Seven clubs represented across netball preliminaries
SEVEN clubs are represented in this weekend’s netball preliminary finals in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley Football Netball League.
A place in the grand final is up for grabs as teams take to the courts at Holloway Air Riverside Oval in Newbridge.
The Maiden Gully YCW Eagles must do something they only had to once in the home-and-away series, bounce back from defeat, to earn a shot at Mitiamo in the season decider.
A Calivil United line-up which has made its way from the elimination final stands in the Eagles way.
After a 42-46 loss at home to Marong in round one, Maiden Gully YCW went on a 13-game winning streak.
The Eagles’ run was broken as Mitiamo played with plenty of dare and flair to score a 59-45 victory in last Saturday’s second-final at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Reserve.
The build-up to the preliminary final began on a great note for the Eagles as goalshooter Tia Wabb was crown the Helen Ward medallist as the LVNFL’s fairest and best on Monday night.
Ward polled 28 votes to win the award for the first time and will play a key role in the Eagles’ quest for premiership glory.
The Christie Griffiths-coached Maiden Gully YCW won both clashes with Calivil United in the run to the finals.
In round six, the Eagles beat the Demons, 58-46 at Calivil.
The return match in the 15th round at Marist College Bendigo in Maiden Gully ended in a 58-47 win for the Eagles.
Calivil United has handled the pressure of finals netball incredibly well.
The Karen Pascoe and Teigan Redwood-coached Demons marked a 61-56 win against Bridgewater in the elimination final and followed up with a 40-36 result in last Sunday’s first semi-final against Marong at Calivil.
As the Eagles and Demons fight it out, Mitiamo will wait to face the winner in the September 10 grand final to be played at Marist College Bendigo in Maiden Gully.
The B-grade preliminary final features Newbridge up against Maiden Gully YCW.
Both contests in the regular season went the way of Newbridge, 49-46 at Maiden Gully in round three, and 45-39 at Holloway Air Riverside Oval in the 12th round.
The Maroons will be on the rebound from a 44-44 loss to Bridgewater in the second semi-final.
Maiden Gully YCW lost the qualifying final to Bridgewater by 16 goals, but hit back for a 38-36 win against Pyramid Hill in the first semi-final.
A key player in the Eagles’ line-up is goal attack Jarrenhy Webb who polled 29 votes to earn the Joy Lawry Medal as B-grade’s best and fairest player.
Bridgewater takes on Marong in the C-grade preliminary final.
The Panthers beat the Mean Machine, 49-26 in round two at Malone Park and then triumphed 34-31 at Bridgewater in the 11th round.
The teams met on day one of the finals series in which Bridgewater won a qualifying final thriller, 37-36.
In last Saturday’s play, Bridgewater went down to Maiden Gully YCW in the second semi-final by two goals.
The Panthers kept premiership hopes alive as they scored a 51-42 victory against Bears Lagoon Serpentine in the first semi.
Marong takes on Newbridge in the C-reserve preliminary final.
A qualifying final showdown between these teams ended in a 36-34 win for the Panthers.
Marong was beaten by a goal in the second semi-final clash with Maiden Gully YCW as Newbridge beat Bridgewater by 12 goals in the first semi a day later.
The Panthers won home-and-away series matches against the Maroons by margins of 12 and 13 goals.
First of Newbridge’s teams to take to the court on preliminary final day will be the 17-under line-up.
The Maroons will take on Calivil United.
Stung by a 47-31 loss to Maiden Gully YCW in the second semi, Newbridge will be fired up.
The record in this season’s meetings between the preliminary finalists stands at one-all.
The Demons won at Newbridge in round nine, before the Maroons won 35-30 at Calivil in the 18th round.
After a 37-50 loss to Maiden Gully YCW in the qualifying final, Newbridge scored a 45-29 victory in the first semi against Bridgewater.
It’s the Bulldogs against the Bears in the 15-under preliminary final between Pyramid Hill and Bears Lagoon Serpentine.
A great run by the Bears in the finals began with a 46-44 victory to eliminate Calivil United, and then a 40-39 win against Maiden Gully in the first semi-final.
Pyramid Hill won the qualifying final against Maiden Gully YCW by a goal, but could not stop a rampant Marong which won the second semi, 49-29.
The Bears beat Pyramid Hill at Mitchell Park by five goals in round five, but the Bulldogs claimed the points in a 34-27 result on the BLS court in the 12th round.
Second of Pyramid Hill’s teams in action on Saturday will be the 13-and-under squad against Calivil United.
The Bulldogs won the qualifying final against Mitiamo by two goals before a 22-26 loss to Marong in the second semi.
Pyramid Hill faces a big challenge as Calivil United won the elimination final against Bears Lagoon Serpentine by 20 goals and marked a 30-26 result against Mitiamo in the first semi.
This season’s meetings between Pyramid Hill and Calivil United stand at one-all.
The Bulldogs won 22-14 in the seventh round at Mitchell Park, and Calivil won 19-16 in the 16th round.
Schedule for Saturday’s preliminary finals at Holloway Air Riverside Oval in Newbridge:
15-and-under at 10.30am: Pyramid Hill v Bears Lagoon Serpentine.
13-and-under at noon: Pyramid Hill v Calivil United.
17-and-under at noon: Newbridge v Calivil United.
C-reserve at 1.30pm: Marong v Newbridge.
B-grade at 1.30pm: Newbridge v Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
C-grade at 3pm: Bridgewater v Marong.
A-grade at 3pm: Maiden Gully YCW Eagles v Calivil United.
Written by Nathan Dole.
