NETBALL

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

LOCAL netball finals went ahead at the weekend.

North Gippsland Football-Netball League and Mid Gippsland FNL entered its second week of finals action, while Gippsland League arrived for the opening week of the postseason.

 

CHURCHILL gutted out a tough second semi final at Yarram Recreation Reserve on Saturday (August 29) to reach a second consecutive A Grade grand final and the chance for back-to-back premierships.

The Cougars won 46 to 43 over minor premier Traralgon Tyers United, who earned a week off leading into the match and anticipated a contest against either of Churchill or Sale City.

While the nerves of such a high-stakes final were clear to begin the game, in which TTU were featuring in just their second finals series of the decade, Churchill made the most of its opportunities to lead at quarter time by three goals.

Through Cassandra Wass and Skye McDonald, the Cougars extended their lead out to as much as seven goals to begin the second term.

With pressure mounting on the Bombers, TTU promisingly answered through Danni Dunn, who bested Churchill goalkeeper Samantha Mann on four occasions to cut the deficit to two goals.

Dunn continued her individual run for TTU, scoring five of the next six goals, which completed an almighty stretch to put the Bombers ahead at halftime, 24-22.

Now equipped with the confidence to enter the second half, Dunn was again playing with her opponent, scoring five of the first seven goals as play returned.

The matchup in centre court was also to behold, with Churchill playing coach Rachael Kearns and Samantha Cullis going toe-to-toe.

The veteran Kearns found nifty passes into her attackers routinely, leading to the Cougars pouring on a five-goal run to tie the game back up after trailing by five.

The premiership pairing of Wass and McDonald continued to cause problems for TTU’s defence, where if one was affectively fronted, the other would bob up to score.

Despite the third quarter swinging wildly, the Bombers rallied late with three straight goals to enter the final break tied up, 35-all.

Dunn’s attacking partner, Maleah Travers began to take over the game as play resumed, scoring on three consecutive possessions to put the Bombers ahead by as much.

Churchill’s defensive pair of Mann and Courtney Stevens-Risol were focussed heavily on Dunn, which only freed up Travers.

With eight minutes remaining in the match, TTU led by four goals.

Then came the Cougars charge.

Connecting brilliantly through the middle third, off the back of intense and heavy pressure from defence, which saw TTU struggle to convert on any shot they took, Churchill rose once at the post.

Wass was a sniper with the ball in-hand, showing no sign of having her shot go awry, scoring five goals through the proceeding five minutes.

McDonald chipped in with a few scores as well, seeing Churchill complete a seven unanswered run to go ahead by three goals.

Travers finally broke the drought for TTU through a deep shot, but McDonald responded almost instantly.

Gritting her teeth to score with plenty of physical defence, the score to keep Churchill ahead by three goals with less than two minutes left put her into a frenzy, almost certainly to play in her second straight grand final in the two years she’s been in the gold and royal blue.

Two scores were converted in the final minute, one each way, but Churchill celebrated accordingly once the bell rang out.

Wass finished with 32 goals, while Dunn led the way for TTU with 26.

The Bombers will play off in the preliminary final this Saturday (September 5) at Churchill’s Gaskin Park against Sale City.

The Bulldogs defeated Woodside in the elimination semi final by nine goals, 35-26 at Tyers Recreational Reserve on Sunday (August 30).

Despite only leading marginally by three goals at halftime, Sale City lifted to guarantee its season would continue by outscoring the Wildcats 19-13.

 

YINNAR will be forced down the long route if they hope to win the Mid Gippsland A Grade flag this season.

The Magpies succumbed to Foster in the second semi final by 24 goals, 59-35 at Tarwin Lower Recreation Reserve last Saturday.

Yinnar were chasing from the get go, as the Tigers got out of the gates early with a seven-nothing start, which only made the game even more difficult when facing a side who had not been beaten during the year.

The Magpies put together a bit of a run through to quarter time, trailing by just four goals.

That would be the closest Yinnar got the rest of the way.

Foster proceeded to score 10 of the next 12 goals to begin the second term, as the margin already appeared too difficult for the Magpies to overcome.

Even as Yinnar returned from the halftime break to even the ledger slightly, not seeing the Tigers create an even larger gap, the final quarter saw the Magpies outscored by 12 goals.

Brylee Angwin and Ella Rendell were as magnificent as ever, scoring 30 and 20 goals respectively.

Patty McInnes put forth a 20 goal effort for Yinnar.

On Sunday, Fish Creek snuck past Mirboo North in the elimination semi final by two goals at Northern Reserve, Newborough.

Seesawing throughout the first half of the match, in which the Kangaroos went from leading by two goals to trailing by four come halftime, it only meant the match was expected to go down to the wire.

Belinda Snell and Jessica Holland extended Mirboo North’s lead out to seven goals to begin the second half, but Fish Creek began to awake.

Chipping away slowly, Audrey McGannon and Jessica Edgar managed to put together a few consecutive scores forth to see the match tied all up come the final turn.

Mirboo North again started the quarter strongly, but Fish Creek swiftly responded, looking to right their wrongs after going out in straight sets last year.

McGannon proved to be a difference-maker, scoring time-after-time for the Kangaroos when it mattered, as Fish Creek hit the front with just a few minutes remaining.

Snell scored to break a three goal run as the Tigers cut the deficit to one with a minute remaining.

McGannon secured that the Kangaroos would continue its season with a final clinching goal to give her 34 on the game.

Fish Creek will take on Yinnar at Foster Recreation Reserve this Saturday for a spot in the grand final.

 

DROUIN continue to appear as the dominant challenger to reigning three-time Gippsland League A Grade premier Moe.

The Hawks made light work of Bairnsdale in the qualifying final at Ted Summerton Reserve on Saturday, winning 51-29.

After a close first quarter, in which the Redlegs only trailed by four goals, the margin quickly ballooned out to double figures by halftime.

Drouin shut down any hopes Bairnsdale had of coming back, keeping the Redlegs to just four goals for the third quarter while scoring 13 themselves.

It was a full team effort for Drouin, which is needed if someone is to eclipse Moe’s title defence.

Mwai Kumwenda scored a match-high 33 goals, followed by teammate Charlize Traumanis with 17, while Stacie Gardiner and Ebony Mumford also played well.

Ruby and Paris Dunkley and Sally Deller were recognised for Bairnsdale.

Leongatha kept its season alive in the Parrots return to finals, taking down rivals Wonthaggi by 17 goals at Drouin Recreation Reserve on Sunday.

Leongatha proved to be the better side from start to finish, leading the Power at every turn.

Taylah Brown, Jayde Hall and Gemma Meadley stood out for the Parrots, with Amy Scott scoring 33 goals.

Eva Lindsay, Ellie Bates and Chelsea Bowman with 23 goals were best for Wonthaggi.

Drouin will take on Moe in the second semi final at Morwell Recreation Reserve this Saturday, while Bairnsdale play Leongatha in the elimination semi final on Sunday at Leongatha Recreation Reserve.