Nails bitten to the quick in thrillers
Numurkah upsets Tongala in 2014 boil-over
The News’ special grand final deep dive series continues today, as we have a look over some of the best netball deciders to grace the region. Combining the Goulburn Valley, Picola District, Kyabram District and Murray leagues into one, we have decided to slightly change the parameters to encompass just the past decade — which has produced some epics on the court. These include stunning upsets, thrilling finishes and incredible showings of skill, with the grand final stage certainly living up to its name in these classic games.
So as we anxiously wait for the premier’s road map out of lockdown to reach a point where community sport can once again return — let’s once again reminisce on some of the moments that have shaped netball in the region over the past 10 years.
Echuca ends Bears’ perfect season in one-goal nail-biter
Coming into the 2018 Goulburn Valley League netball grand final you would have been hard pressed to find a pundit confident of betting against Shepparton.
A team led by Melbourne Vixens goal shooter Kim Commane, the Bears had produced one of the dominant seasons up until the grand final — winning all 20 of their encounters and coming into the game red-hot favourites after a 13-goal demolition of Shepparton United in the second semi-final.
All that stood in Shepparton’s path to completing the perfect season was an immensely talented Echuca side which, after finishing second on the ladder with a record of 15-3, won its way through to the grand final with a four-goal win over United in the preliminary final.
In a match-up where the league’s two strongest teams were squaring off against each other, confidence was surprisingly high from the Murray Bombers — as they embraced the underdog tag and went into the game with nothing to lose.
“My thought is it is going to be a great grand final and we have to focus on what we can do well,” Echuca coach Gina Pearson said in the lead-up to the game.
“If we score every time they do we have got a chance.”
The Bears on the other hand had the weight of expectation firmly on their shoulders, as they found themselves with a golden opportunity to have their name etched on the Goulburn Valley League netball trophy for the first time.
With the stage well and truly set, it was a tight start to proceedings at Deakin Reserve — as Echuca immediately went about putting the pressure on the Bears in what was an intense first quarter. Sporting tactics purely designed to shut down the dominance of Commane and force the remaining players to beat, the Murray Bombers forced their opponents into making uncharacteristic mistakes to take a slender one-goal lead into quartertime.
For about the first time in the 2018 season the Bears found themselves under pressure and that would continue into the second term as the Murray Bombers continued to slice their way through the middle of the court and stop any momentum Shepparton could muster.
Led by the work of Sheridan Townrow under the ring and the defensive play of Zara Pearson in goal keeper, Echuca would slowly increase its lead in the second to hold a fourgoal lead at the main change.
A mark of a great team is how it responds to adversity and the Bears proved they were as such with a brilliant reminder of their dominant game style in the third term. Going back to basics, Shepparton managed to limit the mistakes that had plagued it in the first half to put in 15 goals to Echuca’s 10 in a quarter that flipped the momentum on its head.
Now holding a one-goal lead at the beginning of the last term, the Bears found themselves in the box seat as one quarter stood between them and premiership glory. Seemingly well in control after Commane secured a defensive rebound to extend the margin to three goals with just minutes remaining — the Bears did not bank on the last gasp fight of Echuca.
Bringing the score back to 50-50, the Murray Bombers would secure a defensive rebound from an errant Bears shot which would put them into attack and set up the last gasp shot that would seal them a first A-grade premiership since 1996. Remarkably, the B-grade grand final had the roles reversed and Shepparton defeated Echuca 50-49 — capping what was an extraordinary afternoon of netball.
As a sea of green and white engulfed the court following the final siren, Pearson found it hard to describe what was an incredible day for the club.
“It was a fantastic day, I really can’t explain it,” Pearson said.
“I am disappointed for the Bs — but to come away with three premierships from five opportunities, it is a big year to celebrate.
“We’ve worked hard to be there and you could see the support we had, I didn’t look too much at the crowd while the game was on, but when they were doing the presentation and the whole court was covered I thought it was amazing.”
Final score
Echuca 51 d Shepparton 50
Lancaster downs Tallygaroopna in overtime thriller
Sequels are often never as good as the original, but in the case of the grand final match-ups between Lancaster and Tallygaroopna in Kyabram District League there is a firm exception.
After battling it out in a tense grand final in 2010, Lancaster would outlast Tallygaroopna to claim a thrilling 52-47 victory in what was a fantastic celebration of the club’s centenary year.
So when the two sides once again found themselves facing each other on the grand final stage some four years later excitement levels were through the roof, as the Redlegs looked to avenge what was a heartbreaking defeat.
The 2014 season was an extremely intriguing one, as Stanhope pulled away as early premiership favourite after a dominant home and away season had it top the ladder with a record of 17-1 — while Lancaster (16-2) and Tallygaroopna (15-3) followed in second and third. However, the finals were a different story, as the minor premier fell to Lancaster by five in a see-sawing second semi-final — setting up a preliminary final showdown against the Redlegs, who after romping Merrigum and Avenel in the first two weeks of the finals, put together their best performance of the season to send the Lions packing in straight sets.
With the rematch now set up, many found this a tough one to pick as Tallygaroopna came into the contest in red-hot form and match-ready having played in each of the past three weeks, while the Wombats had only graced the court once in their second semi-final triumph a fortnight earlier.
As the whistle blew to start proceedings, it was clear there was no love lost between the two rivals as the intensity was up from the get-go. In what was a low-scoring affair from start to finish, early signs pointed to the Redlegs claiming their muchsought after revenge — as solid pressure on the ball forced Lancaster into a number of mistakes which allowed the likes of Bec Humphrey and Julie Telford to capitalise on the offensive side of the ball. Holding a six-goal margin, which was significant given the low-scoring nature of the game, panic stations had well and truly began for the Wombats — as coach Leanne Busch decided to completely overhaul her line-up to try and get the game back on its terms.
Youngster Sarah Heard would make the move into goal keeper, Kayla Casey to goal defence and Jo McCready went to wing attack, with the changes causing an immediate shift in momentum in the final term as Lancaster finally managed to hit an attacking rhythm.
Piling on 10 goals to the Redlegs’ four, the final three minutes would be where Lancaster really turned it on — managing to rectify a five-goal hole to level the scores in the dying moments and take the game to overtime.
Locked at 33 goals apiece, the Redlegs would fire the first shot in the extra period as they once again limited the offensive output of their opponent to take an early 5-3 lead. But as seen throughout the entirety of proceedings the Wombats would never give up.
Once again getting the game on their terms — Lancaster would go on a scoring blitz to prise the lead off Tallygaroopna for the first time since the early stages and cling on for a famous one-goal victory. Speaking after the game, Busch was overcome with emotion for what her team had accomplished.
“I’ve coached a lot of premiership sides, but I have never had that same emotion when the final siren sounded (today),” she said.
“The heart was pounding and it was fantastic to win such a tight battle.” Final score
Lancaster 40 d Tallygaroopna 39
After falling to Mulwala by one goal in the 2013 grand final — season 2014 was set to be a redemption tour for Tongala. Producing one of the most dominant home and away campaigns in recent Murray Netball League memory, a solitary draw would be the only blemish on the Blues record as they cruised to the minor premiership with expectations of going that elusive one step further.
The main competitors standing in their way was the Mulwala team that bested them in the classic 2013 decider, as well as the league’s other Blues from Numurkah, who had registered an impressive 15 wins to finish third on the table.
It seemed as if it was set to be a grand final rematch, as Tongala easily accounted for the Lions in the second semi-final to win straight through to the decider.
But a preliminary final upset would have Numurkah end Mulwala’s quest for back-to-back titles and set up an intriguing battle of the Blues in the big dance at Moama. Having defeated Numurkah by 21 goals in round 9 — all signs led to an imposing Tongala victory, with almost all pundits picking the 2013 grand finalist to utilise its class and go one better this time around.
“It (that previous result) gives us confidence, but we’re not cocky,” Tongala coach Dylan Nexhip said. “We understand that they might not have been at full-strength that day, but we do feel our defenders match up well with their attackers and that is one of their strongest assets.” Going into the game the script was set that Tongala would claim the premiership that eluded it some 12 months earlier.
Numurkah had other ideas.
Led by inspirational playing coach Renee Judd, Numurkah would absorb the early pressure put on by Tongala and flipped the game on its head to take a two-goal lead into the first change.
With a game plan built on extreme pressure, Numurkah would not give its highly-fancied opponent an inch in the first half — with the likes of Abby Pettifer and Tracey Hughes unable to have their usual impact under the ring for Tongala. However, the minor premiers were able to tighten the reins defensively and enjoy an improved second quarter to have the margin trimmed to a solitary goal at half-time, with all the momentum seemingly on their side. This would carry on into the start of the third term, as impressive attacking play had Tongala take complete control of the game and open up a three-goal lead in the early stages of the second half.
But similarly to the first term Numurkah would fight back, as it managed to once again tighten up defensively and flip the margin on its head with six unanswered goals gifting it a three-goal lead as the siren sounded to end the third stanza.
In an eerily similar position to where it was 12 months ago, Tongala knew it couldn’t let this one slip as the final quarter commenced.
And again it would be Tongala that drew first blood, as a quick flurry of goals had it regain control and skip away to a two-goal lead as the game reached its final minutes.
But as it had done all day Numurkah responded with one last push as attackers Tamara Skinner and Emily Ryan quickly tied the scores — before the ball once again found its way into Ryan’s hands, who duly converted what ended up being the winning goal.
A sea of Numurkah blue descended on the court as the final siren sounded — signifying one of the biggest upsets in Murray league grand final history.
“I think our constant attack and hardness at the ball won it,” coach Judd said.
“We’re a very fit team, so we knew we could run it out and bring that intensity all game and we did that today.”
Final score Numurkah 33 d Tongala 32
Tocumwal pips Rovers in 2015 epic
When it comes to netball rivalries, it doesn’t get much bigger than Tocumwal and Deniliquin Rovers. Facing off in four consecutive grand finals from 2015-18, the two sides can be likened to Hawthorn and Geelong of the late 2000s and early 2010s as it seemed every time they hit the court an incredible game would ensue.
It is always intriguing to look at how a rivalry begins and for these two teams the story originates in 2015. After falling narrowly to Strathmerton in the 2014 grand final, the girls from Tocumwal were well and truly a team on a mission as the 2015 season began.
The Rovers on the other hand were still reeling from a grand final defeat in 2013 and after falling to fifth in 2014 had clear intentions of shooting their way back up the table in 2015.
In what was an incredibly tight campaign, the Rovers would manage to recapture their best and ran rampant to finish as minor premiers with a record of 16-1 — while the Bloods also enjoyed an outstanding season to end up second at 15-2. Coming into the finals series as the two teams to beat, Deni and Tocumwal would meet in the second semifinal — with the class of the minor premier prevailing in a low scoring 46-36 victory.
This would have the Bloods come up against the Strathmerton team that bested them some 12 months prior. With nothing but revenge on their minds, the Tocumwal girls produced a ruthless preliminary final performance — completely dominating the reigning premier from start to finish to prevail by 25 goals and set up another encounter with the Rovers. This would set up a promoter’s dream grand final, with the favoured Rovers sporting four teams competing in deciders across the grades and a chance of a rare premiership quadrella well within their grasp. Tocumwal on the other hand had the memories of 12 months earlier still heavily imprinted on its mind — coming into this game as underdog and extremely determined to capture premiership glory.
A tight game from the outset, both teams settled in for a defensive slog as the momentum changed constantly throughout
In a case of whoever could be consistent for longer, it would be the Bloods, spurred on by their shortcomings in 2014, that outlasted the Rovers causing what was a big upset.
This game would be the catalyst for an incredible streak of grand final battles where Tocumwal would prevail in 2016 and 2017 to complete a memorable threepeat — before the arrival of new coach Grant Matthews in 2018 had the Rovers finally topple the Bloods and win the premiership. Final score
Tocumwal 42 d Deni Rovers 40