BY NATHAN DOLE
SWAN Hill soared into the Central Murray FNL’s A-grade netball competition after a five-goal win against Mallee Eagles in Saturday’s preliminary final.
The Swans and Eagles played a great match on the Tooleybuc court.
Swan Hill led 13-12 at quarter-time and 30-26 by half-time.
A third-quarter surge put the Swans well in control as they won the term, 17-11.
Although it faced a 10-goal deficit going into the last term, Mallee Eagles never gave up.
Mallee won the last, 17-12, but it was Swan Hill which led 59-54 at the final siren.
The Swan Hill attack was led by Ingrid Condely on 32 goals as Zoe Morris added 27.
Megan Thorneycroft scored a match-high 35 goals for the Eagles at Kellie Walker chipped in with 19.
The Swans will now meet Lake Boga in Saturday’s grand final at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve.
At the end of the home-and-away series, Lake Boga led the ladder on a win-loss tally of 15-1 and Swan Hill was second on a 14-2 record.
It was a one-goal thriller when Lake Boga played Swan Hill in the second semi-final.
A 43-42 win by the Magpies put them through to the grand final.
A closely-fought A-reserve preliminary final between Balranald and Lake Boga went the way of the Kangaroos.
Balranald led 11-9 at quarter-time, but Lake Boga hit back to make it 19-all by the main break.
The Magpies then won the third term, 11-10, but it was the Kangaroos who lifted their play to score 10 goals in the last and hold Lake Boga to a tally of seven.
A 39-37 victory put Balranald through to a grand final showdown with Mallee Eagles.
Goalers for the Kangaroos were Bec Harvey, 25; and Macy Lloyd, 14.
The Lake Boga attack was led by Milla Holt on 31 goals.
The Magpies will be striving to end the Eagles’ unbeaten run in the match which matters most.
In B-grade, Koondrook Barham won through to the grand final.
The River Raiders outplayed Nyah Nyah West United after half-time to win the preliminary final by seven goals.
Koondrook Barham led 16-15 at half-time and won the next two quarters, 11-6 and 9-8, to claim a 36-29 victory.
Details on Koondrook Barham’s goalers were incomplete.
The NNWU Demons attack was led by Nandia Brabham, 14; Renae Caelli, 11; and Charlotte Rush, 4.
It will be Woorinen against Koondrook Barham in the B-grade season decider.
A one-goal thriller was played out between Kerang and Swan Hill in the B-reserve preliminary final.
Swan Hill led 20-17 at half-time and 28-25 going into the final quarter.
The Blues put in a superb last term to win it, 7-3, and the match, 32-31.
Mikala McNeill was best on court for Kerang as Clare Robertson starred for the Swans.
Goalers for the Blues included Harley Tarr, 17; and Zenda Peacock, 11.
Ryley Purcell scored a game-high 22 goals for Swan Hill.
Kerang will now face Koondrook Barham in the grand final.
Just two goals separated Tyntynder and Mallee Eagles at the end of the 18-and-under preliminary final.
Scores were 18-all at half-time before Tyntynder won the third, 6-3.
In the last it was the Eagles who scored six goals, but a tally of five by the Bulldogs was enough to clinch a 29-27 victory.
Olivia Stead scored 16 goals for Tyntyndre as Tahni Smith added 13.
Details on Mallee’s goalers were incomplete.
Tyntynder will take on Cohuna in the grand final.
Kerang won a high-scoring 16-and-under preliminary final against Cohuna.
The Blues led 29-25 at half-time and 41-38 going into the last.
In an entertaining final term, Kerang scored eight goals and Cohuna added four.
A 49-45 victory put Kerang into the grand final against Woorinen.
Details on Kerang’s goalers were not supplied.
Cohuna’s Zoe Pollock scored a match-high 38 goals and Maddy Black chipped in with six.
Lake Boga charged clear of Mallee Eagles in the final quarter of the 14-and-under preliminary final.
The Eagles led 6-5 at quarter-time and the Magpies were up, 14-12 at the main break.
Lake Boga led 19-18 going into the final term and won it 11-4 to seal a 30-22 victory.
Details on the Magpies’ goalscoring were not supplied.
Clancy Devlin scored 15 goals for Mallee.
Lake Boga will meet Tyntynder in the grand final.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Alan Garden Reserve in Swan Hill:
16-and-under at 8.50am: Woorinen v Kerang, court one.
18-and-under at 10.20am: Cohuna v Tyntynder, court one.
14-and-under at 10.20am: Tyntynder v Lake Boga, court two.
B-grade at 11.50am: Woorinen v Koondrook Barham, court two.
A-reserve at 1.20pm: Mallee Eagles v Balranald, court one.
B-reserve at 1.20pm: Koondrook Barham v Kerang, court two.
A-grade at 2.50pm: Lake Boga v Swan Hill, court one.