When Jaime Deegan assembled his Shellharbour Under 15s team at the start of the year, he didn't quite know what to expect.
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The squad was a mix of players from Albion Park and Shellharbour, with some graduating from the under 13s in 2018 and others playing their second year in the age group.
Deegan concedes it took a little bit of time for the side to click into gear, with the Swans a step below the competition's top teams throughout the first half of the season.
But once things did, he was quietly confident the side could go all the way.
And that is exactly what they did on Sunday, with Shellharbour overcoming Wollongong 36-16 in the AFL South Coast grand final.
"Halfway through the season, we had lost to the top three teams and were looking at coming fourth," Deegan said. "From there, we gelled together and it all began to fall into place.
"The way the guys joined together and became a close unit, when I saw the mateship the boys created, I knew no one was going to beat us in the finals series."
The win came on a busy day at North Dalton Park, with the venue hosting a full slate of grand finals.
Kiama Thunder claimed the first match of the day, edging Shellharbour White 17-12 in the under 11s. The Swans then fell in the under 14 girls to Figtree 27-16.
The Power won the under 12s, defeating Northern Districts 48-20. The Tigers hit back in the under 13s, however, with the side overcoming Albion Park 56-26.
Northern Districts also prevailed in the under 17 girls, the Tigers beating Kiama 21-16.
The day's final game saw Figtree defeat Wollongong 40-17 in the under 17 boys.
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