In a clash that twisted, turned and, ultimately, erupted into one of the day’s most compelling storylines, the GVL’s rising stars snatched victory from what had looked like a sure defeat: a 52-50 triumph carved from resilience.
This wasn’t just a win. It was a heist.
For almost the whole game, the narrative leaned O&M as the host started slick, structured and, seemingly, a step ahead.
Picking up the ball out wide on the gain and slinging it back into the arc, black and yellow bodies were seemingly everywhere as midcourter Rhani Hendy tried her best to stop the flow.
Make no mistake, the GVL was hot on the host’s heels as Byrne popped them through every minute — but despite staying close, the girls in purple were a step behind throughout the first 25 minutes.
Hendy whacked on the centre bib, allowing Ava Pell to bomb up the wing and increase the frequency of feed into Byrne, who levelled the game up moments before the half.
The GVL stole a lead at the break, but the O&M started harder and faster, seeing only one or two goals separate the sides for the duration of quarter before the host punished it for not building on an earlier lead.
Down by four goals with one term to play, it looked like the GVL’s luck had run dry.
But then something shifted.
Bit by bit, goal by goal, the GVL began chipping away at the deficit as the purple wave began to crest, seeing intensity — and the travelling supporters’ voices — rise elementally.
Suddenly, the court felt different. Suddenly, so did the GVL.
And if Hendy lit the spark, Byrne brought the fire.
She made pressure her playground in the dying minutes, killing the deficit dead before Jinaya Nurse gave the GVL its go ahead goal.
One more followed, then the siren, the scoreboard reading 52-50 — a result wrestled, not handed.
It was the kind of win that lingers in minds of those watching and one who sure won’t forget any time soon is coach Matt Healey.
“I spoke to the girls before the game about simplicity today, executing the things that we wanted to execute as well as we possibly could, and to be the higher intensity team for the whole game,” he said.
“I think that they were able to execute that today against a really, really good team.
“There was no gap in terms of the intensity between the two teams, but we were able to stay where we wanted to be, be in the game when it mattered, and be able to sneak over the top at the end.”
Healey said after a jittery end to the third term, his final address centred around lifting the levels and not rushing the ball.
It clearly worked.
Hendy was named best-on-court, while Byrne was a close runner-up in Healey’s eyes, yet there was another Echuca player who stole his admiration on the day.
“Kate Head — she played at both ends, and when there was something not working, I throw her out there and she just does the job,” he said.
“She's as good as any player in any position on the court, so whenever there's a weakness or a combination that's not working, I'm able to just throw Kate out there —center, goal keeper, goal shooter, goal attack, defence — it doesn't matter.
“To have that is a real luxury, and I thought she executed all of those roles today for us for sure.”
