It was a case of the quicks versus the tall timber in the second semi final.
The Creek outfit lacked in height but made up for it with its lightening pace and polish around the court and especially in the ring.
On the other side, Macleod sported a much taller team with a number of talented players unmatched for size, especially goaler Hailey Grimes who at one point looked like her ponytail was touching the net on the ring.
If you didn’t know you were at RMIT on Friday, you would have thought it was Hisense Arena. The quality of skill and the amount of pressure applied by both teams was phenomenal and a pleasure to watch.
Diamond Creek goalers Stacey Gannon and Bronwyn Taylor were outstanding in the ring and combined well with the pacey Brooke George.
The awareness and deftness in the ring was an indication of how long the girls have been playing with each other. In finals, something as little as netball smarts cannot be overrated.
The two teams were neck and neck with each other until Creek was able to pull away and went into the main break with a five-goal buffer. Its defensive unit, led by goal defence Lindsay Cook, was able to congest the forward third and rebounded well.
The second half saw the match-up of the year. In-form goaler, Stacey Gannon was given an enormous tag by Macleod’s premier defender Natalie Wilson.
Whilst both players would start in an NFL netball team of the year, no love was lost on Friday night and it was an all in, hammer and tongs affair.
Creeker Gannon took the chocolates on this occasion. Wilson was unlucky to not receive more rebounding opportunities as Gannon kept the goals coming through all night.
Diamond Creek really got on top in the second half. It forced Macleod to throw long to 50-50 competitions by stemming its run and carry through the middle of the court.
The feathers had been ruffled and the Macleod goalers struggled to make headway in the circle to shoot from more prime positions in the ring.
In the end Diamond Creek ran Macleod of its feet. The Creekers played with confidence and pace around the court ensuring their spot in the Grand Final.
Macleod will play Lakeside in the preliminary final this Friday and will go in with the better odds, despite Lakeside’s great win over North Heidelberg in the first semi final.
It is guaranteed to be a big one and worthy of a big crowd and I encourage you all to come down and have a look. Talent this special should not go unnoticed.
Final score: Diamond Creek (40) def Macleod (27)
