t emulate, so we admire her when we look at them,” Savory said.

“But ultimately we want this win and perhaps Amanda (O’Malley) can take out the best on court medal to make up for the other week,” she playfully added,

 ?? Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI ?? FOCUSED: Grand final captains Sharryn Leach (Thomson) and Jacinta Savory (Werribee Centrals).
Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI FOCUSED: Grand final captains Sharryn Leach (Thomson) and Jacinta Savory (Werribee Centrals).

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