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Broadford Roos a success despite grand final defeats

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By Colin MacGillivray

While the Outer East division two A and B Grade netball premiership cups might not have Broadford’s name etched on them this year, the Roos are still winners in the eyes of all associated with the club.

Broadford’s season of success on the netball court ended without a premiership, with the A Grade team losing 34-49 to Warburton-Millgrove and B Grade succumbing to Powelltown 31-39 on Sunday, but offered plenty of hope for the future.

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Amanda Rothwell, an A Grade player and B Grade coach, said the fact that all four Broadford netball sides reached preliminary finals in 2022 was a sign of impending success.

She said she was proud of the way the A and B Grade sides fought against their opponents.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t our day, but that’s what can happen when you come up against two teams that were undefeated. They were the best in the comp all season for a reason,” she said.

“All we wanted to do was make each other proud, make the town proud and work for one another.”

Rothwell, who was named in the A Grade team of the year alongside Broadford centre Ally Black at the league awards night last week, said the grand final was hard-fought from the start.

“It was tight in the first quarter and it was a very physical game all the way through,” she said.

“Unfortunately in the last quarter [the score] blew out a little bit, but I don’t feel like that represented the whole game.”

With Ash Chapman named an assistant coach in the league’s A Grade team of the year, Natalie Fletcher finishing runner-up in the B Grade best and fairest count, and 17 and under players Leah O’Dell, Leah Toomey and Cassie Zolnierczyk finishing as best and fairest, runner-up and leading goal scorer respectively, Rothwell said the Roos had talent across the board.

“We’re so proud of our 17 and unders, because at the end of the day they are the future of the club,” she said.

“For them to have such a good season and for them to be recognised on that level is so important for us and our future growth.”

Rothwell, who is Broadford’s secretary in addition to her roles as player and coach, said the club was focused on continuing to grow the success of its netball program while returning to a standalone football team in 2023 after combining with Yea this year.

“In the football we had our captain Liam Lucas in the team of the year, as well as equal runner-up in the best and fairest, and through our amalgamation with Yea we also had Ben Wilsmore in the team of the year,” she said.

“As a secretary, player and a coach, I’m so proud of the club and how far we’ve come this year.

“Obviously we have faced our challenges in the football department, but we were able to work through that and find a great solution with Yea, [and] we were really proud of our netballers to all make prelim finals.

“Watch out for next year, because we’re going to be coming strong.”

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