Blues win tight battle

Just three goals had separated Catani and Yarragon across three previous meetings this season, setting the scene for another tightly contested 17 and under grand final, with the Blues eventually prevailing 38-34.

Yarragon started strongly and its defensive pressure helped establish a 12-10 quarter-time lead. The Panthers continued to make Catani work hard for every possession in the second term, extending the advantage to 22-18 at half-time and maintaining their composure as the Blues searched for a way back into the contest.
The game appeared to be swinging further Yarragon's way when the Panthers moved six goals clear and had the centre pass midway through the third quarter.
But from there the match changed dramatically. Catani produced its best passage of the day, shooting nine of the final 10 goals of the quarter to erase the deficit and take a 29-27 lead into the final break.
With the premiership on the line, both sides continued to apply enormous pressure in the final term. Yarragon refused to go away, but Catani was able to protect the advantage it had worked so hard to create, winning the quarter 9-7 and eventually closing out a 38-34 victory.
Best on court: Catani goal attack Ruby Francis was named best on court after shooting 32 of her side's 38 goals, taking her combined tally across 17 and under and B grade to more than 1000 goals for the season.
The premiership completed an extraordinary four-year journey for the majority of the Catani group, beginning with the 13s flag in 2023, followed by back-to-back premierships in 2024 and '25, before making it four consecutive junior premierships in 2026.