THERE was no doubting the heartbreak Abercrombie coach Jason Ryan felt after Sunday's 3-2 Bathurst District Football women's premier league grand final loss to Panorama FC, but he felt pride as well.
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Pride in the way his side performed in their maiden season, pride in the way they came from two goals down in the decider to lock it up at 2-all in the 73rd minute.
So while his side couldn't push on from the minor premiership to win on grand final day, the heart they showed in the decider has Ryan hoping his same squad will return for another shot in 2021.
"Something we've highlighted all year has been that never-say-die attitude and play for the person in the same shirt next to you, play for your mate. I take my hat off to them," he said.
"I couldn't be prouder of a bunch of people, the ladies, it was a pleasure to coach them and I hope they'll be back next year because as you saw with Panorama, they went through the same thing last year and came back and won it this year.
"There's a few girls that have played in different leagues elsewhere and three or four who have played together before in a group, but this was the first time this 14 had played together and two of them were second graders coming up and consistently helping us out.
"That chemistry took awhile to come, but they set a really high standard."
Ryan also had praise for Ginger Oliver who helped spark Abercrombie's fightback. Two goals were scored off her corner kicks in the space of eight minutes to lock the game up at 2-all.
Both her kicks picked out an Abercrombie player on the back post in set plays and she was unlucky not to score herself in the 81st minute when another of her corners skimmed the crossbar.
"I think Thursday we decided she was going to take all of them. She's been doing it on and off all year, I think she would have kicked 40-50 balls at training on Thursday trying to hit that back post," Ryan said.
"She didn't want to go on the wing, she loves midfield, but when you've got someone that dangerous with a foot like that, you can't waste it on the midfield, you need it for crosses and corners.
"It was a good effort but it's just a big, big heartbreak. We knew it was going to be a fight, Panorama are a quality side."
