A recap of the 2023-24 senior summer netball grand finals, which were held at La Trobe Sports Stadium on Friday night.
Division 1: Bundoora 1 (52) def by Hume 1 (54)
By Casey McGuire
It was an extra-time thriller in the Division 1 Grand Final, with Hume 1 prevailing by the required two-goal margin to secure the premiership. It seemed as though Hume had the win secured by three quarter time after a consistent effort, but a 16-goal fourth quarter by the Bulls forced extra time. Emily Williams played a major role in Bundoora’s fightback, with an 11-goal final fourth term. But, it would be Hume’s slick attack that proved to be the difference in the dying stages, headlined by Dakota Lister, who worked tirelessly to provide scoring opportunities for her side, with the division’s best player going on to win best on court honours after an outstanding effort.
Division 2: Lalor 2 (31) def by Heat 2 (35)
By Casey McGuire
Heat 2 overcame a slow start to triumph by four goals over Lalor 2 in the Division 2 Grand Final. The Bloods jumped out of the blocks to produce an early five-goal lead, with sharpshooter Sam McKissack dominant in the attacking third, scoring nine first quarter goals. Heat would then begin to turn the tables as the match went on, with Jess Kerr helping her side stay in the contest with some great pressure. As a result, Heat won more defensive rebounds and were able to convert down the other end through Siena Bosschieter and Bree Florence. A strong second half from Florence earnt her best on court honours, while Heat’s ability to put on scoreboard pressure was enough to seem them claim victory.
Division 3: Heat 5 (37) def Heat 4 (35)
By Casey McGuire
Arguably the game of the night, the battle of the two Heat sides in the Division 3 decider went into double overtime before it was Heat 5 who found the extra goals needed to win the premiership. Whilst the extra minutes took a toll on the participating players, Ariane Virgona was superb in keeping the tempo of the match up. She produced pinpoint feeds into the shooters who were constantly rotating through and was well supported by Amelie Cassar in wing defence whose strong hands over pressure saw her have the game winning intercept, allowing Keira Lewis to shoot the final goal from long range.
Division 4: Thomastown 1 (24) def by Lalor 1 (25)
By Casey McGuire
A nail-biting Division 4 Grand Final saw Lalor 1 hold their nerve to claim a one-goal premiership win over Thomastown 1. An even shooting load by Bloods’ duo Keeley Farrow and Cara Jarvie, kept the Bears defenders on their toes throughout the night, while the shift of eventual best on court medallion winner Zoe Sommerville into the goal circle was a much-needed move for Thomastown. It helped the Bears make a comeback in the second term, but Lalor ensured the margin was never out of reach, with their efforts in the second half proving decisive in holding on for a one-goal triumph.
Division 5: Panton Hill (23) def by Watsonia 2 (28)
By Casey McGuire
An all-round performance from Watsonia 2 helped them win the Division 5 flag by four goals over Panton Hill 1. The Saints’ ability to have strong performers all over the court was the difference in the result. Ruby Kelly-Guthrie and Simone Genovese found each other with ease, and both were able to slot the goals from distance, while Renee Utting took best on court honours after displaying some terrific defensive efforts. The Redbacks fought hard to stay in the game and their fight was rewarded as they reduced the deficit throughout the second half, with Akira Krawiec and Shaylen Ridsdale-Wellington some of the stand out’s. However, Watsonia produced enough of a gap to hold onto victory.
Division 6: Watsonia 3 (19) def by Hurstbridge 5 (21)
By Elly Kirlis
The Division 6 Grand Final was another that produced a result in overtime, with Hurstbridge 5 doing enough to secure the division’s premiership in a tight affair. Whilst both sides had patches of control throughout the first four quarters, no team broke away far enough to run away with a result. In a tense overtime, it seemed no team could find the important go-ahead goal, until some great defensive pressure from the Bridges put them in the box seat to ice the game, which they would go on to do. Honor Christian was a key player in Hurstbridge’s success on the night, scoring 11 of her team’s 21 goals, while the Saints’ Kate Harris claimed the best on court medallion.
Division 7: Bundoora 7 (29) def Epping 3 (23)
By Elly Kirlis
Bundoora 7 completed a perfect season in Division 7, prevailing by six goals over Epping 3 to win the Division 7 Grand Final. It was a strong second half that saw the Bulls win their eleventh consecutive match in the competition, despite the Blues efforts to keep the premiers to their second lowest score of the season. Bridget Canals was deemed as the best on court medallion winner with a consistent effort throughout the match, while great performances from Tamara Howlett in the midcourt and Kylie Ward in the shooting circle also helped Bundoora finish the match as winners. Competition best and fairest Emily Timani was one of the stand outs for Epping.
Division 8: Heidelberg West 2 (26) def Watsonia 4 (10)
By Elly Kirlis
A strong match from Heidelberg West 2 saw them win the club’s first summer premiership in three years, winning by 16 goals over Watsonia 4 in the Division 8 decider. The Hawks had been a brilliant defensive team throughout the regular season, having conceded an average of 9.4 goals against in their ten Division 8 matches prior to finals, and it was highlighted again on grand final night, keeping the Saints to just 10 goals on their way to premiership glory. Lucinda Groppi capped off a perfect summer season during the match, with the competition best and fairest winner going on to claim the best on court medallion.
Division 9: St Mary’s 4 (24) def Fitzroy Stars 2 (17)
By Elly Kirlis
After a tight opening half, St Mary’s worked their way to the lead and never looked back to prevail by seven goals in the Division 9 Grand Final over Fitzroy Stars 2. Both teams were split by only percentage coming into the decider and while the Stars began well, a terrific third quarter from the Burra created momentum that helped them power through the latter stages of the match. St Mary’s captain Jessica Hardy continued to get into the right spaces and keep the ball moving forward for her side, while Fitzroy Stars goalkeeper and Division 9 best and fairest winner Paige Nelson ensured the Burra got no easy routes to goal, going on to win the best on court medallion for her efforts.
Division 10: Kilmore 6 (29) def Hazel Glen 5 (23)
By Elly Kirlis
Kilmore 6 capped off a brilliant finals series to win the Division 10 premiership, their second summer netball premiership. Some great moments from Hazel Glen 5 in the early stages of the match kept the contest in the balance, before the Blues started to control more aspects of the match as the game went on, as they eventually produced a lead that would see them triumph. Best on court honours went to Chelsea Maher, who played a pivotal role in her side’s win, while teammate Gemma Day was on song in goal defence. Mykah Setu had an impressive performance in the defensive third for Hazel Glen.
Division 11: Bundoora 11 (24) def Hurstbridge 11 (17)
By Elly Kirlis
Bundoora 11 ensured their regular season performances translated into premiership success after a terrific Division 11 Grand Final win over Hurstbridge 7. The Bulls were able to break the game open in the middle two quarters of the match, which proved to be the difference between the two sides. Kerry Philippou was an excellent contributor for Bundoora, with her performance being rewarded with the best on court medallion, while Division 11 leading goal shooter and best and fairest winner Chloe Hicks did her best to keep the Bridges in the hunt, with a 13-goal performance.
