Gallery | Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association’s Numurkah Warriors claim historic four-peat

In a thrilling conclusion to the season, Shepparton Lawn Average Joes and Numurkah Warriors played out an exciting match to decide the champions of lawn tennis in the region.

Average Joes went into the clash having finished on top of the ladder, while the Warriors were eager to make it four premierships in a row and continue their dominant reign.

The match featured scintillating sets highlighted by a cracker between Average Joes’ Nicholas Gattuso and Warriors’ Nick Fenaughty, the former winning 8-7.

Down three sets early, Numurkah quickly flung the momentum around as the visitor went on to seize control of the match.

The two teams traded blows throughout as the Warriors held on to a minor lead heading into the final round of rubbers.

Numurkah star Mark Mills said he and his teammates knew it was going to be a challenging grand final against quality opposition.

“We had played (Average Joes) a couple of times throughout the season and I think they might have got us twice and we got them once,” Mills said.

“After the first round of matches we were three games down, but it was still tight and sort of what we thought would happen.

“The singles is where we have really had to rely on to get the job done and it turned out that way (again).”

The Warriors lived up to their name in the singles fixtures, as Mills, Lucy Bassett and Fenaughty faced potentially result-changing deficits before fighting back to win the set or at least tighten the scoreline.

Mills said the team’s performances in the singles arguably won it the match.

“Jack Bassett was massive, 8-1 win against Zach (Ranson), it was very big for us,” he said.

“For him to be able to come out and pull that off on grand final day was huge.

“To go into the last round of matches five games up was probably a bit lucky in the end as we could have been even or even a couple of games down.

“Those last three singles matches were vital for us.”

An early lead in the final few doubles matches nudged Numurkah into the clear as the visitor stormed home to claim an incredible fourth consecutive title.

Mills said he was amazed at his team’s turnaround from the start of the summer.

“This season, I think we were two or three (wins) and (five losses) and on the bottom of the ladder,” he said.

“To win the last six matches and take the grand final out was great.

“We always had the belief we could do it, we just had to get it together.

“I think we have won five (titles) in the last seven years, it’s been amazing, and Numurkah has only won two top division titles before then, so to (win four in a row) has been a lot of fun.”

As to whether Numurkah has a shot at making it to half a decade of consecutive titles, Mills said never say never.

“We will always give it a crack,” he said.

“We will just enjoy this one while the memories are still fresh and worry about that next year when it rolls around.

“I’m sure we will be back and give it another crack, so we will see what happens.”