MOUNT Pleasant achieved a stunning feat against White Hills to reach the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DNFL’s A-grade netball grand final.
The Blues had not beaten the Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons in A-grade for more than a decade.
The Anthea McCleary-coached Mount Pleasant upturned this season’s run in the home-and-away series to score a five-goal win against White Hills in the preliminary final.
It was a superb match between the Blues and Demons on the Elmore Recreation Reserve court.
The Demons led 23-21 at half-time.
Mount Pleasant then poured in 18 goals and kept the red and black to a tally of five in the crucial third quarter.
By the final siren Mount Pleasant was up 45-40.
Across the home-and-away series the Elley Lawton-coached White Hills had defeated the Blues by 23 and eight goals.
They also met in the qualifying final which White Hills won by three goals.
The Blues showed they had taken plenty of confidence from the 55-52 result as they bounced back to win the first semi against Huntly by 20 goals.
The Demons went into the preliminary final following a 21-goal loss to Colbinabbin in the second semi-final.
This Saturday it will be Mount Pleasant again vying for a massive upset against the unbeaten Colbinabbin in the grand final.
The Jen McIntyre-coached Colbinabbin was runner-up the past two seasons.
There were some dramatic finishes to Saturday’s preliminary finals on Elmore’s courts.
Colbinabbin scored a 46-44 victory against Mount Pleasant in the A-reserve contest.
In B-reserve, Mount Pleasant fought on for a 52-51 victory against White Hills.
The White Hills Demons fired up for a 49-48 win against the Huntly Hawks in the 15-and-under match.
Mount Pleasant won the 17-and-under clash with White Hills by four goals.
Biggest margin of the day was in B-grade where Huntly netted a 51-35 win against Mount Pleasant.
Among the teams first-up on court were Colbinabbin and Elmore in the 13-and-under match.
The young Grasshoppers scored a 22-18 win against the young Bloods.
Five clubs feature in this Saturday’s grand finals at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve.
The Harlowe Huntly Hawks will have four teams in action on courts they know well.
Colbinabbin will be represented by three teams, as will Mount Pleasant.
Lockington Bamawm United and White Hills have two teams chasing premiership glory.
Heathcote DFNL netball preliminary finals scoreboard:
A-grade: Mount Pleasant 45 d White Hills 40.
A-reserve: Colbinabbin 46 d Mount Pleasant 44.
B-grade: Huntly 51 d Mount Pleasant 35.
B-reserve: Mount Pleasant 52 d White Hills 51.
17-and-under: Mount Pleasant 41 d White Hills 37.
15-and-under: White Hills 49 d Huntly 48.
13-and-under: Colbinabbin 22 d Elmore 18.
Schedule for Saturday’s grand finals at Huntly’s Strauch Reserve:
17-and-under, court one at 8.30am: Huntly v Mount Pleasant.
13-and-under, court two at 8.30am: Lockington Bamawm United v Colbinabbin.
B-grade, court one at 10am: White Hills v Huntly.
15-and-under, court two at 10am: Lockington Bamawm United v White Hills.
B-reserve, court one at 11.30am: Huntly v Mount Pleasant.
A-reserve, court one at 1pm: Huntly v Colbinabbin.
A-grade, court one at 2.30pm: Colbinabbin v Mount Pleasant.