BY NATHAN DOLE
Superoos aiming to bounce back
ROCKED by defeat in the second semi-final, Mitiamo takes on Bridgewater in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL’s A-grade netball preliminary final on Saturday.
The Superoos and Mean Machine will be striving to advance to a grand final showdown with Pyramid Hill on September 14 at Mitiamo’s John Forbes Oval.
To do so they must win Saturday’s match at Inglewood’s Centre State Scaffolding Oval.
The A-grade match starts at 3pm.
Just two goals separated Mitiamo and Bridgewater when they met in the 17th round at John Forbes Oval.
A top contest on the Superoos’ court ended in a 45-43 victory for the home team.
In round eight the Jen Wilson-coached Mitiamo won 53-40 on Bridgewater’s court.
The lead-up to the preliminary final included Bridgewater defender Carly Van Den Heuvel being declared the newest Helen Ward medallist as fairest and best in the Loddon Valley’s A-grade netball competition.
It’s been a great finals series by the Caz Wood and Olivia Collicoat-coached Bridgewater.
A four-goal win against Bears-Lagoon Serpentine in the elimination final was followed by a 58-38 victory against Newbridge in the first semi-final.
Now the Mean Machine is a victory away from reaching a grand final.
Getting there will not be easy against an opponent which had a 15-1 record and was number one at the end of the home-and-away series.
In B-grade action, Pyramid Hill takes on Marong in the preliminary final from 1.30pm on court one.
Margin was a goal in both matches between the Bulldogs and Panthers in the home-and-away series.
Pyramid Hill won 46-45 in the Anzac Round match played at East West Oval in Marong’s Malone Park on April 27.
The Panthers netted a 53-52 victory at Pyramid Hill’s Mitchell Park in the 12th round.
In the qualifying final, Pyramid Hill defeated Marong, 51-49.
The Bulldogs could not halt Newbridge’s charge to a 56-37 win in the second semi-final.
Marong stayed in the title race as it scored a six-goal win against Bridgewater in the first semi-final.
It’s a showdown between the Bulldogs and Panthers as Pyramid Hill faces Marong in the C-grade preliminary final at 3pm on court two.
They also had closely-fought contests in the regular season.
Pyramid Hill won 45-42 at Marong in round three, and the Panthers won 48-46 on the Bulldogs’ court in the 12th round.
After a 29-goal win against Maiden Gully YCW in the elimination final, Marong followed up with a 56-51 victory against Newbridge in the first semi-final.
The Bulldogs will be fired up after a 20-29 loss to Bridgewater in the second semi-final.
In C-reserve, Marong takes on Bridgewater from 1.30pm on Saturday on court two in Inglewood.
The Mean Machine won 51-46 in the Panthers’ den in round six.
It was a 30-29 thriller as Marong took the points at Bridgewater in the 15th round.
The Mean Machine’s charge in the finals began with a five-goal win against Pyramid Hill in the elimination final and then a four-goal win against Newbridge in the first semi.
Marong is on the rebound from a one-goal loss in the second semi-final clash with Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
In the 17-and-under competition, Bridgewater faces Marong in the preliminary final at noon on court one.
The Mean Machine won its previous two hit-outs with the Panthers by three and six goals.
Bridgewater is on the rebound from a 36-45 loss to Calivil United in the second semi-final.
After a 50-53 loss to Calivil United in the qualifying final, Marong hit back for a 30-goal win against Pyramid Hill in the first semi-final.
Calivil United takes on Maiden Gully in the 15-and-under preliminary final from 10.30am on court one.
The Demons beat the Eagles by 21 and seven goals in the home-and-away series.
An unbeaten run by Calivil United was ended in a 49-42 loss to Bridgewater in the second semi-final.
Maiden Gully fought back from a 12-goal loss in the qualifying final against Bridgewater to win the first semi-final against Marong by three goals.
In the 13-and-under competition, Calivil United takes on Inglewood in the preliminary final from noon on court two.
Calivil United won the Reconciliation Round match against the Inglewood by four goals.
When they met in the 16th round on the Blues’ court it was the Demons who fired their way to a 42-22 victory.
Latest meeting between the preliminary finalists was the qualifying final which went Calivil United’s way, 34-24.
The Demons are on the rebound from a 31-29 loss to Marong in the second semi-final.
Inglewood won the first semi-final against Maiden Gully YCW by 23 goals.