A review of the Section 9 and 10 semi finals.
Section 9 Second Semi Final – Northcote Park 3 v St Martins
Northcote Park 3 claimed victory over St Martin’s in the Section 9 second semi final to advance straight through to the Section 9 grand final, with an 18-goal win.
A tight start to the game after a delayed opening to the match had Northcote Park up by one.
St Martin’s moved the ball around well but lacked accuracy as they missed a few goals, giving Northcote Park the opportunity to take a lead.
Only down by six goals St Martin’s made the first goal after GS Lauren Viglintti converted following a contact call on Northcote Park GK Alexandra Saunders.
St Martins look confident in the opening of the second quarter. Viglintti saved an errant ball from leaving court on a missed shot, and WA Georgia Rocca was there to back her up with a pass in to score.
Northcote Park began to take back advantage and worked quickly up the court, edging further ahead with accurate shooting.
Taking a decent lead in the third quarter Northcote Park showed no signs of slowing down, while St Martin’s struggled to make an impact on their scoreboard.
Although Northcote Park’s shooters were not shooting as accurately as they would have hoped, their continual ability to grab rebounds meant they had plenty of chances to make amends.
The final quarter proved no different from the rest of the game, as Northcote Park took hold of the netball and took charge of the game to storm into the grand final.
St Martins will make use of the double chance when it takes on Heidelberg West 1 in Friday night’s preliminary final.
Final score: Northcote Park 3 (38) def St Martin’s (20)
Section 9 First Semi Final – Heat 4 v Heidelberg West 1
The Section 9 first semi final between Heat 4 and Heidelberg West 1 had an abrupt conclusion after Heat GS Lois Gardiner went down with a back injury and emergency services were called.
Heat was fighting for a comeback after Heidelberg West came out strong in the first half, gaining a 10-goal lead.
Heidelberg West shooters GS Taylor and GA Montana Powell opened up with five goals apiece in the first quarter. Both players moved well to secure goals off their possession.
Defenders Jessica Taylor and Shania Shanahan created the chance for Heidelberg West to create a big lead, as they stopped Heat shooters from getting any close looks.
They forced Heat to pass into contested areas and blocked off their chances from making their way to their shooters – giving their side a strong advantage, one which they held throughout the remainder of the match.
Heat did their best to bring back the deficit, taking control of play when they could and making successive efforts to their attacking third.
Keeping up their spirits, the shooters jumped for every rebound and took their time to put up shots. Their efforts however appeared futile as Heidelberg West took a 31-19 lead to begin the final quarter.
Heat started the last term well, moving the ball quickly into their shooters, while their defenders made numerous steals and rebounds before moving the ball down the court.
Heidelberg West were still very accurate on their shots, allowing them to maintain their lead, before the early finish ensured they booked a spot against St Martin’s in next week’s Section 9 preliminary final.
Final score: Heat 4 (23) def by Heidelberg West (33)
Section 10 Second Semi Final – Montmorency 2 v Bundoora 6
Montmorency advanced straight to the Section 10 grand final in a fortnight following a 26-12 win over Bundoora 6 in the second semi final.
Bundoora 6 lives to fight another day and will face off against Mernda 3 in the preliminary final.
The second semi final was level pegging in the opening quarter. Both teams were applying great pressure on their opponents, forcing unbalanced passes and fumbled ball control as the teams sat at just two goals apiece deep into the term.
The style of play at both ends was rushed as teams cracked under pressure, missing shots and not taking rebounds in the attacking circle.
The second quarter started just as tight with Bundoora scoring early to close within one goal.
Montmorency performed some great play. A clean chain of play saw the ball passed to WD Melanie Gilbert who swiftly fed the ball to GA Jessica Kennealy – who had found empty space and in perfect rage to score.
Montmorency’s confidence started to lift as its margin increased. They were able find quick routes to put the ball into the hands of their shooters, while also holding Bundoora back from making any possible inroads on the scoreboard.
Bundoora was again shut down in the third quarter and was only able to make one goal for the whole term. Montmorency’s defence, led by GD Jamison Box and GK Tahila McLeish, applied immense pressure on the Comets and didn’t allow any easy looks in the circle.
With Montmorency leading 16-9 at the start of the final quarter, Bundoora was again well contained in the last quarter and kept to just a further three goals.
Montmorency took momentum into the grand final with a strong last term, often able to move the ball swiftly into their shooters to seal a 14-goal win in the end.
Final score: Montmorency 2 (26) def Bundoora 6 (12)
Section 10 First Semi Final – Thomastown 4 v Mernda 3
Mernda 3 kept its premiership dream alive with a win over Thomastown 4 in the Section 10 first semi final.
A close ending to the game had Mernda 3 take home the win and progress to the preliminary finals on Friday night.
With a final score of 27-23, it all came down to the final quarter.
Starting off with a three-goal advantage at the end the first quarter, Mernda’s lead was short-lived as Thomastown proved their abilities in the second quarter.
Taking the lead, Thomastown’s GA Phoebe Jackson found free space in the circle – scoring freely to push her side ahead by two goals.
There was no clear leader throughout the whole first half, as both teams kept right on each other’s toes.
As Mernda appeared to be the front runners for the half, Thomastown came through with the steal, tying scores at 13 all making a comeback in the dying seconds.
The third quarter proved just as intense. Thomastown tried to edge in front, getting ahead by two goals, however Mernda had other plans, fighting back and taking control to lead once again.
With the quarter’s end fast approaching, Thomastown and Mernda went goal for goal with scores tied at 20-all with little time left in the term.
Thomastown stole Mernda’s possession, rushing towards its attacking end and scoring to move ahead by one goal going into the last quarter.
Scoring goals one after the other, the teams stuck close as the end of the thrilling match neared.
With a tie looming and the prospect of extra time becoming a possibility, Mernda started to get the upper-hand
Their defenders lifted at the most crucial stages, stopping Thomastown from scoring and getting the ball towards their shooters enough times to seal a win in a hard-fought contest.
Final score: Thomastown 4 (23) def by Mernda 3 (27)
