UNDER 17 Hobitz Red 37 d Saints 21
Hobitz Red fought their way into the grand final via a preliminary final overtime thriller to take on top of the ladder Saints.
Both teams used the first quarter to find their feet, however the height of the Hobitz shooters and defenders caused challenges for Saints from the first whistle.
Hobitz posted a 10 goal lead at half time with defenders Nevae Brooksby and Bonny DeNys collecting rebounds with ease and making the Saints shooters work hard for every possession.
Saints’ midcourt pressure slowed the drive of Hobitz though the midcourt, however costly turnovers delivered the ball into Hobitz hands and the shooting combination of Ayla Greene and Alexandra Wells made sure to convert every opportunity.
Hobitz entered the last quarter with a 13 goal lead which they were able to extend to 16 at the final whistle.
UNDER 15 Saints 30 d Zodiacs 23
Saints got off to a flying start against Zodiacs with some great court structure and precision passing setting them up for a five goal lead at the end of the first quarter.
Wind and rain made conditions tricky for all players, requiring both teams to adjust their movements and look for short, sharp passes and easy options.
At half time Saints were on the front foot, dominating across the court and posting an 11 goal lead.
Zodiacs stepped the pressure up a notch in the second half, shutting down the Saints drive, forcing errors and not allowing Saints to increase their lead.
A big final quarter from Zodiacs saw them outscore Saints with confident and consistent shooting.
This reduced the margin back to seven however it was not enough to secure the dominant Saints who captured the 2024 minor premiership and season premiers’ title.
UNDER 13A Intruders 38 d Saints 16
Saints were always going to be up for a big challenge taking on the talented Intruders team in the U13A grand final.
The last two match ups between the two teams resulted in a two goal and a 20 goal win to Intruders, but Saints were prepared for a good contest.
Intruders’ solid connections and confident movement was on display from the very beginning.
Converting possession into scoring opportunities proved challenging for Saints as Intruders were ready to pounce on every opportunity to intercept a nervous pass or spilled ball.
Saints were unable to score in the second quarter, allowing Intruders to enter the main break with a 14 goal lead.
Saints never dropped their heads even as Intruders continued at a cracking pace and managed to lift for the third quarter, posting six goals to Intruders’ seven.
Another big push by Intruders in the final quarter delivered them a 22 goal win and the title of U13A premiers for 2024.
UNDER 13B Amazons 19 d Intruders 15
An exciting game of junior netball kicked off grand final day for the Mount Gambier Netball Association’s 2024 season.
Amazons and Intruders finished the minor rounds on equal points at the top of the ladder so the large crowd of spectators were always going be in for a treat.
Intruders got the first points on the board with hard working goal attack Mia Versace helping them take a two goal lead at the end of the first quarter.
Equal scoring kept the same margin at half time with both teams working hard to keep possession of the ball and convert with every scoring opportunity.
It was the third quarter where Amazons pulled away with goal attack Layla Norman using her quick feet to find room in the circle and score, and defenders Harper Aschburger and Kate Forman denying Intruders room to move at the other end of the court.
Amazons held their composure in spite of a late challenge from Intruders to take the win.
