Tatura’s Family Care Shield win underscores thrilling round-six GVL A-grade action

It also landed them honours of the shield, encouraging the conversation around speaking out against family violence, which Tatura co-coach Elsie Boyer noted the importance of in her post-match review.

“It’s really special to be able to play and bring up the conversation and spread awareness around violence in the community because sporting clubs play such big roles in building a voice for that,” she said.

“Coming into the game we knew it was going to be a grind the whole game and I think we showed that.

“We were able to stay in it and show that we’re fit enough to play those four quarters.

“We played the three and then were able to push that last quarter out which was really pleasing.”

Tatura held a slim five-goal lead that fluctuated throughout quarters one to three as United kept a firm grip on the game.

But in the last term, the hammer came down hard.

The Bulldogs were up, down and side to side almost at will and the ball moved into Jasmine Fraser’s arms for a goal every single minute.

Fraser, who shot 13 for 13 in the quarter, played the first half of the game in goalkeeper as Tatura flexed its malleability.

Molly Kennedy shifted from centre to defence at the main break to allow Fraser to sling forward, and the added height under the ring proved to be pivotal as the Bulldogs unleashed after the final change.

The visitors doubled their three-quarter-time lead as their tempo and legs ran over the top of the courageous hosts, leaving Boyer tickled pink at her side’s versatility.

“We’re pretty spoilt for options; I think everyone in our team can play two to three different positions,” she said.

“We were able to swap our goalkeeper to goal shooter and centre to goalkeeper, and I think those changes paid off for us and we’re very lucky to be able to have those options.

“Molly Kennedy was awesome going into that goalkeeper position; I think she slowed down that ball going in there.

“Taylor Rokahr did an awesome job, she was just persistent and was always a defensive presence on the court.

“And I think Jasmine Fraser when she went into the goal end, she changed that up and allowed a tall option and the ball to get in there a little bit easier.”

Over at Princess Park, Shepparton Swans continued their remarkable rise up the ladder with a surprise two-goal tip-over of Shepparton.

Following their 17-goal beating of United the week prior, the Swans led at every change against a heavily fancied Bears unit and held nerve to record a 61-59 victory.

Jana Riordan’s side now sits level with the next opponent, Echuca, after the Murray Bombers just about accounted for Mansfield.

Last season, an Echuca-Mansfield meeting would’ve like swung the former’s way by 20 or 30 goals.

On Saturday, however, the Eagles rallied hard to scare Echuca, but Belinda Lees’ outfit did enough to dig in and claim a 50-45 win.

Mooroopna remains at the top of the tree following a routine 27-goal triumph over Rochester, while Euroa’s 80-32 shellacking of Benalla sees it now trail the Cats on percentage alone.

Lastly, Kyabram’s young squad was handed another tough pill at Kings Park as Seymour cruised to a 53-32 victory.