Shepparton has broken through for its first A-grade netball premiership and it did it in the most emphatic way possible.
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An undefeated season capped by a 62-41 demolition of Euroa in Sunday’s grand final at Deakin Reserve.
For months the Bears had been the benchmark, their defensive wall the tightest in the competition and their shooting combination the most reliable.
They carried a perfect 17-0-1 record into the decider and, while Euroa had been the only side to push them to the brink in recent weeks, there was never any doubt when the season was on the line.
The Bears didn’t just win a premiership; they dominated season 2025.
The contest began with a hint of tension, Euroa’s star shooter Olivia Morris missing her first attempts before settling and Shepparton’s Kim Borger asserting herself at the other end.
By quarter-time the margin was just one goal, but the Bears had already begun to show the composure and clinical edge that defined their season.
Then they broke the game open.
A ferocious second quarter from Shepparton’s midcourt and defenders strangled Euroa’s transition and Borger and Sophie Harmer punished the turnovers without hesitation.
The Bears piled on 19 goals to six in a devastating second-quarter burst that left the Magpies shell-shocked and the scoreboard reading 31-17 at the main break.
From there it was all about control.
Euroa fought hard, but its usual matchwinners couldn’t find their rhythm.
Harmer thrived on the space given to her, nailing long-range shots that deflated the Euroa defence, while Borger was unstoppable under the post, finishing with 47 goals in a best-on-court calibre display.
The umpires’ medal went to Harmer, though few would have argued if Borger’s name had been called instead.
The Bears never let the Magpies back into the contest.
Every Euroa surge was met with a composed reply, every period of pressure absorbed and turned into momentum of their own.
By three-quarter time the gap had stretched to 17 goals, the Shepparton bench sensing history was just minutes away.
The final whistle only confirmed what had felt inevitable: the Bears were premiers at last.
For Borger, who has been the league’s second most dominant shooter this year, the moment was years in the making.
“It’s pretty amazing, actually — it’s our first one ever for Shepp Bears,” she said.
“It’s been a long time in the making.
“Sophie (Harmer) and I have been working tirelessly to nail our craft, putting up shots every day this week.
“Some days it just comes out of the hand really nicely — today was one of those days.”
Her words reflected not just a grand final performance, but the culture that carried Shepparton to perfection.
The Bears’ fitness, discipline and trust in one another were evident all season and, when the biggest game arrived, they showed no signs of faltering.
“I think for us, it was just sticking to our game plan and really grinding it out, knowing that we were going to be the fittest, the strongest, the fastest out there today,” Borger said.
Euroa, last year’s premier, was gallant, but outclassed.
Morris had her moments and Mia Sudomerski battled hard, but too many turnovers and too little support around the circle doomed their hopes of going back-to-back.
Their frustration boiled over at times, the noise of their supporters matching the physicality of the contest, but Shepparton was simply too polished, too ruthless and too hungry to be denied.
As captain Hannah Crawley lifted the trophy and Harmer clutched her best-on-court medal, the scale of the achievement began to sink in.
An undefeated season, capped by the most dominant performance of all.
For the first time, Shepparton is the A-grade netball premier and the way it did it suggests it may not be the last.