Ammos ready to face hoodoo
GEELONG Amateur booked a sixth-straight grand final berth with a stirring 12-goal win over Torquay.
Ammos caused a boilover in Saturday’s second semifinal, blowing the Tigers out of the water early to record a 40-28 win at Portarlington Recreation Reserve.
They also believe they have the mental toughness to navigate and overcome their grand final hoodoo, having lost their past three deciders.
“We’re thrilled, we’re so happy to go straight through to the grand final,” Geelong Amateur coach Carly Post said. “Having a few older bodies in the team, we’re pretty happy to have the week off.”
Ammos got off to a flyer in the first term, opening up a six-goal lead at the first change.
The margin was extended to nine by the half and stretched to 14 during the third quarter before the Tigers wrestled back the momentum.
With playing coach Courtney Cuolahan moving herself from wing attack to goal attack, Torquay found its groove and closed within five goals.
But Ammos steadied, nudging the margin back out Torquay 28 v Geelong Amateur 40 to eight goals at three-quarter time before running out comfortable winners as Breda O’Kane (28 goals), Alison Matheson and Keisha Guilmartin led the strong team performance.
“It’s really hard (to gauge) if we’re better equipped (to go one better),” Post said.
“We won our first premiership undefeated and then we backed up the next season but lost the next three. MODEWARRE is one victory away from the grand final after a gritty win over Ocean Grove.
The Warriors fought back from a first-quarter deficit to secure an eight-goal win over the plucky Grubbers in yesterday’s first semi-final.
“It was hard-fought,” Modewarre coach Damien Stephenson said.
“And we knew they were going to come. It’s finals and you’re never going to get a break, so for us it was about believing that we could get the job done and sticking to the game plan.
“If you do that for long enough the result goes your way and that’s what happened today.
“The benefit for us is we’ve got a lot of versatility and we can make changes and it doesn’t impact what’s happening on the court too much and that really played into our favour.”
Stephenson lauded the resolve of his side, who held firm despite a host of attacking thrusts from the Grubbers when the game was on the line. The Warriors will now meet the Tigers in Saturday’s preliminary final, with the winner to play Geelong Amateur in the grand final.