BY NATHAN DOLE
Bridgewater defender claims Helen Ward Medal
BRIDGEWATER defender Carly Van Den Heuvel has claimed the Helen Ward Medal as fairest and best in this season’s Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL A-grade netball action.
The Bridgewater ace joins an elite group of netballers to have earned the prestigious honour.
A tally of 24 votes clinched victory for Van Den Heuvel as Bears-Lagoon Serpentine’s Ava Francis capped a great run on 22 votes.
Third placegetter was Mitiamo’s Laura Hicks, a four-time winner of the Helen Ward Medal, who polled 19 votes.
Consistency was a key factor as Van Den Heuvel earned umpires’ votes in 11 matches.
At the halfway mark of the count her tally was 17 votes, which incluced the maxium three as best on court against Maiden Gully YCW in round two, Marong in round six, and Calivil United in round nine.
The second half of the season was a run of two votes in three matches and a vote in another game for the Mean Machine.
Van Den Heuvel’s focus is now firmly on Saturday’s preliminary final against Bridgewater at Centre State Scaffolding Oval in Inglewood.
Francis polled votes in nine of the Bears’ matches.
Highs included best-on-court against Inglewood in round two; Calivil United, round six; Inglewood, round 11; Marong, round 13; and Maiden Gully YCW, round 17.
A great season for the Danielle O’Toole-coached Bears ended in a 36-32 loss to Bridgewater in the elimination final at Pyramid Hill’s Mitchell Park.
A multiple premiership winner at Mitiamo, Hicks and her Superoos’ team-mates will be fired up for Saturday’s preliminary final.
The Superoos achieved a 15-1 run in the home-and-away series, but were beaten in last Saturday’s second semi-final against Pyramid Hill by nine goals.
It will be Mitiamo or Bridgewater against Pyramid Hill in the September 14 grand final at Mitiamo’s John Forbes Oval.
The Joy Lawry Medal for B-grade netball fairest and best went to Marong’s Brittany Hercus on 29 votes.
Pyramid Hill’s Simone Edgley was runner-up on 26 votes.
Third placegetter was Newbridge’s Leah Oxford on 24 votes.
Hercus and Edgley will be opponents this Saturday when Marong plays Pyramid Hill in the preliminary final.
Winner of the Panthers and Bulldogs match will meet Newbridge in the grand final.
It was a closely-fought finish in the C-grade fairest and best award.
Laura Lindner from Maiden Gully YCW Eagles claimed the medal on 23 votes.
Runner-up was Marong’s Tamera Gribben on 19 votes as Tamara Hayes from Bridgewater earned 17 votes to be in third place.
The season is not over for Tamera Gribben as Marong plays Pyramid Hill in the preliminary final.
Tilly Suckling from Maiden Gully YCW Eagles will be aiming to add a premiership medal to the league medal as C-reserve fairest and best.
In a dramatic finish to the calling of the cards, Suckling ended with a tally of 23 votes as Newbridge’s Skye Ferns was runner-up on 22.
Third placegetter was Shasta Maher from Inglewood on 20 votes.
Suckling and her Eagles’ team-mates will face Marong or Bridgewater on grand final day.
Just one vote separated the top two for the 17-and-under award.
Bridgewater’s Rachael Flood took honours on 21 votes as Calivil United’s Ava Maxted was runner-up on 20.
In third place was Marong’s Savannah Waters on 19 as Chelsea Eastwood from Maiden Gully YCW polled 18 votes to be in fourth place.
Flood and Waters will be on court this Saturday as Bridgewater and Marong contest the preliminary final.
Maxted and her Demons’ team-mates will play the winner in the grand final.
Winner of the 15-and-under award, Calivil United’s Teagen Vinnicombe is still in the race for premiership glory.
Vinnicombe polled 25 votes to claim the league award as Marong’s Ashleigh Medhurst capped a fine season with 23 votes.
The Demons from Calivil United will take on Maiden Gully YCW in the preliminary final.
Third in the league award on 21 votes, Imogen Brown and her Bridgewater team-mates have won through to the grand final.
The Eagles team to play on Saturday includes Eden Murray who polled 17 votes to be fourth in the medal race.
Leading votes for the Helen Ward Medal, A-grade netball:
24 Carly Van Den Heuvel, Bridgewater.
22 Ava Francis, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
19 Laura Hicks, Mitiamo.
18 Danielle O’Toole, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
17 Hayley Martiniello, Newbridge.
15 Abbey Battersby, Mitiamo.
15 Jess Holdstock, Pyramid Hill.
14 Alicia Hay, Mitiamo.
14 Megan Jennings, Newbride.
14 Amelia Ludeman, Mitiamo.
14 Gemma Scott, Pyramid Hill.
13 Abbey Dingwall, Pyramid Hill.
13 Sarah Perry, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
13 Carly Scholes, Mitiamo.
12 Rachel Pettifer, Newbridge.
11 Aleesha Flanagan, Pyramid Hill.
10 Dannielle Flood, Bridgewater.
Leading votes for the Joy Lawry Medal, B-grade:
29 Brittany Hercus, Marong.
26 Simone Edgley, Pyramid Hill.
24 Leah Oxford, Newbridge.
19 Charli Crawford, Marong.
18 Mikayla Burge, Pyramid Hill.
15 Christie Griffiths, Maiden Gully YCW.
15 Sam Reaper, Bridgewater.
13 Taylah Diss, Mitiamo.
12 Emily O’Rourke, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
Leading votes for C-grade:
23 Laura Lindner, Maiden Gully YCW.
19 Tamera Gribben, Marong.
17 Tamara Hayes, Bridgewater.
16 Erin Farrar, Pyramid Hill.
14 Tia Lane, Bridgewater.
13 Jemma Holmberg, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
13 Cara Stone, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
12 Nicole Campbell, Pyramid Hill.
12 Rhiannon Dean, Bridgewater.
12 Shannon Taylor, Pyramid Hill.
Leading votes for C-reserve:
23 Tilly Suckling, Maiden Gully YCW.
22 Skye Ferns, Newbridge.
20 Shasta Maher, Inglewood.
17 McKenzie Dunne, Inglewood.
17 Emily Teggelove, Marong.
13 Georgie McGrath, Marong.
13 Claire Pickles, Pyramid Hill.
12 Millie Binns, North Bendigo.
12 Lyss Mulder, Mitiamo.
12 Olivia Turvey, Pyramid Hill.
11 Aimie Brown, Bridgewater.
11 Catelyn Glewis, Maiden Gully YCW.
Leading votes for 17-and-under:
21 Rachael Flood, Bridgewater.
20 Ava Maxted, Calivil United.
19 Savannah Waters, Marong.
18 Chelsea Eastwood, Maiden Gully YCW.
16 Ivy McCann, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
14 Kaitlin Broad, Pyramid Hill.
13 Sophie Tyrrell, Bridgewater.
12 Anika Bysouth, Inglewood.
11 Stephanie Ingram, Calivil United.
10 Evie Pay, Bridgewater.
10 Elodie Sharman, Calivil United.
10 Araminta Wood, Bridgewater.
Leading votes for 15-and-under:
25 Teagen Vinnicombe, Calivil United.
23 Ashleigh Medhurst, Marong.
21 Imogen Brown, Bridgewater.
17 Eden Murray, Maiden Gully YCW.
15 Emma Hay, Mitiamo.
15 Lucy Rollinson, Inglewood.
13 Cecily Farrar, Pyramid Hill.
13 Piper Long, Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
13 Chloe Tweed, Calivil United.
11 Ruby Cullen, Calivil United.
11 Ruby Wallis, Maiden Gully YCW.
10 Emma O’Toole, Marong.