Sport
9 December, 2025
Maryborough Lady Blazers are 2025 CBL North West Women Champions — Finals MVP
Maddy Egan can add another astounding achievement to her highly reputable Lady Blazers resume, winning Finals MVP in Maryborough’s memorable Grand Final triumph.
With a premiership ring, club best and fairest and 2022 CBL North West All-Star five selection already to her name before Saturday’s season finale, the Lady Blazers stalwart produced one of her finest performances, routinely dominating inside with 17 points and protecting the paint from any Bendigo intruders.
After being limited to two games in the regular season due to back problems, Egan said she was glad to contribute to a whirlwind premiership win.
“It was definitely a rollercoaster. I think every time we got a momentum run, it would be the end of the quarter, especially in that second quarter, but we just had to keep coming back because they would come back at us,” she said.
“We were a completely new team and we had such a short season to get to know each other, but the vibe and everything were so good at training.
“There’s a lot of young bodies on our team, so trying to get the older minds out there and settle the game was important.”
Among those older minds were Egan, Millie Cracknell and Maggie Tranter, who all played crucial roles in the Lady Blazers title-winning side during the 2021/22 season.
Egan said the experienced trio tried to impart some wisdom to their talented young teammates, encouraging their compatriots to seize an incredible life moment.
“Millie, Maggie and I all said this could never happen again, and I think that’s my motto going into every final,” she said.
“You may never win another one, so take everything in your stride and the girls were nervous but they navigated those nerves and it means they care.”
After starting the game on the bench, Egan made her impact known immediately with a fiery and-one to give the Lady Blazers the lead halfway through the first quarter.
Even as Maryborough became increasingly reliant on her with big minutes to marshal their interior defence and provide help when needed, Egan routinely contributed on offence as a battering ram in the pick and roll and with tidy finishes inside.
Egan once again put Maryborough back in front with back-to-back twos midway through the third quarter as part of a six-point period.
With a strong rebounding performance throughout the second half, Egan’s highlight of the game came late in the fourth quarter, running up the floor after a sharp steal to put back an Aislinn McCarthy miss, giving the Lady Blazers an eight-point lead.
Despite her strong performance, Egan said she was surprised to receive the award.
“I was definitely shocked. Aislinn and Millie had fantastic games, even some of the opposition girls had good games,” she said.
“You don’t go out there to win an MVP, you go out there to win your team games.”