AFTER missing out last September, Sandhurst will be back on the court at Queen Elizabeth Oval to chase an A-grade netball premiership in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL competition.
The Tamara Gilchrist-coached Sandhurst set up a grand final showdown with Kangaroo Flat as it fought on for a 44-39 victory in Saturday’s preliminary final against Gisborne.
It was a fifth victory in as many starts for Sandhurst against the Tarryn Rymer-coached Gisborne.
Both teams played out another classic finals match.
This time the maroon and blue faced a deficit at three quarter-time, but found a way to stay in the title race.
They met in the qualifying final which went Sandhurst’s way, 46-35.
In round 16 it was the Dragons who beat the Bulldogs, 48-44 at league headquarters at the QEO.
Five goals separated the teams when they met in the 13th round at Gisborne’s Gardiner Reserve.
Sandhurst won 44-39.
It was an 18-goal blowout when they met in round six on the QEO as Sandhurst netted a 50-32 victory.
Now the Dragons are a win away from adding to a remarkable record.
Runner-up to Gisborne in the ’23 play-off by a goal, Sandhurst scored a five-goal win against Kangaroo Flat in the 2022 grand final.
The Dragons also fired up for a 42-35 win against the Kangaroos to cap the 2019 season.
Unbeaten in its run to this grand final, Kangaroo Flat has not won the A-grade cup since it beat Golden Square by nine goals nine years ago.
The Jayden Cowling-coached Kangaroos won the second semi-final clash with Sandhurst by three goals.
In A-reserve, Sandhurst dominated most of the contest with South Bendigo.
A 64-43 victory for the Dragons against the Bloods put the maroon and blue into a grand final showdown with Kangaroo Flat.
The Dragons bounced back from a 10-goal loss to the Kangaroos in the second semi to control most of the game against South Bendigo which had beaten Gisborne in the first semi by three goals.
A 51-44 win by Gisborne against Strathfieldsaye put the Bulldogs into the B-grade final against Kangaroo Flat.
The Bulldogs were beaten 39-36 in the second semi-final by Kangaroo Flat.
Strathfieldsaye made it to the second-last day of the finals series by winning the elimination final against Sandhurst by 19 goals, and the first semi against South Bendigo by 13 goals.
It was a dramatic finish to the 17-and-under preliminary final between Golden Square and Strathfieldsaye.
A 54-53 win by Strathfieldsaye meant Storm surged into the season decider against Sandhurst.
Both preliminary finalists met on day one of the finals series in which Golden Square scored a 41-38 victory in the qualifying final clash with Storm.
The Bulldogs were beaten in the second semi-final clash with Sandhurst by five goals.
Strathfieldsaye bounced back to mark a 50-30 win against Gisborne in the first semi-final.
Bendigo FNL netball preliminary final scoreboard:
A-grade: Sandhurst 44 d Gisborne 39.
A-reserve: Sandhurst 64 d South Bendigo 43.
B-grade: Gisborne 51 d Strathfieldsaye 44.
B-reserve: Sandhurst 41 d Kangaroo Flat 26.
17-and-under: Strathfieldsaye 54 d Golden Square 53.
Grand final day will feature four clubs chasing glory on the netball court.
Kangaroo Flat will be represented in A-grade, A-reserve and B-grade.
Two of those showdowns will be against Sandhurst as the Roos and Dragons will meet in A-grade and A-reserve.
Sandhurst will also feature in the B-grade clash with Gisborne, and the 17-and-under match against Strathfieldsaye.
It’s been a superb effort by the maroon and blue to have four of its five netball teams qualify for grand finals.
Gisborne will start favourite in the B-reserve clash, but faces a big task to win the B-grade duel with the Kangaroos.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval, View Street, Bendigo:
17-and-under at 9am: Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye.
B-reserve at 10.30am: Gisborne v Sandhurst.
B-grade at noon: Kangaroo Flat v Gisborne.
A-reserve at 1.30pm: Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst.
A-grade at 3pm: Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst.