Geraldton women’s water polo grand finals: B52’s cement dynasty with five-peat

The B52’s women’s A-grade team cemented their dynasty with a fifth consecutive championship, defeating Demons 12-8 in the Geraldton water polo grand final on Saturday.

In a fiercely contested match, both teams displayed remarkable skill and endurance, but a late surge from the B52’s secured their five-peat.

The Demons kept pace with the reigning titleholders for much of the game, with Sian and Abbie Macdonald leading the attacking charge each scoring twice.

Olivia Higgs and Trixie Kerr were instrumental at both ends of the pool, contributing to the scoreboard and standing firm in defence. However, the B52’s proved too strong when it mattered most. Goalkeeper Taylor Penney was exceptional, making a series of athletic saves to deny the Demons crucial scoring opportunities.

Emma Smith and Keshi McCagh delivered standout performances in both attack and defence, but the undisputed star of the match was Tenielle Hawke.

The B52’s veteran produced one of the best performances of the season, netting five goals and applying relentless attacking pressure to lead her team to victory.

Hawke, the best in pool winner, was simply a force of nature and showed real courage and strength even when faced with a mass of Demons defenders.

In the women’s B-grade final, the Demons found their perfect form, edging out Rats 9-7 in a gripping contest. Both teams fought fiercely, with the match locked in a dead heat until the dying minutes.

It was a late offensive burst from Billie Marshall and Saskia Newman that sealed the win for the Demons. Goalkeeper Mikayla Cremin was instrumental in the victory, earning best in pool honours for her outstanding performance, which included a clever and unconventional header save in the second quarter.

The Rats had their own standouts in Sarah De Laurentis and Nicole McAuley, who were both in fine form and kept their side in contention throughout.

However, after overcoming the B52’s in the elimination final, the Demons carried a sense of belief into the grand final that ultimately saw them crowned champions.

Earlier on Saturday morning the Serpents dominated the junior and C-grade competitions. Serpents Green claimed a hard-fought 10-8 derby victory over Serpents Blue in the C-grade final and the club also secured the junior title.

The C-grade showdown was a thrilling contest, with both Serpents teams refusing to back down. A superb individual performance from Bianca Brennan proved decisive, as she provided the attacking spark needed to give Serpents Green the edge.

Brennan’s goal-scoring ability and relentless pressure earned her the best in pool award. In the junior final, Serpents cruised to an 11-4 win over Demons, led by Olive Flavel, who was named best in pool.

Olivia Paul and Ava O’Malley were also standout contributors, helping Serpents secure yet another piece of silverware in a dominant display.