Back row left to right: Kelsey Loco, Billy Duggan, Jayda Hemara, Belle Whitechurch, Charlotte Gray, Shania McKinnon, Emily Richens, Jeff Sell (co coach), Bridie Sullivan, Krystal Taylor, Beth Loco, Caitlin Blackford, Teresa McKinnon (trainer); Front row left to right: Chelsea Fleming, Josey Hoey, Madi James, Ellie Fisher, Jamila Piercy (captain coach), Charlotte Hardy, Kiarna Mitchell, Angelic Sutherland, Olivia Wark, Clare Smith, Indy Bedford and Ally Murray.
The final whistle echoed across the field, but the sound was almost lost in the roaring jubilation. TheYoung Cherrybombs had done it. They had clinched a historic victory, not just for themselves, but for their entire town. This wasn’t supposed to be their day.
They were the underdogs, finishing fourth in the inaugural season of women’s tackle football. Their opponents, the Estella Storm, were a juggernaut, a team that had lost only once all year and was widely expected to finish their near-perfect season with a championship.
But the Cherrybombs had a different script in mind. They had fought their way through the finals, dismantling the top teams one by one—Gundagai, Southcity, and Junee. Now, with the fate of Group Nine history on the line, they stood ready to face the final boss. The air at Geohex was electric. The crowd, a mix of dedicated fans and curious on lookers, created a cacophony of nervous energy.
The pink and white of the Cherrybombs stood in stark contrast to the dominant black and red of the Storm. The stage was set for a classic David vs. Goliath showdown, and the Cherrybombs, armed with grit and a fierce determination, were ready to make history.
The First Half:
The Calm Before the Storm
The Storm came out swinging, a hurricane of controlled aggression. They dominated possession, pushing the Cherrybombs back with every run, but the Young defence held firm. Jamila Piercy, the team’s captain-coach, watched from the front line, her gaze steady. She had told her team to play calmly, to let the Storm’s frantic energy burn out. And it was working.
Eleven minutes in, the tide turned. A sudden shift in play saw the ball whipped out wide to winger Jayda Gemara. She received it with a burst of speed, her legs a blur as she sprinted down the sideline. The Storm defenders closed in, but Jayda was too fast, diving low to touch down in the corner for the first try.
The crowd—a sea of pink and white from Young—erupted. The conversion from Kiarna Mitchell was just wide, but the message was sent. It was 4-0, and the Cherrybombs had drawn first blood.
The momentum was theirs. They forced a mistake, gaining valuable territory, and just a few plays later, it was Shania McKinnon who saw an opening.
She faked a pass, stepped inside, and broke through the defence with an almost effortless grace, crossing the line out wide. This time, Kiarna’s kick sailed through the uprights. A collective gasp went through the crowd; the underdog had a 10-0 lead.
The Storm fought back, but their frustration was palpable. A penalty against them gave the Cherrybombs yet another opportunity, and this time, it was Beth Loco who seized it. She took a quick tap and charged for the line, a force of nature. Two Storm players tried to hold her up, but she powered through, planting the ball for her team’s third try. Kiarna’s conversion was perfect, and as the halftime siren blared, the score-board read a stunning 16-0.
The Cherrybombs went into the locker room, exhausted but exhilarated. They had done everything right.
The Second Half:
Holding the Line
As the second half began, a different Estella Storm team emerged from the tunnel. They were a force of nature, driven by the determination to right the wrongs of the first half. They dominated possession, their attack relentless, a storm of black and red battering against the Young defensive line.
The Cherrybombs were pushed to their limits, every tackle a struggle, every yard a victory. With twenty minutes to go, the Storm’s star player, Holly Williams, finally found a seam. She burst through the line, her speed unmatched, and scored a magnificent try under the posts. The conversion was good, and the gap narrowed to 16-6.
A new wave of anxiety washed over the Young faithful. The Storm’s comeback was in full swing. Nine minutes later, another brilliant run from Williams opened up the defence, and she offloaded to Dana Seward, who powered over for another try. The conversion was missed, but it didn’t matter. The score was 16-10, and the momentum was entirely in Estella’s favour.
The Cherrybombs, who had been untouchable in the first half, were now fighting for their lives.
The final five minutes were a chaotic, heart-pounding blur. The Storm, desperate for a final try, hammered the Young line. They forced three consecutive mistakes, giving themselves prime field position. Seward was so close she could taste it, a centimetre away from a second try, but a last-ditch tackle from Kelsey Loco, the team’s star fullback, knocked the ball free.
The Cherrybombs had turned them away.
In those final moments, the Cherrybombs’ defence was a thing of beauty. They were tired, bruised, and sore, but they held. They kept turning the Storm away, every tackle a testament to their grit. And then, the final whistle. The roar of the crowd was deafening, a mix of relief, disbelief, and pure, unadulterated joy.
A Historic Victory
As the players collapsed on the field, the emotion was overwhelming. They had done it. They had gone from a team that had barely made the finals to the inaugural Group Nine women’s tackle champions.
For Kelsey Loco, who was named best on ground, the win was particularly sweet. At 18, she had missed the previous year’s non-competitive season, but now she was a champion.
“It’s just the best feeling,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “To win it with everyone is so good, and I’m really proud of everyone.”
The victory was even more special because she shared it with her sister, Beth.
“It makes it so much better just to have her out there,” Kelsey said, a smile spreading across her face. “It’s the first grand final we’ve ever won together.”
For Jamila Piercy, the captain-coach, the win was a testament to her team’s unwavering belief in themselves.
“I’m just so proud of the girls,” she said, her eyes shining with tears. “We worked so hard in the past five weeks, and getting the reward is so exciting.”
They had fought with everything they had, not just for a trophy, but for each other.
For the Estella Storm, it was a heartbreaking end to a near-perfect season. They had been the benchmark, but in the end, it was the gritty, determined Cherrybombs who had made history.
The party back in Young would be one for the ages. The first premiership for the Cherrybombs—the first of a new era of women’s tackle—was a moment that would be celebrated and remembered for a lifetime.
– Tully Potts
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