THE Harlowe Huntly Hawks eliminated Elmore from the A-grade netball premiership race in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL elimination final played on Sunday.
The Hawks and Bloods played out a great match at Bendigo Club Oval in North Bendigo’s Atkins Street.
Huntly led 11-6 at quarter-time and 23-19 by the long break.
A Huntly team coached by Ashlea Sherlock and Kym Bell then opened up a seven-goal buffer by three quarter-time as it poured in 11 goals in the third term and kept the Bloods to a tally of eight.
Quarter four was dominated by the Cayde Hayes and Hayley Langdon-coached Elmore.
The Bloods scored 13 goals and kept the brown and gold to just six goals.
Scores were locked on 40-all when the siren sounded.
The match then moved into extra time which went the way of the Hawks, 7-6.
A 47-46 victory ensured Huntly would progress to next Sunday’s first semi-final against Mount Pleasant at Lockington’s Nichol Trading Oval.
Day one of the Heathcote DFNL finals series tipped off with Saturday’s qualifying finals at Gunbower.
The Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons took on Mount Pleasant in the A-grade match.
It was a high-scoring contest between the Demons and Blues.
The Elly Lawton-coached White Hills worked hard for a 55-52 victory.
A Mount Pleasant team coached by Anthea McCleary worked hard to earn the double chance and will use it against Huntly in next Sunday’s first semi-final.
White Hills will take on the unbeaten Colbinabbin in Saturday’s second semi-final at Colbinabbin’s M.J. Morgan Oval.
Runner-up the past two seasons the Jen McIntyre-coached Colbinabbin won all 16 matches in the home-and-away series and is hot favourite to claim this season’s premiership glory.
Heathcote DFNL netball elimination finals scoreboard:
A-grade: Huntly 47 d Elmore 46 (extra time).
A-reserve: White Hills 45 d North Bendigo 41.
B-grade: Lockington Bamawm United 49 d Heathcote 43.
B-reserve: North Bendigo 41 d Heathcote 27.
17-and-under: Leitchville Gunbower 29 d Elmore 28.
15-and-under: Huntly 38 d Colbinabbin 33.
13-and-under: Leitchville Gunbower 31 d Heathcote 29.
Heathcote DFNL netball qualifying finals scoreboard:
A-grade: White Hills 55 d Mount Pleasant 52.
A-reserve: Mount Pleasant 56 d Colbinabbin 48.
B-grade: Huntly 50 d Mount Pleasant 47.
B-reserve: White Hills 43 d Mount Pleasant 38.
17-and-under: Mount Pleasant 47 d White Hills 42.
15-and-under: White Hills 48 d Elmore 25.
13-and-under: Colbinabbin 29 d Elmore 21.
Schedule for Saturday’s second semi-finals at Colbinabbin’s M.J. Morgan Oval:
17-and-under at 8.45am, court one: Huntly v Mount Pleasant.
13-and-under at 8.45am, court two: Lockington Bamawm United v Colbinabbin.
15-and-under at 10am, court two: Lockington Bamawm United v White Hills.
B-grade at 11.15am, court one: White Hills v Huntly.
B-reserve at 12.30pm, court one: Huntly v White Hills.
A-reserve at 1.45pm, court one: Huntly v Mount Pleasant.
A-grade at 3pm, court one: Colbinabbin v White Hills.
Schedule for Sunday’s first semi-finals at Lockington Recreation Reserve:
17-and-under at 9.30am, court one: White Hills v Leitchville Gunbower.
13-and-under at 9.30am, court two: Elmore v Leitchville Gunbower.
B-grade at 11am, court one: Mount Pleasant v Lockington Bamawm United.
15-and-under at 11am, court two: Elmore v Huntly.
B-reserve at 12.30pm, court two: Mount Pleasant v North Bendigo.
A-reserve at 12.30pm, court one: Colbinabbin v White Hills.
A-grade at 2pm, court one: Mount Pleasant v Huntly.