JAMES Sheahan Catholic High School is one step away from winning its fifth consecutive Marianne Murphy Shield title after the school’s under-14, under-16 and open sides all earned grand final spots in Tuesday’s gala day at Sir Neville Howse Stadium.
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James Sheahan’s dynasty has lasted almost a half decade in the inter-school competition, despite Orange High School being the dominant force in the western region for a long time – although player turnover has forced the latter school into a rebuilding phase in recent years.
James Sheahan will take on Orange High in the under-14 and under-16 grand finals on Thursday afternoon while in the open division Sheahan will take on Kinross in the grand final, which considering the personnel in either side, will essentially be a game of Toyota Cup standard.
James Sheahan boasts almost all of Life Studio’s fourth-placed Toyota Cup side while Kinross’ Marianne Murphy Shield side is the same one which is sitting fifth in Orange Netball Association’s top division.
“I think everyone expected James Sheahan to be pretty dominant again, there is a lot of familiarity in their sides,” 2016 coordinator Ash Bruton, also a PE teacher and sport coordinator at Canobolas Rural Technology High School, said.
“But the other sides all played really well, it was a great day of netball. Orange High did very well in the younger divisions, Kinross did well in the opens and Canobolas and Orange Christian School both put in good efforts against stronger teams as well.
James Sheahan will enter as favourites in the under-14 and open finals while Orange High is probably shorter odds in the under-16 decider but Bruton said their opponents are more than capable of producing upset wins.
Kinross almost did so in the open division’s round robin games.
“I think we have a good shot (in the open decider),” Kinross coach Sophie Fardell, who stars for Vipers in the Toyota Cup, said.
“When we played them in the gala day it was super close until the last two minutes and we only lost by four.
“It was even pretty much the whole game.”
For those playing at home the Marianne Murphy Shield is a competition that was initiated in 2002.
It’s played across three divisions between all of Orange’s high schools. The competition offers title for all three of those divisions and also the overall trophy.
Murphy was a student at James Sheahan from 1981 to 1986 and represented both NSW and Australia.
The under-14, under-16 and open deciders kick off at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm, respectively, at Kinross’ gym on Thursday afternoon.