General News
28 July, 2026
Natte Bealiba take 10-goal triumph over rivals Carisbrook on the road to finals
As a team that’s constantly been in the premiership hunt this decade, very rarely has uncertainty crept into Natte Bealiba’s title ambitions.
Yet after back-to-back losses to Avoca and Navarre, the Swans entered Saturday’s clash with old rivals Carisbrook keen to prove themselves.
Reminiscent of classic finals clashes from yesteryear, these two talented sides were engaged in another enthralling affair, entering half time with the Swans narrowly leading 26-25.
After creating some slight separation in the third quarter, a clutch final term helped Natte get their season back on track with a resounding 52-45 victory.
When the Swans needed someone to step up, shooter Sian Mortlock answered their calls for a hero, scoring a vital 38 goals.
Adding to the intrigue of Saturday’s blockbuster was that both teams had several key additions to their starting lineups after recently being hampered by injury and unavailability.
While Carisbrook were boosted by the returns of star midcourter Charlotte Cain and defender Elise Mottram, the Swans welcomed back their deadly defensive pairing of Ellie Martin and Naomi Medlyn as well as shooter Chelsea Ross.
With both contenders largely back at full strength, a finals atmosphere quickly swelled around CHS Broadbent Oval.
After superstar midcourters Ella Tranter and Chloe Ross played pivotal roles in Natte’s 78-41 round two victory over Carisbrook, the returning Cain improved the Redbacks midcourt pressure along-side Lauren Jones and Katie Bilton.
Medlyn and Martin were also having a prosperous reunion, expertly surveying the goal circle and rebounding some early misses from Carisbrook’s leading scorer Abbey Nalder.
After a tense 15 minutes of netball, the Swans and Redbacks remained deadlocked at 11-11.
As both began to find separation in the midcourt, takeaways became increasingly scarce as the excruciatingly tight second quarter progressed.
With Redbacks defender Finley Wagstaff constantly draped over Chelsea Ross, Sian Mortlock quickly became Natte’s leading scoring option, excelling with the newfound responsibility.
While Mortlock threatened to give the Swans a distinct advantage, Carisbrook player-coach Jordan Macilwain ensured her team stayed level as seemingly everything she touched turned into goals.
As players walked off the court following the half time whistle, Natte held the narrowest of leads.
After leading by a goal at half time of their round 14 defeat to Navarre, the Swans were aggressive with their half time alterations, giving Alex Williams the goal keeper bib while Medlyn and Martin shared duties at goal defence.
Hoping to respond to Natte’s constant reshuffling in the midcourt, the Redbacks brought on Jade Richardson to provide extra energy on the defensive end.
Natte Bealiba started the second half on the front foot, but with Chelsea Ross struggling against the constant presence of Wagstaff, the Swans made another bold decision, swapping Ross for Sian Mortlock’s sister Eve Mortlock.
The shooting sisters did help Natte take a three-goal lead into three-quarter time, but with Macilwain’s automatic shooting touch, the Swans knew they needed to find another gear to close the game out.
After platooning Macilwain’s direct opponent in the third quarter, Natte elected to give veteran Medlyn the vital job of marking Macilwain in the fourth quarter.
With the former Nalder Tracey trophy winner using all of her experience and skill to deny service to Macilwain, Carisbrook’s midcourt were forced to divert their entry passes to Nalder, who was unable to rectify her uncharacteristic shooting woes at a critical time for Carisbrook.
That allowed Tranter and Ebony Raven to create more opportunities for Sian Mortlock, who clinically capitalised to guide the Swans to a hard-fought victory that virtually assures a qualifying final matchup with Navarre.
Sian Mortlock starred with 38 goals while Chelsea Ross netted nine and Eve Mortlock scored five in the second half.
Macilwain fought valiantly for Carisbrook, ending with 20 goals and just one miss alongside Nalder, who top-scored with 25 goals.