We knew it was coming.

But to be perfectly honest, none of us really thought it’d happen under threatening grey skies, in driving rain, against giant bodies, in the unseemly face of big voices, and on a giant away ground.

To make matters worse, the games started cruelly and unusually early. Against such odds, it could only get better from there. And it did: better and better.

In fact in coach Jason’s estimation, his Ressies pulled out their best performance yet, slotting three goals against a team that thought they could just have a walk in the park.

Vying their opponents with big performances from lighter, lither frames, Zoe Mikosza kicked two fabulous goals, added to by Hillary Collette’s one from a selfless Liz Olney assist.

To say Gemma Minuz’ return after three long years was welcome would have to be the understatement of the Roys 140-year history. And put in a gem of a performance she did, making great use of the footy and wide open spaces of the wings. Amelie Lay and Aspen Wagner were reliable all day in defence, with Anna Morrow working hard through the middle and flanks, in the process giving a gracious nod to her former club.

“I’m so happy that the girls are still having a heap of fun in spite of the scoreboard,” Jason said after the game, “and I was very very proud of all of them today.”

Enter the Ones. Under slightly clearer skies but facing equally fierce competition, Robyn Randell’s impressive wet weather mark and subsequent goal set up the game in the first three minutes, before Olive Nicholson’s fierce pressure resulted in yet another by Erin Gogerly.

Claudia Hetherington’s pressure never abated, going hard at the ball and exemplifying the relentless Roys’ attitude. And despite the rain setting in half way through the quarter, someone forgot to point this out to Sarah Lynas who continued to take contested marks like it was a clear and sunny 22 degrees.

In the second, the ball was locked in our 50 for the majority of the term, but saw un uplift in attack from Coburg with their front-running football winning them the ball on countless occasions. Regardless, with some characteristic hard-body work from Cass Blake, the Roys kept up, leading them on the scoreboard 2.1.13 to 1.3.9.

The third quarter provided the stage for the defence to prove their worth and this they did with style, Lauren ‘Jackie Fowler’ providing the pressure, Luci Murphy the voice, and their backline teammates the forward-ball movement – with soccer skills where necessary. All the while, game Captain Steph Pit kept reading the ball with great literacy to surge with pace through the middle.

It was tough, it wasn’t very pretty and by the end of the third, the scorers hadn’t been overly troubled: Coburg 1.4.10. Fitzroy 2.3.15.

With clearing kicks from the ever-willing Simone Mooney, and an undisciplined and frustrated Coburg giving away a few free kicks and two set shots falling short, we still couldn’t convert. But Fitzroy kept their heads and the lead, fighting tooth and nail in the last four minutes.

Final score: 16–11. A gem of a win!

JG Gorilla

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With spirits as high as you can get in a changeroom after a winning game on a wet ground, Cass Blake presented Gemma Minuz with celebratory cake, and there wasn’t as dry eye in the house.