A GRADE – WEST GAMBIER V MILLICENT

As things stand heading into this weekend West Gambier has a 3-1 record over Millicent in the A Grade competition.

It has been tight every time and Millicent’s sole victory came in Round 15.

It is a rematch of last year’s title decider and the two competition pacesetters again look set to produce a tight contest that could go either way.

West has Sarah Ritter at goal shooter and she has proved an unstoppable force in 2023 and the fact she can play a strong holding game but also nail shots from distance makes her a tough match up but Millicent keeper Portia McRae is coming off a good month, peaking at the right time and she will ensure Ritter earns every shot on goal.

Ritter is a smart player but is fed by an even smarter player in Lisa McGregor, who has controlled the Roos frontline for more than a decade, and when she is not delivering the ball with accuracy to Ritter she is earning her own ball and finishing accurately.

McGregor also does a mountain of work in transition high up the court and the Saints have a couple of options to limit her influence in Lauren Van Eeden and Kimmi Tincknell, and regardless of which of these tight defenders gets the job, the other one could be tasked with a role on the defensive wing to pressure the feeds and try and win the ball back before McGregor and Ritter even get a look in.

At the other end, the Roos defensive combination of Amy Cram and Jade Ritter work so well in synergy that even when it looks like a goaler is in space, they rarely are.

The duo will be looking to deny Saints shooter Tabatha Sanderson too much ball close to the post and that does not just mean getting in good position on the tall shooter but also keeping the ball out of Demi Verbena’s hands.

Verbena is deadly on the feed and works the angels well with her mid court to open up opportunities for Sanderson at the post and she can hit long shots so leaving her to her own devices is just not an option.

The mid courts are well matched as well with Roos centre Tara Bryant having another stellar season, alongside her premiership team mates Mikaela Horrigan and Zoe Malseed.

Their head to head battle with Lisa Duldig, Daisy Tunkin and Lillie Paul will go a long way to deciding the final outcome, as the team that controls possession and shows patience will be the team ahead on the scoreboard when it counts most.

A RESERVE – MILLICENT V WEST GAMBIER

Millicent’s A Reserve line-up has only lost one game for the season and that was to their 2nd semi final opponent West Gambier.

And while the Saints finished clearly on top, the A Reserve competition was tightly contested and there were not many runaway victories for any of the top teams.

Clearly, Donna Denton looms large – the multiple A Grade association best and fairest and premiership player, brings not just her talent but her leadership to the court and she is the architect of everything that happens in the offensive third for Millicent.

Racheal Langford, West coach and goal keeper, will take on that task and she has the smarts to try and curb Denton but will need her team mates further up the court to pressure the incoming ball for Denton will have a field day.

Of course, it is not just about Donna Denton, she has two more than capable shooting partners – daughter Abby Denton, who has beautiful vision and delivers the ball well, as well as happy to take on the long range shot if required and Rylee Kenny, who is back after a season away from the court, with her speed arguably her biggest weapon.

Maddie Milich will be looking deny whoever her goal attack opponent is and the young defender has taken all before her in her first season of A Reserve netball.

Milich is tight checking and hard working and while she appears unassuming she is a fierce competitor and reads the play well giving her the chance to pull in a number of interceptions and with Ellie Xanthopolous also able to play a similar role in circle defence, the Roos are blessed with options.

At the other end of the court there is plenty of scoring power as well with the Roos shooting combination of Tahlia Earl, who has had a stellar season in her return to Malseed Park, and new recruit Gracie Peterson who has great timing on her moves and finishes accurately.

Add to the talent of junior player Lucy Simpson and the Roos will not be worried about being able to hit the scoreboard.

Of course they will not have it all their own way with a group of talented Saints defenders ready and waiting to make life hard – Alice Pratt is a tight checking defender; Nikeisha Facey also denies time and space to her opponents, while Keeley Stuart and Edie Easterby bring the athleticism and willingness to hunt the interception.

The mid courts are well matched and both teams will be looking to get on top in that area to give their team the advantage and more scoring opportunities.

Millicent has Jackie Sunderland, who uses her speed and smarts to dominate, while Alana Craig is super reliable, drives hard and has a great defensive mindset when the ball needs to be won back.

West has Anna Bosco in the centre, who runs hard both ways, while captain Carlee Ransom has always had a knack for finding the circle’s edge and delivers accurately, while Chelsea Tremelling is the ultimate wing defender who gets to balls she just should not, while Charlotte Scott is just as defensively minded as she is offensively minded and her work rate is second to none.

Mich will come down to which shooter – Denton or Earl – erns the most scoring opportunities, with the Saints to win in a tight one.

B GRADE – CASTERTON SANDFORD V MILLICENT

The B Grade competition has been one of the most closely contested this season and the battle for the first grand final spot between Millicent and Casterton Sandford looms as am arm wrestle of epic proportions.

The Saints have two major headaches – tall cats shooter Shelby Nolte, who has got better every game she has played this season, and Trictia Cleary – the star goal attack who controls Casterton Sandford’s offence and feeds Nolte with pin point accuracy.

With rising star Chelsea Hulm also available to take a shooting role, the Cats have no scoring issues whatsoever.

It means the Cats can score at will if enough pressure is not applied and that task will fall to tenacious duo Michelle Fleming and Veronica Duncan, who both have great reach, rad the play well and work hard to occupy front spot.

The Millicent defensive combination will also need pressure applied to he Cats feeders and that task will fall to the likes of skipper Kalli Brown, Krystal Coghlan and Amy-Lee Byrne.

Their match ups with the likes of Amber Balzan, Kerri Harvey, Anna Whillas and Dakota Crawford will go a long way to deciding the final outcome.

The Cats defensive end will be run by Emma Grigg – a tight checking defender who contests everything.

She has great support from first time Cat Jess Cousins and teenager Sarah Richardson and they will need to be relentless in their pressure to fore errors from the clinical Millicent frontline as they connect with goalers Nicole Domaschenz – the Saints own tall shooter – and Kate Patten and Josie Lang.

Both sides have a simple task – limiting the scoring opportunities for the respective teams’ tall timber and whoever does that best will win – the cats in a tight contest.

C GRADE – SOUTH GAMBIER V EAST GAMBIER

The C Grade 2nd semi final sees South Gambier taking on East Gambier with both sides bringing mixture of youth and experience to the contest.

The Demons finished minor premiers and have a versatile line-up.

Young defenders Chelsea Dunn and Alannah Clayton have played much of their junior careers together and have a great working relationship, working hard to hold front position and strong in the air.

Both can also fill a shooting role, and the late season absence of Ella Egan due to study commitments has seen Clayton mainly playing in the shooting circle in the second half of the season.

Egan could be back on court this weekend, though, giving coach Larnka Foran the headache of who to play, with Brooke Winterfield having been the mainstay of shooting duties in 2023, as well as being a valuable on court leader.

Dunn and Clayton also have plenty of support at the defensive end, with Jess McGregor bringing her tenacity to the contest with her close checking style of defence and impressive work over the shot.

Mel Kuhl can also take a circle defence role although she has done much of her damage in the mid court in 2023, alongside sister Ash Kuhl, who has made the wing attack role her own with strong driving and a willingness to keep reoffering.

The defence is also supported by Jade Jennings, a specialist wing defence, who has not just shut down opponents but also plays a key role as a link player for the Demons and speaking of key link players, Misty Dalton brings leadership and composure to the South mid court and while she has an impact offensively, it is often her defensive work that brings the most value in winning the ball back for her team.

Of course, the Bulldogs have an impressive mid court of their own, with coach Zena Creek playing the Dalton role as on court general.

Tamara Janeway can fill any of the three centre court roles, while Grace Ferguson has had an outstanding season and Chloe Lines brings the defensive heat, with 15 and under player Skye Wilson also an option in the mid court and defensive circle.

Of course, defensively, Brooklyn Jean is the key for the Bulldogs.

The young goal defender reads the play well, intercepts with monotonous regularity and is unlikely to be outrebounded and she combines well with Lines and veteran Daniela Waters.

Katie Gaffney, Megan Wilson and Millie Button ensure the Bulldogs have plenty of shooting options to test the Demons defence line and accuracy will be a big deciding factor in this match.

Mich like the B Grade competition, this has been a tightly contested grade and while this match will be no different, the Demons should book the first grand final spot for 2023.

17 & UNDER – NORTH GAMBIER V MILLICENT

The 17 and Under 2nd semi final is a showcase of the best talent in the Western Border Netball Association with many of the players on court already key players in their club’s A Grade and A Reserve line-ups as well.

North Gambier has had the better of the contests in 2023, winning three of the four clashes.

North’s win came in round 8, while their last encounter was in Round 16 with the Tigers securing a 12 goal victory.

The Tigers have an abundance of talent and the eight players, with Luca Roulstone ruled out through injury, are also incredibly versatile, giving coach Caroline Wakefield plenty of options to get the job done.

In the shooting circle she has the smarts and composure of Macey Griffith.

Griffith sets up everything that happens in the attack end and combines well with the height of Stella Mobbs or Ava Collins, as well as Cara Nulty, who adds another dimension to the shooting circle with her speed and timing.

The mid court is all about tenacious defence and hard running with Jayme Young, Coco Mackereth, Sarah Brown and Tora Jones, with Nulty also part of that mix.

Young is the ultimate wing defender with her willingness to shit down an opponent, Jones can take on any role in the mid court, Nulty brings the class with her vision and feeding accuracy and Mackereth runs all day, working just as hard defensively as she does in offence.

Brown, who can also head into the shooting circle if required, has had a breakout season and has had put in some stellar performances on the attacking wing where she drives hard and feeds with creativity and precision.

Plenty of talent in Saints uniforms as well, starting with a strong and versatile defensive end.

Maya Tarrant and Mackinlee Alcock bring rebounding strength, work over the shot and an ability to move out to the defensive wing to the table, while Lauren Van Eeden is athletic and smart and can create turnover ball just when her side needs it.

Her battle with Griffith or Nulty will be critical.

Edie Easterby is also a defensive option, while also being able to have a huge impact in centre, and she is the X factor in this contest – she is a genuine match turner.

At the other end, Kellie Lindner is an accurate shooter not afraid of the long shot and Abby Denton similarly loves the long bomb and also has the smarts to ensure her team gets the best scoring opportunities possible with her using of angles and the outside of the circle to open up herself or Lindner in space.

The mid court has Jaimie Lucas and Bree Watson – hard working role players, who complement their more credentialed team mates with their work rate and willingness to stay on task.

Lillie Paul looms large in the Saints mid court, especially in the absence of injured Poppy Venn.

The A Grade centre is smart, times her runs to perfection, passes with precision and also wins back plenty of ball with her defensive intent.

She will also need to be an on court leader alongside Denton and Van Eeden.

North’s versatility and height could well prove the difference and the Tigers should book a grand final spot with a win.

15 & UNDER A – MILLICENT V NORTH GAMBIER

Millicent and North Gambier face off in the 15 and under A 2nd semi final with their last contest seeing the Saints win by 12 goals.

The sides are evenly matched and North does have a win over Millicent this season and it is an interesting clash in that both teams basically have a starting seven they work with, utilising support from their 15 and under B squads if required.

It will see strong holding Millicent shooter Kalani Dunn battling it out with tough defender Kelsie Anderson and Saints goal attack Mylee Lynch, who has great timing on her moves and seems to find space where there is none, will battle it out with athletic defender Ruby Mitchell.

The two mid courts are also evenly matched with Piper Paul, Bell Coghlan and Mia Gysbers going head to head with Maggie Collins, Georgia Nulty and Raine Darimaani.

Both mid courts have speed to burn, both have a good defensive mindset and can the ball back and both are safe with ball in hand.

Then there’s the Tigers shooting circle, with long range specialist Elodie Adam sharing the shooting duties with tall shooter Mischa Human, who not only holds strongly at the post but can also take the mid range shots if required.

Shutting that combination down is a job for Emily Denton and Matti Fauchelle.

Both are strong in the air, both work hard over the shot and both will battle Human hard for any rebounding opportunities.

The team that limits its errors will secure that first grand final spot and history tells us it will be the Donna Denton coached Saints.

15 & UNDER B – NORTH GAMBIER V MILLICENT

North Gambier has dominated the 15 and Under B grade in 2023 and start warm favourites in this weekend’s top of the table semi final with Millicent.

The Tigers have lost only one game this season but the last tie these two sides met – in round 16 – North only got the chocolates by four goals, setting up a intriguing clash this weekend to secure the first grand final spot up for grabs.

North has quality all over the court starting with the defensive combination of Penny Coleman and Isabella Stafford.

Both are tight checking defenders who also love to read the play and take interceptions higher up the court and both rebound strongly if the missed shots come their way.

The Tigers then have a dynamic mid court to transition the ball through the court with Zoe Davison, who also does a great job defensively, Lacey Allen, who can play either wing and get the job done and the speed and smarts of Lily Brook who controls the centre.

The finishing work is left to Mia Griffith and Claire Mitchel in the shooting circle for the Tigers.

Griffith has great timing on the lead and is an on court leader, while Mitchell is a master of finding space, holds strongly and is an accurate finisher.

The Millicent line-up is also full of quality and tenacious defender Jeda Hibberd anchors the Saints defensive end, combining with the likes of Eva Crowe, Lexi Nicholls and Asha Gysbers, who bring athleticism and an ability to read the play to their roles.

And with Crowe, Nicholls and Gysbers also able to run a mid court role, coach Lisa Duldig has plenty of versatility in her line-up.

At the other end, Tahnee Grosser takes control of the attacking end, using her speed to great effect, passing with precision and finishing accurately and just as Hibberd leads the defensive end, Grosser is the leader of the offensive end of the court.

Grosser has built good connections with Ella Matthews and Emily Walker, with Walker, in her first season as a Saint, really growing into the goal shooter role and giving her team mates a strong target.

It looms as a tight contest but the Tigers just have enough firepower to take the quick route to the grand final.

13 & UNDER A – MILLICENT V NORTH GAMBIER

Millicent’s 13 and Under A team is undefeated heading into the weekend’s 2nd semi final against North Gambier and they have basically been untroubled.

Amarlie Thomson and Indi Coghlan are an outstanding shooting combination, combining the strength on the hold of Thomson, who is also an accurate finisher, with the speed and long range shooting of Coghlan.

Olive Thorne can also fill a shooting role when she is not working hard in the mid court, alongside Lucy Crowe, who is damaging at both ends of the court when running centre, and Scarlett Zalme is super quick and super determined to win the ball back.

Lindy Van Eeden is another swing player, working her magic in goals or the mid court, while defensively, Lola Ferguson and Audrey Galambos combine well to make life tough for every shooting combination.

And the Millicent defensive duo will need to be at their best when they take on Carey Grivell, who makes strong position and finishes accurately for the Tigers, as well as Lacey Hunter, who has great timing on her pop out and baseline drives, and Jenna Baron, who dominates mainly in the mid court but is more than capable in goals.

Grace Collins is another X factor for the Tigers – she can get the job done at wing attack, provides a strong target in goal shooter and is also a strong defensive option at goal keeper.

Ava Halloran and Amelie Adam are the other defensive options for coach Rosie Collins.

Halloran loves hunting the interception and she is a strong rebounder, while Adam works hard over the shot and also loves leaving her player to create a turnover further up court.

Mackenzie Harrold and Piper Lucas bring toughness and determination to the Tigers mid court and they always take the ball strongly and love delivering the surprising pass.

The Tigers are a talented outfit but the Saints have not lost yet and it seems unlikely to happen this weekend.

13 & UNDER B – CASTERTON SANDFORD V EAST GAMBIER

The Casterton Sandford 13 and Under B has basically cruised through the 2023 season until round 14 when they suffered their only loss for the home and away rounds – a 14 goal loss to third ranked Millicent.

That hiccup has not changed the fact the Cats are favourites in this weekend’s second semi final when they take on East Gambier – the team that ran them the closest prior to that Saints’ loss.

Most of the Cats 13 and under B players are also the 13 and under A squad and with their overtime elimination last weekend, the players will be fresh and ready to focus on just one grade.

Georgia Bailey and Marlee Robbins were impressive at the weekend – Bailey winning the ball back regularly at wing defence and Robbins showing composure with ball in hand.

The goaling combination for the Cats of Adele Murphy and Renee Gorman is also impressive – combining well to find each other in space and finishing with good accuracy.

The defensive duo of Ylana Grigg and Zoya Syed also loom large – literally.

They are both tall players who do not just pressure the shot and dominate the rebounding duels but also hunt the interception and the East shooting circle will need to work hard to find front position and not look to have the ball delivered aerially against such a tall defensive combination.

The Cats will miss Chloe Kurzman, who can also take up a defensive post, after she ended up in a moon boot last week but with Stacey Edwards able to play a close checking defensive role and depth in the mid court with Brooklyn Mutch and Isabella Luers, as well as Mutch’s ability to take a shooting role, Casterton Sandford has no apparent weaknesses in their line-up.

No real weaknesses in the Bulldogs line-up either and the East Gambier line-up is also a versatile squad, allowing coach Bronwyn McCallum to use different combinations to get the job done.

Isabelle Cook and Olivia Hosking are strong in the shooting circle, using strong holds and speed on the drive to unsettle opposition defenders and with Izabella Neilson and Chloe Little also providing an accurate shooting option for the Bulldogs, scoring should not be an issue.

Neilson and Little can also add their skills to the attacking wing in a mid court that boasts the hard running Sailor McCracken, Ava Hosking, who can also play a defensive role, Isana Mee, who is also a hybrid mid courter-defender, as well as the versatile Mia Little.

And just as the Cats have tall circle defenders, so, too, the Bulldogs, with Tilly Olsen and Ava Olsen, who are strong rebounders and love to hunt the intercept, as well as the tight checking Liana Dickson who makes life tough for wing attacks across the competition.

The Cats will be hungry after bowing out of the 13 and under A premiership race and advance straight into the 2023 grand final.