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TORQUAY produced a stunning last quarter, overpowering Modewarre to take the Bellarine Football Netball League A Dow Grade Cup in a thrilling match at Kardina Park yesterday.
The two sides, which clashed in the season's curtain-raiser, fought it out in the final match of the year in front of vocal and passionate supporters.
Torquay coach Courtney Cuolahan led by example with a Player of the Match performance but conceded the sweetest victory was always the one you shared with the team.
"I'm just so happy for the club, for the town. I think that premiership was for so many people who put in the hard yards when they were struggling and now this year we reaped the rewards," Cuolahan said.
After each winning one game during their home and away clashes it was an unpredictable result and both proved why they were the two sides left standing with score tied at three-quarter time.
After some inspirational words, Torquay found the drive to push the margin out to 12 goals, something Cuolahan said she always believed the team was capable of.
"I knew we could do it. Probably throughout the game we were never at our best and then in the last bit we really found our best and it was such a good time to do it," she said.
"We knew we could do it as a group. I just said 'find something, this is where we do it for each other and everyone contest, stick to our team structures' and they did that. It was great," she said.
Anna Masek played a captain's game when it mattered most and Ginger Brown was influential when the game was tight.
Joanne Warnes stood tall and shot accurately under the ring, all adapted to the changes made and Emma Harty settled into the high-pressure game effortlessly. First time coach of the side, Cuolahan said everything fell into place at the right time.
"We came together at the right end of the season. Certainly throughout the year it was me getting to know them as players as well so line-ups were changed throughout the year but then we started really settling probably in the last six rounds and I think that really helped and everyone just played their team game today. Everyone was individual but for the team so it was great," she said.
Modewarre coach Jackie Riddle couldn't hide her disappointment but credited Torquay for their fantastic win.
"The game changed leads multiple times. I was really proud that the girls kept coming back and at the end of the day in the last quarter," Riddle said.
"Torquay got momentum and we just couldn't get it back and they deserve the win because they came out harder in the end.
"It's about desire and those girls at the end of the day, they didn't have any weakness in that last quarter when it counted and I guess we ran out of steam perhaps."
