Koroit will be chasing their first Open Netball title in five seasons after booking the first spot in the 2025 Hampden FNL Grand Final. The Saints produced their best netball of the year in Portland on Saturday, upstaging reigning premiers South Warrnambool in the second semi-final. It was a complete team performance, but young gun Indi O’Connor was the standout, shooting a remarkable 44 goals. In the midcourt, Scarlett O’Donnell dictated play with poise and precision, ensuring Koroit took control from the outset and never looked back.
The result has given the Saints a golden opportunity to break their premiership drought and return to the top of the competition, with two weeks to fine-tune before the season decider.
Meanwhile, Warrnambool’s fairytale finals run remains alive after a hard-fought first semi-final win over Cobden at Leura Oval on Sunday. The Blues held their nerve in a tense contest and were boosted by the timely return of key shooter Eva Ryan from injury. Although carefully managed for minutes, Ryan’s presence allowed Warrnambool to reconfigure its attacking combinations, giving them more flexibility and confidence heading into this Saturday’s preliminary final. There, they will face South Warrnambool in a blockbuster clash at Melville Oval, with the winner earning the right to take on Koroit for the championship.
Off the court, the spotlight now turns to the competition’s highest individual honour, the Dot Jenkins Medal, to be awarded this Sunday. The 2025 count shapes as one of the most open in recent memory, with a host of players capable of polling strongly.
Camperdown’s talented youngsters Piper Stephens and Indiana Cameron have enjoyed breakout seasons, while Cobden boasts a formidable quartet in Remeny McCann, Sarah Moroney, Sophie Hinkley and Jaymie Finch. North Warrnambool’s inspirational coach Maddy Vardy has once again been outstanding, as has Port Fairy shooter Jessika Tobin Salzman.
Hamilton pair Hayley Sherlock and Ella Sevior are likely to attract votes, while Terang Mortlake’s Ava Grundy has been a consistent force. South Warrnambool is expected to feature heavily in the count, with Ally O’Connor, Meg Kelson, Isabella Rea and Emma Buwulda all enjoying standout years. Warrnambool’s trio of Eva Ryan, Jo Couch and Amy Wormald are also likely to be in contention.
Koroit’s strength has been their evenness, but stars Indi O’Connor, Scarlett O’Donnell, Emily Kermeen and Shelby O’Sullivan are all genuine medal chances. Portland coach Laura Kelly rounds out the impressive list of candidates.
With so much talent spread across the league, this year’s Dot Jenkins Medal promises to be a thrilling count.
