BY NATHAN DOLE
Fans eagerly await netball showdowns
SEPARATED by a goal when they last met, Elmore and Colbinabbin are in a battle to claim the Heathcote DFNL’s A-grade netball premiership cup on Saturday at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
Based on this season’s results across the home-and-away series and finals action, fans are likely to witness closely-fought matches across all grades.
The season’s finale is the A-grade showdown between Elmore and Colbinabbin from 3pm.
When they met in the qualifying final it was Elmore which fought on for a 57-56 victory against Colbinabbin on Lockington’s court.
A week later and the Allira Holmes and Gabe Richards-coached Elmore was first to the grand final as it thrashed the Winslow White Hills Demonss, 64-40 in the second semi-final at Heathcote’s Pigeon Park.
Key players for the Bloods include Tahnee Cannan, Maddy Keating and Abbey Hromenko.
Elmore is vying for a second A-grade title in three years and a fitting finale to the club’s 150-year celebrations.
Colbinabbin overcame a four-goal deficit to score a four-goal win against White Hills in the preliminary final in Toolleen.
It was a superb effort by the Jen McIntyre-coached Grasshoppers who will be determined to go one better than being runner-up a year ago.
Players to watch in the green and gold include Ella Kerlin, Matilda McIntyre, Elle Palmer, Kasey Conder and Olivia McEvoy.
The Bloods’ run in ’24:
Round 1: d Colbinabbin, 57-52 at Elmore.
Round 2: d North Bendigo, 52-41 at Elmore.
Round 3: bye.
Round 4: d Leitchville Gunbower, 70-57 at Gunbower.
Round 5: d Heathcote, 69-37 at Elmore.
Round 6: lt White Hills, 33-71 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 7: d Huntly, 52-30 at Elmore.
Round 8: d Mount Pleasant, 48-38 at Toolleen.
Round 9: d Lockington Bamawm United, 51-38 at Elmore.
Round 10: bye.
Round 11: d North Bendigo, 48-32 at Bendigo Club Oval.
Round 12: lt Colbinabbin, 53-63 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 13: d Leitchville Gunbower, 56-34 at Elmore.
Round 14: d Heathcote, 71-38 at Pigeon Park.
Round 15: dr White Hills, 53-53 at Elmore.
Round 16: d Huntly, 72-20 at Strauch Reserve.
Round 17: d Mount Pleasant, 73-43 at Elmore.
Round 18: d Lockington Bamawm United, 70-37 at Lockington.
Qualifying final: d Colbinabbin, 57-56 at Lockington.
Second semi-final: d White Hills, 64-40 at Pigeon Park.
The Grasshoppers’ journey in ’24:
Round 1: lt Elmore, 52-57 at Elmore.
Round 2: lt Leitchville Gunbower, 46-54 at Gunbower.
Round 3: d Heathcote, 47-30 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 4: lt White Hills, 59-61 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Round 5: d Huntly, 61-27 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 6: d Mount Pleasant, 62-33 at Toolleen.
Round 7: d Lockington Bamawm United, 77-34 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 8: bye.
Round 9: d North Bendigo, 65-50 at Bendigo Club Oval.
Round 10: d Heathcote, 78-35 at Pigeon Park.
Round 11: d Leitchville Gunbower, 62-54 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 12: d Elmore, 63-53 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 13: d White Hills, 56-48 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 14: d Huntly, 82-35 at Strauch Reserve.
Round 15: d Mount Pleasant, 66-36 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Round 16: d Lockington Bamawm United, 61-30 at Lockington.
Round 17: bye.
Round 18: d North Bendigo, 70-39 at M.J. Morgan Oval.
Qualifying final: lt Elmore, 56-57 at Lockington.
First semi-final: d Leitchville Gunbower, 58-38 at Winslow Constructors Oval.
Preliminary final: d White Hills, 49-45 at Toolleen.
It will be a big day for the Harlowe Huntly Hawks as the club features in five grand finals.
In A-reserve, Huntly takes on Elmore from 1pm on court one.
They last met in the qualifying final where the Hawks beat the Bloods, 38-32 in Lockington.
It was one-all in their meetings in the home-and-away series.
Huntly’s hot run rolled on as it won the second semi-final against White Hills by five goals.
Elmore hit back to win the first semi-final against Lockington Bamawm United by eight goals and then scored a 35-33 victory in the preliminary final clash with White Hills.
It’s a clash of the Bombers and Hawks in B-grade as Leitchville Gunbower faces Huntly from 10am on court one.
The Bombers won 57-44 on Huntly’s court in round eight.
Huntly won 42-38 in Leitchville in the 17th round.
It’s been a big campaign for the Hawks who won the qualifying final against White Hills by 13 goals, but was on the end of a 52-35 defeat from Leitchville Gunbower in the second semi-final.
The Hawks gained another shot at LG as it won the preliminary final against the Demons by three goals.
It’s a showdown of the Demons and Hawks in B-reserve from 11.30am on court one.
White Hills will start favourite following wins against the Hawks by seven and 20 goals in the home-and-away series.
The Demons were first to the grand final after a 58-34 win against Lockington Bamawm United in the second semi-final.
Huntly hit back from a two-goal loss to LBU in the qualifying final to beat the Cats by four goals in the preliminary final.
First-up on court one on Saturday will be Mount Pleasant and Huntly in the 17-and-under match at 8.30am.
The Blues beat the Hawks by four and 17 goals in the regular season.
A great run by Mounts rolled on as it won the second semi-final against Lockington Bamawm United by 16 goals.
After a one-goal loss to LBU in the qualifying final, Huntly soared to a 10-goal win in the first semi-final clash with Elmore and then beat the LBU Cats by 11 goals in the preliminary final.
Mount Pleasant puts an unbeaten record on the line against Huntly in the 15-and-under grand final to be played on court two from 10am.
The Blues have beaten the Hawks by 33 and 30 goals this season.
It’s been a terrific effort by Huntly to reach the grand final.
After an eight-goal win against Elmore in the elimination final the Hawks followed up with a 49-48 victory against LBU in the first semi-final.
The brown and gold beat White Hills in the preliminary final by 17 goals.
It’s been a much easier run for Mount Pleasant which won the second semi-final against White Hills by six goals.
First match on court two on Saturday will be at 8.30am when Leitchville Gunbower plays Lockington Bamawm United in the 13-and-under match.
The Cats won by 33 goals in Lockington in round one, but the Bombers fought on for a 21-14 win in the 12th round in Leitchville.
LBU won the qualifying final against Huntly by 14 goals, but could not stop LG’s charge to a 28-20 victory in the second semi-final.
The Cats kept premiership hopes alive as they won the preliminary final against Elmore by 11 goals.