Weekly Advertiser | Rupanyup’s trophy cabinet has a long-awaited addition after the club captured its first-ever Horsham District league A Grade netball premiership in a thrilling grand final on Saturday.

The nail-biting 39-37 victory against a gallant Edenhope-Apsley was the culmination of a three-year journey for the Panthers, who reshaped their A Grade side under coach Georgia Hiscock.

Rupanyup made a surprise elimination final appearance in 2023 before last year coming painfully close to upsetting Laharum in the grand final. Now the Panthers have their prize.

Nothing came easily for Rupanyup in Saturday’s grand final, with a determined Edenhope-Apsley jumping out to an early 8-6 lead. The low-scoring first quarter was indicative of the frenetic defensive pressure applied by both sides.

Panthers Lucy Bussenschutt and Victoria Taylor clamped down on Saint goalies Dee Dee Lambert and coach Lavinia Fox, while at the other end of the court Olivia Spence and Danielle Grindlay made clear entry passes to Rupanyup’s Bianca Drum and Zanaiya Bergen a near impossibility.

Both teams’ midcourts contributed to the defensive frenzy, with Panthers Holly Ross and Ally Hiscock and Saint Hayley Campbell flying around the court to tip passes and track down loose balls. 

Bergen, the league’s leading goal shooter, was kept to only three goals in the first quarter, prompting Hiscock to swap her for 16-year-old Ilze Van Zyl in what would prove a coaching masterstroke. What Van Zyl gave up in height she made up for in agility and shooting range, forcing the Edenhope-Apsley defenders to cover more of the court.

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