COLBINABBIN has capped an unbeaten run to the A-grade netball finals in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.
The Jen McIntyre-coached Grasshoppers showed they will be tough to beat for this year’s Cup as they scored a 33-goal victory in Saturday’s round 18 clash with Mount Pleasant.
The Grasshoppers warmed up for the finals by pouring in 71 goals in the round 18 match at Toolleen.
The Anthea McCleary-coached Mount Pleasant finish the home-and-away series in third place and will prepare to take on White Hills in Saturday’s qualifying final at Gunbower.
Two other finals-bound teams in Huntly and White Hills also took the points in Saturday’s play.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks marked an 18-goal win on their Strauch Reserve court against Heathcote.
An evenly-fought opening term went Huntly’s way, 12-11.
From then on the Ashlea Sherlock and Kym Bell-coached Hawks surged clear of the Anna Dundon-coached Saints.
Huntly won the next three quarters – 15-8, 14-12 and 18-10.
At the final siren the brown and gold led 51-49.
The Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons were on their court in Scott Street against Lockington Bamawm United.
The Elly Lawton-coached Demons warmed up for a qualifying final showdown with Mount Pleasant by scoring a 65-22 win against the LBU Cats.
The Kerryn Giorgianni and Shelby Stone-coached LBU marked some fine matches in the second half of the season.
North Bendigo and Leitchville Gunbower contested their final match of the season on North Bendigo’s court at Bendigo Club Oval in Atkins Street.
The Kiralee Kinder-coached North Bendigo won 65-42 against the Grant Matthews-coached LG Bombers.
North Bendigo ended the season with a hat-trick of wins and in sixth place.
Elmore had the bye.
An Elmore team coached by Cayde Hayes, playing, and Hayley Langdon, non-playing, will take on Huntly in Sunday’s elimination final in North Bendigo.
Standings in the Heathcote DFNL A-grade netball competition after 18 rounds:
Colbinabbin 242 per cent, 64 points; White Hills 127, 52; Mount Pleasant 121, 44; Elmore 96, 38; Huntly 93, 36; North Bendigo 103, 30; Leitchville Gunbower 70, 12; Lockington Bamawm United 65, 8; Heathcote 56, 4.
In the A-reserve competition, White Hills clinched an elimination final berth as it scored a 49-39 win against Lockington Bamawm United.
The Demons started the match in sixth place, a win behind the fifth-placed LBU.
Leitchville Gunbower stitched up a place in the 17-under finals as it won on North Bendigo’s court.
17-under, 15-under and 13-under elimination finals will be decided in the last round of the home-and-away series.
Just two points separated Huntly and Leitchville Gunbower in the race to make the 15-under finals.
Both teams won Saturday’s matches and it was the Huntly Hawks who progressed to an elimination final showdown with Colbinabbin.
The Heathcote Saints also qualified for the 13-under finals.
Heathcote scored a six-goal win at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
Heathcote DFL netball round 18 scoreboard:
A-reserve:
Mount Pleasant 46 lt Colbinabbin 47, White Hills 49 d Lockington Bamawm United 39, North Bendigo 60 d Leitchville Gunbower 21, Huntly d Heathcote (forfeit), Elmore bye.
B-grade:
Mount Pleasant 54 d Colbinabbin 20, White Hills 59 d Lockington Bamawm United 34, North Bendigo d Leitchville Gunbower 16, Huntly 50 d Heathcote 47, Elmore bye.
B-reserve:
Mount Pleasant 65 d Colbinabbin 29, White Hills 34 d Lockington Bamawm United 28, North Bendigo 56 d Leitchville Gunbower 21, Huntly 44 d Heathcote 43. Elmore bye.
17-and-under:
Mount Pleasant 70 d Colbinabbin 11, White Hills 53 d Lockington Bamawm United 26, North Bendigo 15 lt Leitchville Gunbower 42, Huntly 72 d Heathcote 32, Elmore bye.
15-and-under:
Mount Pleasant 29 lt Colbinabbin 37, White Hills 36 lt Lockington Bamawm United 55, North Bendigo 23 lt Leitchville Gunbower 48, Huntly 55 d Heathcote 16, Elmore bye.
13-and-under:
Mount Pleasant 14 lt Colbinabbin 42, White Hills 5 lt Lockington Bamawm United 39, North Bendigo 11 lt Leitchville Gunbower 37, Huntly 14 lt Heathcote 20, Elmore bye.
Heathcote DFNL netball ladders after 18 rounds:
A-reserve:
Huntly 152 per cent, 52 points; Mount Pleasant 148, 44; Colbinabbin 116, 40; North Bendigo 114, 32; White Hills 109, 24; Lockington Bamawm United 99, 24; Elmore 54, 8; Leitchville Gunbower 53, 0.
B-grade:
White Hills 150 per cent, 60 points; Huntly 147, 56; Mount Pleasant 116, 38; Lockington Bamawm United 99, 38; Heathcote 109, 32; North Bendigo 99, 28; Colbinabbin 82, 16; Elmore 81, 16; Leitchville Gunbower 48, 4.
B-reserve:
Huntly 165 per cent, 64 points; Mount Pleasant 141, 46; White Hills 128, 46; North Bendigo 121, 40; Heathcote 98, 34; Lockington Bamawm United 105, 28; Elmore 98, 20; Leitchville Gunbower 40, 6; Colbinabbin 62, 4.
17-and-under:
Huntly 216 per cent, 58 points; Mount Pleasant 169, 56; White Hills 159, 48; Elmore 96, 40; Leitchville Gunbower 104, 32; Lockington Bamawm United 124, 26; Heathcote 59, 12; North Bendigo 55, 8; Colbinabbin 38, 8.
15-and-under:
Lockington Bamawm United 366 per cent, 64 points; White Hills 172, 52; Elmore 139, 46; Colbinabbin 100, 36; Huntly 125, 32; Leitchville Gunbower 90, 30; Heathcote 46, 18; North Bendigo 43, 6; Mount Pleasant 39, 4.
13-and-under:
Lockington Bamawm United 350, 64; Colbinabbin 229, 56; Elmore 205, 48; Leitchville Gunbower 133, 36; Heathcote 90, 28; Mount Pleasant 69, 24; North Bendigo 64, 20; Huntly 35, 8; White Hills 25, 4.
Schedule for Saturday’s qualifying finals at Gunbower:
13-and-under at 8.45am, court two: Colbinabbin v Elmore.
15-and-under 10am, court two: White Hills v Elmore.
17-and-under at 8.45am, court one: Mount Pleasant v White Hills.
B-reserve at 11.30am, court one: Mount Pleasant v White Hills.
B-grade at 10am, court one: Huntly v Mount Pleasant.
A-reserve at 1pm, court one: Mount Pleasant v Colbinabbin.
A-grade at 2.30pm, court one: White Hills v Mount Pleasant.
Schedule for Sunday’s elimination finals at Bendigo Club Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street:
13-and-under 9.30am, court two: Leitchville Gunbower v Heathcote.
15-and-under at 11am, court two: Colbinabbin v Huntly.
17-and-under at 9.30am, court one: Elmore v Leitchville Gunbower.
B-reserve at 12.30pm, court two: North Bendigo v Heathcote.
B-grade at 11am, court one: Lockington Bamawm United v Heathcote.
A-reserve at 12.30pm, court one: North Bendigo v White Hills.
A-grade at 2pm, court one: Elmore v Huntly.