Hills Solicitors put three years of grand final heartache behind them to finally claim their maiden Maitland A-grade major premiership.
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The four-time defending minor premiers had been close before, only a collective four goals separating them from victory on the last Saturday of the season since 2011, but this year it was their turn to taste grand final glory.
And they did so with a convincing 38-29 win over last year’s champions and main rivals Lantry Plumbing at Maitland Park on Saturday.
The celebratory champagne flowed on court five shortly after the full-time whistle and there was little doubt about the overriding emotion within the jubilant Hills Solicitors camp.
“It’s relief,” triumphant Hills Solicitors skipper Mel Morris said. “It’s absolute relief.”
Hills Solicitors have been the benchmark of the A-grade competition for the past four seasons and have lost just seven games during that period.
Three of those had been grand finals – HVE Transport (2011), Hano’s HVE (2012), Lantry Plumbing (2013) – and many critics wondered if they had what it took to get across the line.
Hills Solicitors answered those questions in emphatic fashion on Saturday afternoon with a nine-goal triumph against the title holders and many familiar faces from previous grabs final defeats.
“Nine goals is a big achievement against that team,” Morris said. “But more than that we’ve been so consistent for the past four years and this win has put it in concrete that we can do it.
“We’ve put in the effort, we’ve kept going, we’ve kept trying and never given up, so to get across the line means the most.”
In the early stages it looked like history was going to repeat itself as Lantry Plumbing opened up a 6-1 lead but Hills Solicitors clawed their way back to trail by just one (9-8) at quarter-time.
The second quarter was just as tight but, after going down by three, Hills Solicitors again fought back and went into the main break narrowly ahead 17-16.
It was the third term, the championship quarter, when Hills Solicitors made their winning move.
Hills Solicitors exploded out of the blocks with goal attack and Mercury Medal recipient Katherine Zohrab shooting six of the first seven goals and the girls in pink and purple won the all-important period 11-4.
“To be down during that first half and then come out and kill it in the third was pretty special,” Morris said.
“It is the championship quarter and that was the difference in the end.”
With a 28-20 lead Hills Solicitors were then able to keep Lantry Plumbing at bay and still managed to out score their opponents by one in the final quarter.
Morris said she was impressed with the way Hills Solicitors stuck to their plans, which included slowing down the speed of the game with long periods of possession.
“I felt like we stuck to our game really well,” she said. “The girls held their composure really well.”
Lantry Plumbing captain Kellyann Grayson said she was disappointed her side couldn’t repeat last year’s thrilling last-minute grand final win, but admitted they were beaten by a better team on the day.
“Unfortunately we just weren’t consistent enough today,” Grayson said.
“We fell asleep in a couple of patches and didn’t really have our best game but they deserved it.
“That third quarter they came out firing, we weren’t ready for that after half-time and we never really recovered.”
Grayson said 16-year-old goal attack Genevieve Lantry was the best in a beaten Rugby Blacks outfit.
2014 - Hills Solicitors 38 def Lantry Plumbing 29
2013 - Lantry Plumbing 41 def Hills Solicitors 40
2012 - Hano’s HVE 40 def Hills Solicitors 38
2011 - HVE Transport 41 def Hills Solicitors 40
2010 - Honeybee 38 def HCS Cartridge Services 32
2009 - Sexton Rugby Blacks 36 def The George Tavern 28
2008 - HVB 41 def HVE Transport 35
2007 - Gel FX 38 drew Belmore Hotel Hunter 38
2006 - Gel FX 46 def Hunter 41
2005 - China Dolls 43 def Gel FX 39
2004 - China Dolls 55 def Gel FX 31