The girls were crowned premiers at Canberra’s GIO stadium after their 12-8 defeat of the Gungahlin Bulls in the under- 17s girl’s grand-final on Sunday evening.

The milestone caps off an amazing inaugural season that began with hesitation and uncertainty.

It ended with celebration and affirmation that the team is more than capable of playing football.

“I’m very, very happy. Just for everyone,” an emotional John Thomas, coach of the side, told the Post after the victory.

“I mean it was unknown, that first trial game, we had about 10 girls turn up so I wasn’t sure if we’d even have a team, and now it’s all just come together to win it.”

Thomas, along with his daughter Elle and player Jordan Brooker, had been the driving force of the team who began their existence earlier this year.

It was Elle and Jordan who has previously played rugby league in Canberra last year. When the pair said they wanted a team of their own in Goulburn, their desire was met with hesitation.

But slowly and surely a rag-tag team of rugby league playing girls was formed.

Their first game, appropriately against the Gungahlin Bulls at North Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon in March, left many in a state of awe.

They could play. And arguably, went harder than the boys.

“Towards the start I was a little bit wary,” said 16-year-old Brooker.

“But in that first game we flogged Gungahlin, so I knew we would be alright. “Now to be here at the grand-final that we just won, looking back at it, it was so worth it.”

The girls had entered Sunday’s grandfinal with a mixed track record against the Bulls. The previous time the two sides met, the Bulls had won the game with a penalty goal in the dying moments and it seemed like the decider might go own the same avenue.

Goulburn’s Pearl Rakete and Shannay Little had gone over the line and scores were locked at 8-all with ten minutes to go.

With all the attack going Goulburn’s way, Jennaya Ottaway barged over the line for the match winning try.

The girls went into hysterics when they hit the lead.

“I don’t know what happened exactly, I was close to the line and tried to dive over I guess,” a humble Ottaway said after the match.

“I didn’t think we had won the game yet, we still had a bit to go but I hoped it was enough.”

When the siren went a roar came from the vocal Goulburn crowd. The fairy tale story had its happy ending.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, the attention right now is pretty awesome,” Ottaway said.