BY NATHAN DOLE
EIGHT clubs will feature in either netball qualifying or elimination finals in this weekend’s Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL action at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
On Saturday it’s Kangaroo Flat against Gisborne in the A-grade qualifying final.
The Roos and Bullogs clash starts at 3.20pm.
This season’s meetings stand at one-all.
Kangaroo Flat won the round four showdown on its Dower Park court, 44-42.
Defences were well on top in the 13th round when Gisborne claimed a 32-35 victory at its Gardiner Reserve home.
Since the loss to Gisborne the Jayden Cowling-coached Kangaroo Flat is on a five-game winning streak.
Runner-up last season, the Kangaroos have a powerful team led by captain Chelsea Sartori, and co-captains Ashley Ryan and Carly Van Den Heuvel.
The Roos’ squad for the qualifying final includes Lou Dupuy, Ingrid Hopkins, Ava Lowndes, Emma Moroney, Ashlee O’Shea, Abbey Ryan, Annie Spear, Ella and Milly Wicks.
Gisborne ended the home-and-away series on a 14-4 record.
The Tarryn Rymer-coached Bulldogs have a win-loss tally of 3-2 across the past five rounds.
A 31-47 loss to Sandhurst at the QEO in the 16th round was followed by a 28-32 upset to South Bendigo at home in the 17th round.
Key players in the red, white and blue include co-captains Kirby Elliott and Claudia Mawson who has represented Victoria Fury at the past two Netball Australia championships.
Gisborne also has Kiralee Collings, Rylee Connell, Zoe Davies, Charlee Kemp, Emerson Lakey, Tiana Newman and Torie Skrijel to take to the court.
The winner of the Kangaroo Flat and Gisborne match meets unbeaten reigning premier in the second semi-final on September 9.
Eight days after they drew their final round clash, Castlemaine and South Bendigo meet again in Sunday’s elimination final.
The Magpies and Bloods match starts at 3.20pm.
When these clubs met in round four it was Castlemaine which scored a 44-31 win on its court at Camp Reserve.
Both teams warmed up for the finals by playing a round 18 thriller in the Bloods’ home at Harry Trott Oval in Kennington.
Scores were locked on 45-all at the final whistle.
The Fiona Fowler and Gary Cooke-coached Castlemaine achieved a win-loss tally of 11-5 and two draws in the home-and-away series.
Among the highs was a 55-39 victory against Kangaroo Flat in the fifth round at Camp Reserve.
Castlemaine’s squad for Sunday will be led by captain Jane O’Donohue, playing coach Fiona Fowler, Caitlin Richardson, Montaya Sardi and Megan Wilson.
Goalshooter Mikaela Vaughan was superb against the Bloods last Saturday.
The Magpies will also be represented by Kyla Byrne, Madeline Carter, Meg Ginnivan, Charlotte McMurray and Emma Winfield.
A knee injury has put Tara Ford on the sidelines.
The record for the Jannelle Hobbs-coached South Bendigo is 9-7-2.
The Bloods win at Gisborne showed it could be a huge threat to those in the top four.
After a 41-44 loss at Eaglehawk in the 10th round, South Bendigo was under intense pressure in the race to decide fifth place.
The Bloods lifted for a 61-52 victory on Strathfieldsaye Storm’s court at Triple M Park in the 15th round.
A hat-trick of wins included taking the points against Maryborough and Gisborne.
The Bloods have great leadership provided by Stephanie Goode and Alicia McGlashan.
A key player is the classy Chloe Langley in attack.
Coach Hobbs is rapt with the development of teenagers Carissa Brook, Maggie Burke and Claudia Griffiths.
South Bendigo’s squad to face the Magpies includes includes Chloe Gray, Stephanie Greene, Olivia Mason, Morgan McClellan and Amanda Walters.
In the A-reserve competition, Sandhurst takes on Kangaroo Flat in Saturday’s qualifying final at 2pm.
The Dragons have won both hit-outs against the Roos this season.
In round one, Sandhurst scored a 63-42 victory on the QEO court.
Scores were much closer in the 10th round as the Dragons won 44-37 on the Kangaroos’ court at Dower Park.
Sandhurst achieved 14 wins, a draw, and just one defeat in the run to the finals.
The Kangaroos’ record is 10-6.
It will be the Dragons or Kangaroos against Gisborne in the second semi-final.
On Sunday it’s South Bendigo against Castlemaine in the A-reserve elimination final from 2pm.
Although the Magpies finished a rung below the Bloods, Castlemaine scored a 33-29 win against South Bendigo in the ninth round, and marked a 42-40 victory at Harry Trott Oval last Saturday.
The Bloods’ tally in the regular season was 9-7.
In B-grade, Gisborne faces Kangaroo Flat in Saturday’s qualifying final at 12.40pm.
It’s one-all in this season’s meetings.
Kangaroo Flat beat the Dogs, 47-42 in the fourth round.
The round 13 showdown at Gardiner Reserve ended in a 53-47 victory for Gisborne.
The Bulldogs had a win-loss tally of 15-2 and also drew a match in the home-and-away series.
Kangaroo Flat’s record is 14-4.
The winner meets Sandhurst in the second semi-final.
On Sunday, Strathfieldsaye plays South Bendigo in the B-grade elimination final from 12.40pm.
It was 42-all when the Bloods and Storm clashed in round six at Harry Trott Oval.
Storm surged to a 46-36 victory against the red and white in the 15th round at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane.
Storm’s record is 10 wins, seven losses, and a draw.
The Bloods’ marked a win-loss tally of 8-7, but also drew matches with Storm in round six, Eaglehawk in the 10th, and Kyneton in the 12th round.
Beaten just once, Kangaroo Flat will start favourite in the B-reserve qualifying final.
The Roos and Bulldogs will play from 11.20am.
In round four, Kangaroo Flat beat Gisborne, 59-42 at Dower Park.
The Roos hopped to a 48-35 victory on Gisborne’s court in the 13th round on the way to a 17-1 record this season.
Gisborne has a win-loss tally of 13-5.
The ladder-leading Sandhurst has advanced to the second semi.
It’s Strathfieldsaye against Eaglehawk in Sunday’s elimination final from 11.20am.
The Hawks won 33-32 at Triple M Park in the fifth round.
Storm was too strong in the return game played at Canterbury Park where it won 45-33.
The league’s young stars take to the court from 10am on Saturday and Sunday to contest the 17-under matches.
In the qualifying final it’s Gisborne against Golden Square.
The Bulldogs from the south won 58-47 at Golden Square’s Fur Life Oval in Wade Street in the sixth round.
Golden Square won a great contest at Gardiner Reserve in the 15th round, 49-44.
It’s a 16-2 record for Gisborne, and 14-4 for Golden Square across the home-and-away series.
Either Gisborne or Golden Square will face Sandhurst in the second semi.
On Sunday it will be Strathfieldsaye and Maryborough fighting to keep their season alive in the elimination final.
First pass in the match between Storm and the Magpies will be at 10am.
In round eight scores were locked at 36-all when the whistle sounded to end the match at Maryborough’s Princes Park.
The Magpies won 41-35 at Strathfieldsaye in the 17th round.
Both elimination finalists have identical records of 10-7-1 win across the home-and-away series.