Dreams do come true
Hard work pays off
GEELONG has travelled a long and winding road to tomorrow night’s SEABL grand final showdown with Bendigo.
And it’s a journey that started back in 2010.
Geelong had won the Big V State Championship women’s title and there had been a push for every SEABL club to field a women’s team in 2011.
The Geelong Supercats had been a force in men’s SEABL for more than a decade, and it was only natural Geelong’s Big V side made the leap to SEABL.
It was a big step, but inaugural coach Paul O’Brien said the core was there — in the form of Kylie Morrissy, Candice Rogers and Anna Teague.
“Those three players, they were very integral to the success of that team,” O’Brien reflected.
“We knew that what would be required, if this team was ever competitive, it needed to be built from the inside out but also professional standards from day one.
“Then we recruited two very, very talented young juniors in Cortney Williamson and Alex Sheedy.”
The five were complemented by star import Deanna Smith, who was to win the side’s most valuable player award that year, and they were off and running.
They finished ninth in that first season, missing finals.
Morrissy, the side’s first captain, said the rise from there was quicker than she expected.
“I don’t think anyone could have foreseen such a successful first seven years for the club and for the women’s program,” she said. “We kept a core group of Geelong girls together, which was really good moving into 2011 and 2012 seasons. We added in a couple of imports for the 2011 season; we were on the right track to be competitive.”
O’Brien, however, was more optimistic, and with the addition of import Abby Schrader, the side eventually reached the conference final.
“I think that second year we probably got to the SEABL conference final a year before we should have,” he said.
“We were probably still a little bit inexperienced at what was going to happen.”
Rogers, who won back-toback MVPs in 2012 and 2013, said that was when the Supercats believed they belonged at the level.
“We’ve always been knocking on the door,” she said.
“The first year we went in there, I don’t think the expectation was on us to play finals. But after that, I think everyone started getting the belief.”
After the 2012 season O’Brien pulled off two coups that would set up last weekend’s conference final victory. He identified Dandenong star Sara Blicavs as a potential recruit as well as Albury jet Alex Duck.
“We wanted to bring someone in we thought could have a long-term impact for the club and Sara certainly has,” O’Brien said.
“She’s been a tremendous asset, and Alex Duck’s contribution should never be doubted — they have given great service. And I think that’s a real testament to the culture of Geelong.”
Rogers said: “Once you get a player of Sara’s calibre in, you start getting other players come in as well.”
O’Brien’s term ended early in 2014, but the foundation had well and truly been set for long term success.
With a strong batch of juniors coming through, it was only a matter of time before the Supercats achieved the ultimate.
“One thing I reflected on was, my first two years the rookie was Ebony Rolph,” Morrissy said.
“Now to see her the pivotal point in that team, I think is an excellent display of the path way of what we’ve seen over the seven years.
“Watching Ebony Rolph go from a junior as a development player to now being one of the key players in the championship berth (has been pleasing).”
Rogers said her former teammates should feel proud of what the Lady Supercats had been able to achieve.
“You have that feeling after you’ve retired where you go, ‘It would have been nice to still be a part of that’,” she said.
“But we were a part of building the prog program, building it to whereere it is no now.
“Players like Anna Teague, Cortney Williamson, Kylie Morrissy, Jess Watson and all those players that stepped up in those first couple of years to make this team possible.
“I’m so proud of the girls and what they did on the weekend. Even though I wasn’t playing, I think past players should feel proud that they’ve helped d to build it to that point.”