QUALIFYING FINAL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2.30PM
MALLEE EAGLES v BALRANALD
WOORINEN REC. RESERVE, COURT 1
AFTER playing out a one-goal thriller in round 10, the Mallee Eagles and Balranald will again do battle, with the winner set to meet Swan Hill for a shot at being first through to the grand final.
Balranald got the job done in the only meeting between the two teams this season in what was a see-sawing encounter up at Greenham Park. And although the Eagles were missing a couple of key players that day, there is no reason to think tomorrow’s match will be any different.
This is the match-up that most netball pundits were expecting would play out 12 months earlier, until the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. While much has changed for both clubs since, the excitement and anticipation levels are still at an all-time high for a team that was 2021 minor premiers, according to Balranald coach Jess Parry.
“Everyone’s very excited to finally be getting to play some finals netball after missing the last couple of seasons with COVID – and for us to have all three teams in the finals is a huge accomplishment and something we’re all very proud of,” Parry said.
“A lot of people around the club say they can’t remember the last time our A Grade side played finals, but to have both the A Grade and A Reserve teams up there is a great achievement.
“A lot of the girls within the two teams have been at the club for a long time, they’ve shown up and stuck it out when we weren’t strong on the court, so to see them getting success now is a great reward as well.”
The feelings are mutual at Lalbert, with the Eagles excited about the next four weeks. The difference for Vicki McDonald’s team is they know what to expect, having reached the semi-final stage in the previous three finals series (2017-19).
McDonald and her team’s focus is all about getting the best out of themselves on Saturday – and making sure they avoid the dreaded first semi, which has tripped them up each time.
“We’ll just focus on our game and what we can control and not concern ourselves with what they are capable of doing,” McDonald said.
“We had a great game last Saturday (a 66-goal win over Koondrook-Barham), so we come into the match with good form, which helped us hold on to a top-three spot. But it’s a completely different ball game now, finals netball is always a different game and the pressure always goes up in finals.”
The Eagles were without key players Meg Allen and Sonya Lorenzoni in round 10, with both set to play a key role in this weekend’s outcome. The Roos could also have a slightly different look about them from when the sides last met, with key midcourt player Taylin Barry likely to miss with injury.
The one big strength of the Eagles is their ability to score, with Kellie Walker always a dominant presence under the ring and Emelia Shannahan in game-changing form. But while the Mallee Eagles’ ability to score – and score quickly – will take a lot of Balranald’s focus, Parry said it would be her team’s ability to restrict their opposition’s ball movement further up the court that would be the key to victory.
“They’ll be looking to play pretty fast netball as they like to take the game on with Kellie (Walker) and Emelia (Shannahan) under the ring,” Parry said.
“They’ll be looking to link up as often as they can and we’ll have to work pretty tirelessly to stop their combination – but we’re looking forward to the challenge.
“We just have to stick to our structures and trust our game plan – we’ll need to play well defensively in our individual one-on-one match ups and try to nullify their fast play and stop that quick feed into the ring.”
With very little separating the teams, another classic encounter could well be on the cards – one that will most likely again go down to the wire.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by 1 goal.
ELIMINATION FINAL
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2.30PM
LAKE BOGA v WOORINEN
NYAH REC. RESERVE, COURT 1
AFTER winning their past two matches against fellow finals aspirants, Woorinen will go into the elimination final against Lake Boga full of confidence.
While the Tigers come into the match in form, Lake Boga will also be confident that their season will progress past Sunday after claiming victory over Woorinen in both games this season (by 15 goals in round 5 and by 14 goals in round 15). While both matches sound like comfortable wins, the Tigers were without a couple of key players in Tessa Demaria and coach Olivia Jones in their round 15 loss – with the inclusion of both players for Sunday’s match set to make a significant difference to Woorinen’s chances.
The other big positive ahead for the Tigers is their finals experience. Jones told The Guardian earlier this week that it was always a different game when the stakes are raised – something that will hold her team in good stead against the Magpies.
“I think our finals experience will be a major positive for us – even our younger players have had plenty of finals exposure in the junior grades and I think having that experience up our sleeve will definitely be a very big benefit for us,” Jones said.
“The younger players that have come into the team have really come into their own and proven themselves to be great senior players throughout the second half of the year and they’ll get the chance to show that on Sunday on a bigger stage.
“We’ve definitely got that fire in our belly after the last few weeks. We want to hold on to the season as long as we can – I think with having played a fair bit of finals netball over the last few seasons before COVID we go into the game knowing what’s at stake on Sunday.”
Lake Boga coach Anna Archie was similarly excited about her club’s prospects come Sunday afternoon. While acknowledging there were no second chances for a side that has been one of the best performed in the competition over the previous 18 rounds, Archie was confident her team had what it takes to extend their season past this weekend.
“The girls are pretty pumped,” she said. “The goal at the start of the season was to make it to finals and then ultimately go further, but in order to do that, you need to finish off the home-and-away season in the best possible way and I think we’ve done.
“As we all know, finals are a whole different ball game, you have to put your best foot forward each week.
“We’re all really excited and there’s a really good feeling amongst the girls as a group, especially with almost every team within the club playing finals from both netball and football.”
With Sarah and Katie Hepburn in form for Lake Boga and a strong midcourt combination led by Archie and Emma Peacock, the Magpies have the weapons to worry an improving Woorinen unit. The match-up between Demaria and Emily Free and the Hepburn sisters will likely go a long way towards deciding the outcome of the elimination final, with much of the Tigers’ drive coming from the capable hands of Demaria.
If Lake Boga are able to nullify her impact on the contest, they should sail straight through to next Sunday’s first semi-final. If not, an upset could well be on the cards.
Tip – Lake Boga to win by six goals.
