BY NATHAN DOLE
MITIAMO and Pyramid Hill made winning starts to the weekend’s A-grade netball finals in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL.
Runner-up in 2022, Mitiamo took to the Bridgewater court for Saturday’s qualifying final against Marong.
The Jen Wilson-coached Superoos had won both of the previous meetings with Marong.
In round nine, Mitiamo won the showdown with the Panthers at Mitiamo’s John Forbes Oval by nine goals.
The lead-up to the qualifying final was the round 18 match at East West Oval in Marong’s Malone Park where Mitiamo charged to a 29-goal victory.
On qualifying final day it was Mitiamo which again proved too strong for the Sue Borserio-coached Panthers to record a 57-45 victory.
The Superoos will now prepare to take on Maiden Gully YCW in next Saturday’s second semi-final to be played at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Reserve.
Pyramid Hill stayed in the A-grade premiership race when it dominated Sunday’s elimination final against Newbridge.
Although Newbridge had home-court advantage at Beck Legal Riverside Oval it was Pyramid Hill which netted an impressive win.
The Gemma Scott-coached Pyramid Hill marked a return to A-grade finals by scoring a 50-27 victory.
It was season over for the Selina Holland-coached Newbridge which ended the regular season in fifth place on an 8-8 record.
A highlight for the Maroons was the 51-48 victory against Maiden Gully YCW on the Eagles court at Marist College Bendigo in the sixth round.
Pyramid Hill is back home at Mitchell Park next Sunday to meet Marong in the first semi-final.
Scoreboard from Saturday’s qualifying finals at Bridgewater:
B-grade Maiden Gully 44 d Pyramid Hill 31.
C-grade: Marong 42 d Pyramid Hill 40.
C-reserve: Maiden Gully YCW 31 d Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 27.
17-and-under: Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 56 lt Bridgewater 58.
15-and-under: Bridgewater 43 d Inglewood 39.
13-and-under: Maiden Gully YCW 27 lt Bridgewater 35.
Scoreboard from Sunday’s elimination finals at Beck Legal Riverside Oval in Newbridge:
B-grade: Bridgewater 50 d Newbridge 42.
C-grade: Bridgewater 45 lt Newbridge 47.
C-reserve: Newbridge 37 d Bridgewater 26.
17-and-under: Calivil United 40 lt Maiden Gully YCW 41.
15-and-under: Bears-Lagooon Serpentine 30 lt Maiden Gully YCW 47.
13-and-under: Inglewood 14 d Pyramid Hill 13.
Schedule for Saturday’s second semi-finals at Gadsden Finance Serpentine Reserve:
A-grade at 3pm: Maiden Gully YCW v Mitiamo.
B-grade at 1.30m: Marong v Maiden Gully YCW.
C-grade at 3pm: Maiden Gully YCW v Marong.
C-reserve at 1.30pm: Marong v Maiden Gully YCW.
17-and-under at 12pm: Marong v Bridgewater.
15-and-under at 10.30am: Calivil United v Bridgewater.
13-and-under at 12pm: Calivil United v Bridgewater.
Schedule for Sunday’s first semi-finals at Pyramid Hill’s Mitchell Park:
A-grade at 3pm: Marong v Pyramid Hill.
B-grade at 1.30pm: Pyramid Hill v Bridgewater.
C-grade at 3pm: Pyramid Hill v Newbridge.
C-reserve at 1.30pm: Bears-Lagoon Serpentine v Newbridge.
17-and-under at 12pm: Bears-Lagoon Serpentine v Maiden Gully YCW.
15-and-under at 10.30am: Inglewood v Maiden Gully YCW.
13-and-under at 12pm: Maiden Gully YCW v Inglewood.