Sport
24 August, 2023
MCDFNL Finals - Week One Netball Previews
The finals are finally here after 16 rollercoaster rounds, with finals set to be played in Castlemaine and Newstead across the weekend! In rematches of the 2022 preliminary finals on Saturday, Carisbrook will be looking for revenge against Lexton...
The finals are finally here after 16 rollercoaster rounds, with finals set to be played in Castlemaine and Newstead across the weekend.
Qualifying Final 1 — Carisbrook V Lexton
It’s a rematch of the preliminary final from last year which Carisbrook has been waiting 12 months for.
The Redbacks have clearly been hurting after letting slip a fantastic opportunity to go to the grand final in 2022, having earned the week off by breaking the Avoca/Natte Bealiba duopoly in the first week of the finals.
Instead, Lexton came in and ran away with the game in the final quarter over an injury-hit Redbacks, and were able to progress to the grand final.
The one that got away for Carisbrook, perhaps, but this game still looms as an exciting affair given just how good both teams can be.
The Redbacks completed an undefeated home and away season last week, finishing with 15 wins and one draw for the campaign.
For many teams, it’s been a tough task trying to match their all-round brilliance around the court.
Laura Hurse has once again been the general in the midcourt, and she’s been ably assisted by Lauren Jones and Annika Munn throughout the season, as they have garnered opportunity after opportunity for Andrea Schafer and Paige McLean, who have been a well-balanced goalscoring duo.
At the other end of the court, Sherriden Byrne and Elise Mottram have been the most frugal defence in the competition by a big distance, conceding 50 goals fewer than the next best team in Natte Bealiba.
However, Lexton are capable of upsetting the applecart, particularly given they were able to score 41 goals against the Redbacks, one of just two teams to do so this year — the other being Avoca.
Julia Parkin and Kimberley Roberts continue to provide great drive through the Lexton midcourt, while Rachel Phelan and Leesa Donhardt have been able to give Lexton many opportunities in front of goal, and are the fourth best scoring team for the year.
In defence, Caitlin Howell and Jenna Field will be tasked with stopping Schafer and McLean.
In their round six clash, Carisbrook were able to recover from a slow start to wear down the Tigers, winning by eight goals, and another win here will cement their status as premiership favourites.
Qualifying Final 2 — Natte Bealiba V Avoca
Like Carisbrook in the other qualifying final, Avoca has had this very game circled with red ink for a whole year.
Make no mistake, given their status as very warm premiership favourites in 2022, they have hurt all season long, knowing that they were 45 games unbeaten, only to fall to the Swans at the second last hurdle, and watching them claim the premiership a week later.
Perhaps it’s a surprise that Avoca have finished third, yet in such a crazy season, that one loss to Natte Bealiba in round five ultimately meant the Bulldogs were unable to claim equal bragging rights with Carisbrook in what has been a simply insane race for the minor premiership.
But it takes two to tango, and Natte Bealiba, likewise, will be looking to keep their winning run against Avoca going.
They were off to a sluggish start in their round five clash with the Bulldogs, but with player unavailability wearing down the Dogs, the Swans came all the way back and eventually won by six goals.
The Swans have been led in outstanding fashion by Emma Ryan, who has put together a dominant season in front of goal, scoring 747 goals — just a clip under 50 goals a game, and 143 goals more than the next best, the Dogs’ Maddy Egan, who’ll also be a pivotal part of this game.
Both teams have been incredibly strong around the court. Ella Tranter, Chloe Ross and Demi Cossar have strangled opposition midcourts all season long, while any team that gets past them have to deal with Maddison Farrell and Naomi Medlyn. Tough ask. Shannae Mills has provided a solid foil for Ryan in goal attack as well.
However, the Bulldogs will feel that they absolutely have the team to progress straight into the preliminary final.
Elisa Pica has enjoyed an excellent season, and was rewarded with the Bulldogs best and fairest, while Caitlin Drummond and Keisha Tonzing, in recent weeks, have been an excellent defensive combination. Lucy Howell and wily veteran Stacey Blair have also been key to Avoca’s season, while Gina Beavis has again played a crucial role as Egan’s sidekick in the goal circle.
Elimination Final 1 — Trentham V Navarre
Trentham and Navarre meet in an elimination final which pits two different pathways to this meeting.
The Saints were able to shake off a mid-season slump to eventually finish in fifth position, and looms as one of the more dangerous teams to break the top four down.
However, for Navarre, it’s been a different story. A good start, followed up by a disastrous three-month patch which yielded just one win — what turned out to be an important victory in retrospect against Harcourt, before finishing off with three straight wins to knock the Lions out of the finals race at the very last gasp.
The two teams have met twice this year, with Trentham coming out on top twice, winning by five and nine goals respectively.
The Saints have shown a strong amount of versatility throughout the season, something that has been embodied by playing-coach Sharna Ford, who is able to work through the midcourt and provide an option in the goalcircle.
Hayley Bourke has been the constant in the goalcircle, while Prue Higgins has also emerged as a goalscoring option in recent weeks.
Jade Cass and Jessica Walker will also be important for the Saints going forward, given their work in defence.
Navarre will be looking to continue to recapture the early-season form which made them look every bit a threat, given that they were able to defend the court very well in the early stages, even despite playing much of the early season against teams which would eventually finish in the bottom half of the table.
Playing-coach Rachel Wood will be a factor, as will Annabelle Price and Lisa Monaghan through the mid-court, while Darcy Crawford and Erin Chisholm has been a solid goalscoring combination throughout the season.
Jacana Gordon and Jade Allen will have their hands full with the constant changing of combinations that Trentham will throw at them, and will need to be on their game to ensure Navarre’s stunning late-season revival continues.
The reward for the winner will be a semi-final date with either Carisbrook or Lexton.
Elimination Final 2 — Maryborough Rovers V Dunolly
It’s been an emotional year for both of these teams, who meet in the second elimination final.
For Rovers, there’s no tomorrow — they must simply keep winning games to keep their tenure going on the court ahead of their merger with Royal Park next year, and what a reward it would be to win a final.
However, Dunolly, and their 150th year celebration, stands in the way of that achievement, and they too, have enjoyed an exceptional season, improving after finishing 13th in 2022.
Dunolly’s case has been greatly improved by a whole host of their best players coming back to the fold in 2023, with playing-coach Ash Lierich and Kate Ashmore holding down the fort in defence, while Serena Lafranchi, Mel Schodde and Leah Davis has provided plenty of drive through the midcourt.
Up in the goalcircle, Samantha Cheetham and Zoe Aldridge have been a solid pairing all season, even if the Eagles have scored the fewest goals of all the top eight teams.
They will have their hands full with Maryborough Rovers, who are an ultra-attacking team, ranked fifth in goals this season, although they have also leaked the fourth most goals in 2023, ahead of only bottom three teams Newstead, Talbot and Campbells Creek, which will need to be improved if they are to win this game.
Nevertheless, Rovers have a strong balance across the court. with Ebony Cain, in recent weeks, providing great stability to the midcourt, alongside Ebony Raven and Bethany Fitzpatrick.
Tegan Maddern has been a key reason behind Rovers’ improved goalscoring throughout the season, and has formed a solid goalcircle partnership with playing-coach Abbey Raven, while Julie Flynn and Charlotte Cain, in recent weeks, have held down the opposite end of the court.
When the two teams met in round 10, it was Dunolly that proved too strong, taking an important 11-goal victory which helped cement their spot in the eight.
With plenty of emotion riding on this one, expect this to go right down to the wire, while the reward for the winner is a semi-final date with either Avoca or Natte Bealiba.