Orbost Hockey Club’s under 14s team contested the 2026 East Gippsland Hockey Association grand final last Saturday at the WORLD facility in Bairnsdale, but despite displaying plenty of collective effort and endeavour on the field, they were pipped at the post to the title by an organised Sale outfit by a single goal margin.
Nervous tension mixed with anticipation was clearly evident among the large contingent of Green and Gold supporters on the sidelines, and with the weather delivering a perfect sunny spring morning, the stage was perfectly set for the fifth meeting of the season between the top two teams in the league – the minor premiers Orbost taking on a Sale side seeking to reverse the result of the qualifying final a fortnight ago at this same venue.
It was Sale who made the most of the running in the first quarter, but with Kitty Millward making her presence felt as the lynchpin of the backline, Orbost were able to make a number of timely tackles inside their own ‘D’ despite the mounting pressure. With Alex Kenny clearing the ball effectively downfield, the Green and Gold were soon able to respond with some threatening attacks of their own, and Asha Farley drew a pair of saves in quick succession from the opposing keeper after getting onto the end of a brace of Jasper Anderson crosses from the wing.
The game turned in the space of a few minutes either side of the quarter-time break, as even though goalie Jacob Rutherford made a powerful clearance with his boots and defender Cohen Mathews blocked a dangerous shot, Sale’s frequent forward surges and precise passing allowed them to score twice and take a firm control of the contest.
Orbost needed a response quickly, and it got one just before the main break when Anderson powered a ball half the length of the field straight onto the stick of Teddy Kuyper right in front of goal – shrugging off the attentions of both the keeper and a defender, Kuyper kept his cool to calmly slot the ball into the cage.
Whatever was said in the halftime huddle must have worked because the Green and Gold then embarked on their best passage of play for the match, sparked by some great attacking endeavour shown by Joe Millward and Demi Murray who helped to create some gaps in the solid Sale defence.
After Millward drew a save from a shot from a tight angle, Murray’s work in the ‘D’ helped her side win a corner, one from which Anderson clinically converted with an unstoppable blast, pulling Orbost level at last.
They then almost took the lead moments later from the same Anderson and Kuyper stratagem that brought them their first goal, but on this occasion the latter’s connection onto the former’s aerial pass sailed just wide of the cage.
With just a quarter of the season remaining, the final term was a real tussle, particularly with tiring legs on both sides starting to have an effect.
A pair of powerful Anderson forward charges saw him fire wide as the Sale defenders swarmed around him, while a clever pass from Kuyper to Millward created another chance that saw his shot on goal travel just the wrong side of the post.
At the opposite end of the ground Rutherford pulled off a trio of clutch saves to keep his side in it, the highlight of which was when he had to leave his feet to deny a shot from point blank range, with Kitty Millward also chipping in with a well-timed block of a goal-bound ball.
Ultimately the match, as is so often the case in hockey, came down to corners and which side could create the most scoring opportunities from them.
Unfortunately for Orbost, it was Sale who gained the decisive edge in this regard, firing the ball home from distance with just three minutes left on the clock to open up a vital 3-2 lead.
The Green and Gold refused to fold, but despite fighting hard to the very finish, the clock proved to be an opponent they could not overcome, and as their season came to an end, premiership success had eluded them by the finest of margins.
Final score: Orbost 2 lt Sale 3.
While the loss will certainly sting, it doesn’t take away from what the under 14s team has been able to achieve this year, working hard throughout, supporting each other both on and off the field, and displaying the skill, determination and spirit that made all of their families and supporters proud.
The 2026 campaign may now be over, but the Green and Gold will be back in 2027.
grand final. (PS)
and disrupt.
