With cheer squads from each side filled with no shortage of drums, sequin suits and chants, the atmosphere in Hobart felt more like that of a Suncorp Super Netball final.
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17/U Major Semi-Final
In the major 17/U, Queensland came with clear motivation to not only seize their position for tomorrow’s grand final, but more importantly to defeat the undefeated in New South Wales.
New South Wales’ Frederika Schneideman in goal keeper broke Queensland’s first centre pass to secure the first match goal. Two more followed for New South Wales to steal a quick three goal advantage.
The defensive efforts from Queensland duo Darcie Davies and Gemma Hutchings got their team on the board, with a goal conversion from Kaylin van Guenen.
At the end of the first quarter, New South Wales sat with a two goal lead over Queensland, 8 to 6 goals.
Heading into the second quarter, New South Wales’ goaling combination of captain Monika Otai and Grace Whyte eased the pressure off their midcourt, the movements succinct and tactical.
Queensland fought back with midcourters Dakota Newson and Ocean Karekare flying through the air. A back-and-forth contest to keep scores within an inch, New South Wales secured a final minute lead to finish 18 to 17 goals.
Dodges and weaves, ducks and dives – the ambitions from both of making the major grand final was clear in the second half. Cracks started showing for both with some out of court passes and crowding in the third quarter.
With New South Wales holding onto their one-point lead heading into the final quarter, a rebound from Queensland’s Hutchings subsequently saw a conversion to bring scores level. Their ruthless and relentless effort eventuated a three goal lead with less than three minutes to go.
New South Wales fought to get scores back to two goals the difference with a minute left. A penalty conversion followed by the centre pass, New South Wales tied scores up to go into extra time.
36 goals apiece, the 10 minutes of extra time was a spectacle to behold. With all hearts on the line, the first half of extra time had New South Wales with a one-point lead, 41 to 40 goals.
Queensland took a final surge ahead with mere minutes left, at one stage three points ahead. However, New South Wales undefeated title was not to end today. Tied up in the final minute, a goal from New South Wales sealed the games’ fate, 47 to 45 goal the finishing result.
New South Wales 17/U captain Monika Otai said she was proud of her team for securing the win ahead of the major grand final.
‘They gave us a real scare, but the fans in the crowd and trust in each other kept us connected,’ Otai said.
‘We’re all so selfless and we want to do as much for each other rather than ourselves. Queensland really brough their best and I want to congratulate them too.’
17/U Minor Semi-Final
In a tense 17/U semi-final decider, second placed Victoria came head-to-head with third placed South Australia. There was no delay in either team’s assault, coming into the game with vivacious energy.
South Australian goaler Brooke Irlam had a stand-out quarter, scoring seven goals for her team. The end of the first quarter saw South Australia jump ahead, advancing 10 to 5 goals.
Wasting no time, Victoria entered the second quarter determined to fight back from their first quarter deficit. Goaler Lily Graham led her team’s attack, taking many spectacular possessions for Victoria.
The Victorian athletes worked hard for every ball, taking many intercepts from their South Australian opponents. This relentless effort from Victoria saw them take the lead, sitting 18 to 17 goals at half time.
Moving into the third quarter, it was anyone’s game.
Both teams kept the pressure on across the court, often forcing play resets and multiple held balls. Victoria managed to retain their marginal advantage, finishing the quarter on 27 to 23 goals.
With ten minutes left to chase the highly coveted grand final position, the stakes were extremely high. Every athlete seemed to rise to another level in an attempt to boost their team to victory. South Australian goal defence Tabitha Packer put in a ruthless final quarter effort, collecting several strong intercepts.
In the dying minutes of the game, Victoria held on to take the win against South Australia, finishing on 35 to 34 goals. This allowed Victoria to advance into the 17/U grand final.
Victorian head coach, Tracey Brereton, said she was proud of her team for never giving up.
‘We went into the second quarter being down, but we clawed our way back into it.’ Brereton said.
Team captain Mia van Wyk reiterated Brereton’s comments, saying her team will need to remain composed under the grand final pressure.
South Australian team captain, Tabitha Packer, said her team put in their best effort against a tough Victorian side.
‘Everyone played for each other, which was really pleasing,” Packer said.
Head coach Peta Maher agreed, saying ‘the girls put their heart and soul into the game. They fought to the last second.’
19/U Major Semi-Final
Fighting for their place in tomorrow’s 19/U grand final, first placed New South Wales and fourth placed Western Australia battled it out in an intense game. Spurred on by the crowd’s passionate chants, New South Wales seemed determined to take control of the game.
New South Wales centre, Ella Johnson, moved seamlessly between attack and defence to provide stability for her team. By quarter-time New South Wales had edged in front, 11 to 7 goals.
Putting it all on the line, both teams put in a brave second quarter effort. Western Australia goal shooter Jasiah Haywood exorcised her shooting dominance to keep her team firmly in the race. The intensity soared as both teams chased every ball and challenged every contest. New South Wales advanced to a 23 to 14 goal lead by half time.
The game settled in the third quarter, as both teams focused on remaining composed and consistent. New South Wales goaler Millie Roach stood out from the crowd with her outstanding accuracy and movement in the goal circle.
Western Australia defender Indiana Squires also had a spectacular second half, collecting a number of high-flying intercepts. Neither team gave their opponents an easy possession, holding firm until the final siren. New South Wales held on to take a 45 to 28 goal victory over Western Australia. This win confirmed New South Wales’ position in the 19/U grand final.
New South Wales head coach, Jennifer Wright, said her team were successful in sticking to their game plan.
‘We were strong in one-on-one defence and backed each other up throughout the court,’ Wright said.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s 19/U grand final, Wright said her team will need to remain patient in attack and defend strongly across the court.
Despite the loss, Western Australia head coach Karly Guadagnin said her team made some positive passages of play.
‘We just could not quite finalise and convert when under pressure,’ Guadagnin said.
19/U Minor Semi-Final
In the last semi-final for the night, Victoria and South Australia took to the court in a battle for grand final representation. Both teams pre-match energy appeared electric, hinting at the match up about to take place.
South Australia got on the board first and set the standard for the night’s events, taking an eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 13 to 5 goals. An evenly matched midcourt made for tight body contest, forcing athletes to keep on the move.
Melissa Oloamanu was lively in goal keeper for Victoria, her ferocity forcing turnovers and keeping South Australia’s goalers on their toes. Fortunately for South Australia, they were up for the task. As was their captain Sophie Casey who simultaneously controlled their attack end while picking up a number of deflections and touches in defence as centre.
Entering the second half, Victoria had chipped away to get within a goal of South Australia, 19 goals to South Australia’s 20.
An enthusiastic South Australia shifted gears in the third quarter to extend their lead back to five goals and continue the margin through to the final siren, the final score 40 to 35 goals.
South Australia head coach Amanda Shattock said the victory and secured grand final spot is a reward for her team’s Nationals campaign.
‘We knew it was going to be a really tough game with Victoria but I’m just super proud of my group to overcome injuries and adversity to get the win,’ Shattock said.
‘My goalers definitely stepped up, and our captain Sophie Casey being able to go from centre to wing defence to goal defence without a blink of an eye was just phenomenal.’
South Australia will face New South Wales in tomorrow’s grand final.
In the first 17/U semifinal of the day, fifth placed Western Australia and eighth placed Northern Territory took to the court. Western Australia managed a considerable defeat of the Northern Territory, winning 49 to 18 goals. Sixth placed Tasmania defeated seventh placed ACT, finishing 31 to 20 goals.
Moving into the 19/U semifinals, fifth placed Queensland took a significant win over eighth placed Northern Territory, ending the game on 50 to 19 goals. In a nail-biting contest, sixth placed Tasmania conquered seventh placed ACT to win 28 to 27 goals.
