Western Australia wins instant classic while Victoria retains Conaghty Cup

The 2024 Lacrosse Australia Box Lacrosse Nationals have come to a close at the Alan Lewer Box Court, with Western Australia and Victoria claiming the spoils after a thrilling Championship that had it all from scorching temperatures, thrilling play, big hits, golden goals and most importantly, some of the best box lacrosse ever seen in Australia.

In the Men’s draw Western Australia took home the Mollison Cup for a second time after claiming a thrilling Championship Final which saw 2 goals wiped off in the dying minutes before Lucas Wood won the game in golden goal. Western Australia and Victoria set the scene early in the week with a physical encounter on Day 1 which saw Victoria move into a great spot to move into the final. After claiming wins over New South Wales and Queensland in the opening days, South Australia pushed Victoria on Day 3 but ultimately fell short, setting up a do or die clash on Day 4 with Western Australia. There, Western Australia took control early and never looked back cruising to a spot in the final, while New South Wales took down Queensland to claim a spot in the third-place playoff.

On the final day, play started with South Australia taking down New South Wales for third spot in an entertaining game which may have appeared one-sided on the scoresheet but was significant in showing the improvement from New South Wales over the past few years. That set the scene for the Men’s final which was one of the all-time great lacrosse games with the lead changing on multiple occasions. When Western Australia extended their lead to 3 with 5 minutes to go, things looked over but Victoria stormed back to tie the game late. Both sides then scored in the last minute but had those goals wiped off for a variety of reasons which the allowed Lucas Wood to score a famous goal for Western Australia.

On the Women’s side, Victoria made it 2 for 2 and took home the first ever Conaghty Cup with a 12 – 7 win over Western Australia. The week started chaotically in the Women’s draw with one game postponed and the South Australia v Victoria game ending at half time due to the heat. Things then got going on Day 2 with a slate that was highlighted by the Western Australia and Victoria grand final rematch from a year earlier which was dominated by Victoria. Western Australia then met South Australia for a spot in the final on Day 3 and whilst South Australia showed tremendous improvement, Western Australia were too good.

To kick off the final day, South Australia took on Queensland for third and had too much firepower for the Northerners, with Queensland showing that they are on the path to becoming a powerhouses in Women’s Box Lacrosse. That left Western Australia and Victoria to do battle for the Conaghty Cup on the big stage, under lights on the Saturday. With that, a huge crowd was on hand, setting a fantastic atmosphere which saw both sides trade blows before Victoria were able to edge ahead. Western Australia however roared back into the contest and cut the margin to 3 at the final change. However, the last quarter proved to be a defensive tussle with Victoria stepping up the plate, holding WA scoreless whilst scoring 2 of their own on the way to a 12 – 7 final.