Manor Lakes has defied the odds to move straight through to the Victorian Women’s Football League north-west division grand final.
The Storm held on for a one-point win in a gripping semi-final against previously undefeated Melton Centrals at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
Storm coach Andrew Richards told Star Weekly his side had peaked at just the right time.
“We’ve been beaten twice by them during the year,” he said.
“We realised that we had a chance to go straight through, have a rest and re-group for the grand final, so we really dug deep in the last quarter and held on.”
The Storm will feature in its first grand final in club history in just its third season. The side has come a long way since winning a single game in its inaugural year of 2014.
“Most of the girls I’ve had in the team for three years, so it’s been a bit of a progression for them and they’re really starting to hit their straps,” Richards said.
The semi-final was a closely fought game all day with never more than a kick in it at any of the changes.
When the questions were asked of the Storm, the players responded with some of their best football of the year.
Amanda Masterson had a game to remember, kicking four of the Storm’s five goals in a low-scoring game.
“It was a great individual effort,” Richards said.
“I played her in the backline in the first half of the year and she actually starred.
“Then I had a word with her in the middle of the season and she said she could play in the forward line as well … she’s kicked about 20 goals in five games.”
The Storm will have a week’s rest before the grand final, in which it will play the winner out of Melton Centrals and Shepparton.
