COBDEN and Koroit have become familiar finals foes on the netball court in past seasons but Saturday’s preliminary final will leave one club ecstatic and the other deeply disappointed.
The two clubs will meet at Reid Oval at 1.20pm in the penultimate game of the season desparate to keep their premiership dreams alive, with both clubs having previously featured against each in the 2018 and 2019 grand finals.
However, this year, the victorious club will progress onto the decider where they will meet South Warrnambool, which booked its spot with a triumph over the Bombers last weekend.
Saturday’s contest is expected to be a close affair, with both sides claiming a win apiece in the home and away series earlier this year.
Cobden shooter Molly Hutt said her side was eager to bounce back quickly from its semi-final defeat and give itself a chance at claiming long-awaited glory.
“It was obviously disappointing last Saturday but we can’t be too disappointed because it was such a great game,” she said.
“We’re raring to go this week. We are itching to get it (a premiership). We’ve been so close in other years and missed out so we’re very determined to get it this year.
“We’re going to give it all we got and hopefully we can finally bring it home.”
The Saints progressed following a narrow win over North Warrnambool in the other semi-final, a triumph goal attack Bella Baker said gave Koroit belief.
But she added the Saints would need to keep its focus against the Bombers and not get sucked into playing away from its strengths if it wanted to win a shot at a third successive flag.
“It’s more of a mental game for us we think,” Baker said.
“We can do it physically but it’s about taking our time and doing the small things like defending over the ball.
“It’s the small goals throughout the game that we’re aiming (to hit) and that’s why I think we can win, by being steady and playing our game.
“It’s just the little one percenters…that can win us a turnover or get us a goal potentially.”
Finals Fever has certainly not disappointed thus far. The atmosphere amongst the Netball crowds has been awesome and great to be a part of. Close and exciting contests and that carnival atmosphere on and off the court is a reminder of what we have missed for the last couple of years. There is still a lot more action to look forward to and with 2 weeks to go, there are still 7 clubs playing finals.
This week’s Predictions
In the main game at 1.20, Cobden come up against Koroit and I expect this match will be another skilful and goal for goal contest. The trio of “M’s (McCann, McNamara and Moroney) have been a critical part of the Bombers lineup in recent weeks and at the other end of the court the combination of Emily Finch and Molly Hutt have been dominating in attack. Koroit will have a feast of players to choose from but I anticipate we’ll see a similar lineup to last week when they accounted for the Eagles in the 1st Semi Final. Both teams boast a wealth of experience mixed with some very talented youth. With unfavourable weather conditions forecasted I predict a slow and steady game. I think this will favour Koroit’s game plan a bit more but Cobden will be hungry for another shot at the Premiership after narrowly missing out in their last two attempts. Cobden will get the win here.
In Other Games
13/U – South Warrnambool easily accounted for the Eagles in the Qualifying Final and I think they will be too strong for the Eagles, again.
15/U – South Warrnambool Verse Cobden in the 15/U and the Roosters should win through to the GF.
17/U – Cobden play Camperdown in the 17/U and if the Qualifying final is anything to go by, this game will go down to the wire. Very hard to pick but maybe Cobden just.
17/UR – Another Cobden V Camperdown battle. I think the Bombers can win this one.
Div 3 – South Warrnambool take on Koroit but I think the Roosters will be too strong in this contest and earn the right to play next week.
Div 2 – Koroit will play Cobden in this game. Cobden have found a bit of momentum in the last couple of weeks coming from fourth. They could cause a bit of an upset here.
Div 1 – Hamilton Kangaroos will do battle with Port Fairy in a tight physical contest. Port Fairy narrowly got over the line last week and I think they can do it again this week.
The Inaugural Dot Jenkins Medal – Open Best and Fairest
This Sunday, the inaugural Dot Jenkins Medal will be awarded to the Open Best and Fairest winner. It was an easy decision to name this award in Dot’s honour as she has done so much for netball for the Hampden FNL and also at Club level over many many years. So who will be the inaugural winner of this special award.
If the award was to be won by a defender, Remeny McCann from Cobden would be near the top of the list with her outstanding performances later in the season. Lily Eldridge from Camperdown and Carly Watson are likely to poll a few votes with their efforts this year.
Players through the centre court who have played well consistently throughout the season – the most outstanding would have to be Maddison Vardy from North Warrnambool Eagles. From some of the other teams, Meg Kelson from South Warrnambool, Alicia Blain from Cobden and Millie Jennings from Koroit have also had good seasons.
Up the attacking end, I believe Annie Blackburn from South Warrnambool, Skye Billings from North Warrnambool Eagles and Amy Wormald from Warrnambool have all had a few match winning performances. Other’s you could throw in the mix are Molly Hutt from Cobden, Nell Mitchell from Koroit and Hollie Phillips from South Warrnambool
If you’re willing to put your money on a dark horse, some players you could consider would include Emma Somerville from the Hamilton Kangaroos, Heidi Jones from the Portland Tigers, and Ava Pearce from the Warrnambool Blues.
If the vote count is anything like the season we have had it will be a close and exciting count and possibly not decided until the last vote card is read.
Good Luck to all teams participating in the Preliminary Final Round this week. Let’s hope there is plenty of exciting action across both the Netball and Football.
THE two best sides of the Hampden league’s 2022 netball season will meet this weekend with a grand final berth on the line.
South Warrnambool will take on Cobden at Friendly Societies Park in the second semi final, with the victor earning a direct route into the decider at Warrnambool’s Reid Oval on September 17.
Both clubs boast power-packed line-ups full of talented netballers, with the pair’s strength on the court evident throughout the home and away season.
The Roosters finished with a 16-1-1 record, with their only blemish coming against the Bombers, while Cobden won 15 of 18 games, with one of its defeats coming against this weekend’s opponent.
While the chance to play in a grand final means the stakes are undoubtedly much higher this time around, both sides are brimming with confidence and excitement at the prospect of facing each other.
Rooster Ally Mellblom, who is likely to line-up at goal keeper against sharpshooter Emily Finch, said her side knows defeating Cobden will be no easy task as it returns to the court following a week’s break.
“We know it’s going to be a hard game so we’ve been working hard at training and getting down (pat) those finer moments,” she said.
“We’re such a young team and we’re just playing the game, fulfilling our roles and working really well together which has been awesome this year.
“We know it’s going to be a good game, it’s just keeping a calm and composed game (that is the key for us).”
First-year Bomber Sarah Moroney, who has slotted into Sophie Hinkley’s defensive trio with ease, said her club was eager to carry the momentum of its qualifying final victory over Koroit into the clash with Roosters.
“They are incredible South, I’m very excited to play this weekend against them,” she said.
“Last time we played both sides had ins and outs but it’s going to be a great contest.
“We’re looking forward to it.”
In the elimination final on Sunday, Koroit will take on North Warrnambool, with both sides needing a victory to keep their premiership dreams alive.
Both matches start at 1.00pm this weekend.
What a great way to start off the Fresha Finals Campaign for Season 2022 last weekend. It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since our last. With perfect weather conditions, crowds of spectators out and about, some great tightly contested netball matches across all grades and some fiercely contested footy games including extra time in the Senior Football, it doesn’t get much better than that.
A Cap of Last Week’s Results
In the Open Netball on Saturday at Koroit, Cobden came to play and proved they are a force to be reckoned with outclassing the undermanned Saints by 15 goals. Molly Hutt was awarded the Miss Kit Voucher for her best on court performance. At Port Fairy on Sunday the North Warrnambool Eagles took on the Blues. In a closely contested match neither team could get an early break. With only a 2 goal margin at the last break, the Eagles found a way late in the last quarter when Maddison Vardy took some match winning intercepts and helped her side to a 6 goal win. Maddie was awarded the Miss Kit Voucher for being best on court.
Across all grades of netball last weekend there were some highly skilled contests played out. With the 16 matches played across 2 days 12 of the games were won by 7 goals or less. These type of results make for some very exciting netball and create a great spectacle for the crowd
Milestone Games
This week we Congratulate Stacey Dwyer from the Port Fairy Football Netball Club who will play her 200th Senior game on Saturday at South Warrnambool.. Stacey was to celebrate this milestone game on the last home and away round before being struck down with COVID so we wish her well in her game this weekend.
Stacey started her netball career with Port Fairy in 2010. She is a 3 time Premiership player in Division 2 (2013, 2014 and 2016). She has also coached Premiership Teams in the 15/U and Div 2 Grades. Stacey has won numerous Club Best and Fairest awards, as well as Runner up Best and Fairest for the HFN League in 2014 for Div 2 and in 2019 for Div 3. Stacey is a valuable member for the Port Fairy FNC and has taken on many roles over the past 12 seasons including Umpire, Umpire mentor, Coach, Assistant Coach and Umpire Coordinator. Stacey is a true legend of our game and this is a wonderful effort. Well done Stacey.
Premiers and Champions
There are three teams across the eight grades who are in contention for a Premiers and Champions status in 2022. The 17/U Koroit Saints have not lost a game all season, the Koroit 15/U Team have won 17 games and drawn one and the Port Fairy Division 3 team have won 15 of their 18 games and have drawn the remaining 3. A Premiers and Champions Title is extremely hard to come by so I will watch with interest to see how these teams fare in the next 3 weeks. Watch this space.
My predictions for this Week.
In the second Semi Final on Saturday South Warrnambool take on Cobden in what will be a highly skilled and closely contested match. When they last met Cobden won narrowly and I expect this game to be close as well. Both teams boast strong defence lines and depth in their attacking circle. Cobden’s centre court has versatility and depth and I think they have the advantage over the Roosters in this area. Cobden for me in a close game.
In the first Semi Final being played at Cobden on Sunday, Koroit will play the North Warrnambool Eagles. This will be another great contest. Last time they met North won by 12 but I expect both teams will have a different line up this time around. As has been the case most of the season, both teams are capable of winning but it will come down to who shoots more accurately and who will make less mistakes. If the mermaids need the third game on Sunday this will work in the Eagles favour but they may struggle to get over the line against Koroit with a full lineup.
In other grades on the weekend I think the winners will be:-
13/U – Koroit and Cobden; 15/U – Koroit and Cobden; 17/U Reserves – South Warrnambool and Camperdown; 17/U – Koroit and Camperdown; Div 3 – Port Fairy and Hamilton Kangaroos; Div 2 – Port Fairy and Cobden; and Div 1 – Koroit and Portland.
Good Luck to all Teams participating in Finals this weekend.
A Cap of Last Week’s Results
In the final home and away round there were no real surprises with the results. Hamilton defeated Port Fairy 64 – 36. Tilly Balmer produced a great game for the Seagulls and Kellie Somerville played well for the Kangaroos.
Portland were very competitive against the ladder leaders with the final margin 55 – 44. Holly Phillips once again shot well for the Roosters and Jaclyn Piergrosse was best for the Tigers.
Cobden looked to be in top form when they defeated Terang Mortlake 71 – 42. Emily Finch was top scorer for the Bombers with 41 goals and Jacqui Arundell played well for the Bloods.
Koroiot were comfortable winners over the Blues with Nell Mitchell scoring an incredible 64 goals for the Saints. Eva Ryan had another great game in attack chipping in 36 goals for the Blues.
Camperdown and North Warrnambool fought out a close contest with the Eagles coming from behind to claim a 2 goal victory. Lily Eldridge tried hard in defence for the Magpies and Maddison Smedts had a best on court performance for the Eagles.
Milestone Games
Emily Rose Dobson – 100 Open Games
Congratulations to Emily Rose Dobson (nee Finnigan) who will play her 100th game for the Koroit FNC this Saturday. Emily Rose first started playing for the Saints in 2014 and has since played in 3 Premiership Teams. Emily’s teammates describe her as being a great fun player to have on the team and is a great support to the Coach and her other team members. Emily Rose sets a great example for the younger Saints around the Club. Congratulations Emily – a great effort!
Victoria Grundy – 100 Senior Games
Congratulations to Victoria Grundy who will play her 100th Senior game for the North Warrnambool FNC on Sunday at Port Fairy. Victoria started her Junior netball with the Eagles and then played a few games with the Roosters before returning to Bushfield a few years ago. Victoria is very active around the Club taking on several different roles for the Club including Coaching. Victoria is also a great support to her father Shane, who is the Netball Co-ordinator at the Club. Congratulations Victoria – Well Done.
Umpire Accreditation
Congratulations to Hannah Van de Camp who was awarded her C Badge Accreditation last Saturday. Hannah has been working hard to develop her umpiring over recent months and has now been rewarded for all her hard work. Congratulations Hannah!
Interrupted Seasons over the past two years have limited opportunities for player development, particularly Juniors but the opportunity to develop and mentor umpires has also been affected. Umpire development has been a priority for our league this season and we are pleased to report that we have managed to successfully gain 10 C Badge accredited Umpires and 2 B Badge Accreditations during the 2022 Season.
The following Umpires were all awarded their C Badges this year:-
Ava Nolan and Ella Sadler (Camperdown); Eloise Chivell (Cobden); Natalie O’Dea (Hamilton Kangaroos); Gemma Rentsch (North Warrnambool); Bree Fox and Hannah Van Der Aa (Port Fairy), Charley Samson (Portland), Emily Veale and Hannah Van De Camp (South Warrnambool).
We also had two Umpires successfully gain their B Badges – Leo McGrath (Port Fairy) and Lauren Westhorpe (South Warrnambool).
This year has been very rewarding with so many Umpires being awarded their Badges and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our Mentors and Testers who have been so willing to share their knowledge and expertise. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I know our league will benefit from this for many years to come and all your work is very much appreciated.
My Predictions for This Week
Cobden will take on Koroit at Victoria Park on Saturday. Player availability may be a challenge for the Saints as some of the players will have Basketball Commitments in Melbourne. Cobden have been in great form in recent weeks and are looking strong at this stage of the Competition. I think they have too many strengths which Koroit will struggle to cover if they are missing key players. Cobden should get the win here.
On Sunday in the Elimination Final at Port Fairy, North Warrnambool will come up against the Warrnambool Blues. Both teams have lost key players to injury over the past couple of weeks and have no doubt been working on rotating players to reassess their best combinations. I think North Warrnambool go in as slight favourites but could easily be rattled if they don’t bring their A game. I do think North can win – just.
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL TEAMS COMPETING IN THE FRESHA FINALS SERIES THIS WEEKEND.
A Cap of Last Week’s Results
With the absence of players who had Basketball commitments last weekend. The match between Portland and Koroit was a close contest. Koroit managed a five goal win at the final siren with Nell Mitchell scoring a majority of the goals for the Saints once again. Heidi Jones also scored highly for the Tigers.
Port Fairy and Warrnamnbool also had a tight contest with scores level at the major break. In a match that was plagued with major injuries, the Blues went on to win by 8. Young Eva Ryan played a great game in attack scoring 39 goals for the Blues.
Hamilton and Camperdown played out a draw at Melville Oval. In a high scoring contest – 61 goals a piece, Kellie Somerville put in another great performance and Mary Place was an outstanding contributor in attack for the Magpies.
South Warrnambool outscored Terang Mortlake 67 goals to 35. Jacqui Arundell was best on court for the Bloods and Hollie Phillips was named best for the Roosters with her 51 goal haul.
Cobden would have been extremely pleased with their 18 goal win over the Eagles. The Bombers displayed their dominance with winners all over the court and are playing some of their best netball leading into Finals. The Eagles were competitive early but struggled to find their best combinations after having to fill the void of injured players.
Milestone Games
100 Open HFNL Games
Congratulations to Nadine McNamara who will play her 100th Open game for the Cobden Bombers this weekend. Nadine first joined the Cobden FNC in 2016 when she was appointed Coach of the Open Team (after making the move from South Colac – Colac & District FNL) and coached her team to a Grand Final in 2018. Nadine was equal winner of the Open League Best and Fairest Award in 2018 along with her teammate Sophie Hinkley. Nadine has had a big impact on the Cobden FNC where she has taken on many roles including Coach and Umpire, and has been the Club Co-ordinator for the past 3 years. Nadine has also been a representative at Hampden League level as a player and Coach, and recently Coaching the 17/U Representative Team to a Premiership. Congratulations Nadine, what a great achievement!.
200 HFNL Games
Congratulations to Ashlea Doran who will play her 200th Senior game for the Hampden FNL this week. Ashlea first played a few games for the South Warrnambool FNC before making the move over to North Warrnamnbool. Ashlea has been involved at the Club for many years and has been a member of the Division 1, 2 and 3 teams over a number of years. Ashlea is also heavily involved at Club Level, where you see her volunteer her assistance wherever it is needed. Congratulations Ashlea – this is a fantastic achievement. A win this week would be a just reward.
150 HFNL Games
Penny Gunner from the South Warrnambool FNC will play her 150th Senior Game on Saturday. This is a great achievement Penny, Congratulations and hope you have a great game.
Umpire Accreditation
Congratulations to Hannah Van de aa from the Port Fairy FNC who was last week awarded her C Badge Accreditation. Hannah has been working hard on developing her umpiring skills over the past few years and this is just reward for all her hard work. Congratulations Hannah and Well Done.
My Predictions for this week.
Port Fairy travel to Hamilton to take on the Kangaroos. 2022 has been a challenging year for most Clubs with injuries and illnesses but the Seagulls seem to have had more than their fair share. They will be keen to put up a good fight this week but will struggle against Hamilton who have shown great improvement this season and will be a team to watch in 2023. Hamilton will get the points here.
South Warrnambool do battle with Portland and this will be a good contest for the Roosters leading into finals. Portland have continued to develop their younger players this year and I expect that will be very beneficial for the Club in the years ahead but South are the ladder leaders for a reason and should have a comfortable win.
Cobden have shown their dominance in recent weeks and I expect this week to be no different. They will easily account for Terang Mortlake.
North Warrnambool make their way to Camperdown to take on the Magpies. After losing one of their key defenders, the Eagles are still trying to find their best combinations with their younger players. Camperdown will take it right up to North but the Eagles have too much to lose if they drop this game and should come away with a narrow win.
In what will be the match of the round, Warrnambool verse Koroit at the Reid. After losing Jess Thwaites to injury last week, the Blues will be relying on a dominant performance from Amy Wormald. I think the Saints will have too many winners through the centre court and will need the win ro retain their second chance come finals. The Saints should win another close one.
Junior Grand Finals
This Sunday the Hamilton Kangaroos will play Koroit in the 13/U Reserve Grand Final and Warrnambool will play South Warrnambool in the 15/U Reserve Grand Final. Good Luck to all teams competing in the GrandFinals this weekend and well done to all the other Clubs who have participated in the Junior Competitions this year. Hope you’ve all enjoyed being back on the courts this season.
Author: Josie Logan
A Cap of Last Week’s Results
Koroit had a comfortable 35 goal win over Port Fairy. Nell Mitchell was outstanding in the circle scoring 56 of Koroit’s goals and Emily Forrest was the best for the Seagulls in her 150th Open game.
Portland defeated Terang Mortlake by 10 goals. Madeline Stone was the best for the Tigers while Jacqui Arundell had a great game in attack for the Bloods.
Camperdown were very competitive in their clash with Warrnambool. After being 9 goals down at ¾ time they came home strong but Warrnambool were able to hold on to take a 2 goal win. Lily Eldridge and Mary Place put in strong performances for the Magpies and Jessica Thwaites was best for the Blues.
Alicia Blain was instrumental through the Centre Court when Cobden defeated the Hamilton Kangaroos 51 – 32. Emily Finch top scored with 35 goals for the Bombers and the Somerville sisters had a great game for the Kangaroos.
In the game of the round, South Warrnambool came away with a 7 goal win over North Warrnambool. The Eagles were forced to make changes when Jordyn Billings was subbed off in the second quarter with a serious knee injury. To their credit they adjusted well, but the Roosters held on to take a solid win at the final siren.
Maskell Medal/Dot Jenkins Medal
The Maskell Medal/Dot Jenkins Medal Day will be presented in a different format this year. As part of a new initiative in 2022, all Member Clubs will have the opportunity to host their own Club Function. The HFNL in conjunction with Fitzmedia, will conduct the Best and Fairest counts at Silverball Studios and do live crosses to each Club throughout the afternoon for interviews with the Award Winners. This will be a great opportunity for Clubs to boost their revenue after a couple of very tough years.
As we cast our thoughts to the Best and Fairest awards who will take out the top honours in the Open Netball for the Dot Jenkins Medal? History will tell you that it’s difficult to win if your team is sitting at the lower end of the ladder but Lily Eldridge from Camperdown and Heidi Jones from Portland have both had very consistent seasons. Annie Blackburn and Carly Watson have both had great seasons and South Warrnambool have won most of their games. Remeny McCann has had some standout performances and Alicia Blain has had a good year for Cobden. From North Warrnambool Skye Billings has had an outstanding season and Maddison Vardy has been very consistent. Koroit have had many games where it’s been a team effort and will share a lot of votes but I think Millie Jennings will poll well for the Saints and Amy Wormald has been dominant in attack for Warrnambool so should also poll well.
My Predictions for this Week
South Warrnambool should have a comfortable win when they take on Terang Mortlake at Ridley’s Rec Reserve.
Koroit make the trip to Hanlon Park to play Portland. This will be a good contest for Koroit leading into finals and will gain valuable points here.
Hamilton Kangaroos host Camperdown at Melville Oval. We have seen big improvements from both these teams during the season and I see this game as being fairly evenly matched. I think Camperdown may score a narrow win.
Port Fairy are still looking for their first win but Warrnambool will be too strong when they take on the Seagulls this week. The Blues should get the win here.
North Warrnambool and Cobden will do battle at Bushfield. This will be another classic contest and the Eagles need to get the win to give themselves a second chance come finals. Cobden have been in good form leading into finals and will be hard to stop. I think Cobden will come out on top just.
Good Luck to all the Junior Teams competing in the Preliminary Finals on Sunday and best of luck to everyone else participating in both football and netball this weekend.
Author: Josie Logan
With only three Rounds to play the opportunity to secure a top 3 finish is wide open. Whilst North Warrnambool currently hold third spot, they have a tough run home coming up against both South Warrnambool and Cobden in the last rounds. Only four points behind are Koroit who have an easier run home and have a higher percentage. Warrnambool take up the fifth spot but are a game and a half behind Koroit.
A Cap of Last Week’s Results
South Warrnambool defeated Hamilton Kangaroos by 9 goals. Hollie Phillips scoring well for the Roosters with 42 goals and Clare Crawford was accurate in attack for the Tigers with 21 goals and a best on court performance.
North Warrnambool comfortably accounted for Terang Mortlake with a 16 goal win. The Eagles experimented with a few positional changes and were down by a goal at the first break but were able to fight back and scored a good win. Eboni Knights had another strong game in attack for the Bloods scoring 27 goals.
Koroit had a percentage boosting win over Camperdown winning by 26 goals. Nell Mitchell was back to her best scoring 35 goals for the Saints and Krystal Baker recorded 18 goals for the Magpies.
Heidi Jones from Portland had an outstanding game in attack scoring 29 goals and helping her team take a 15 goal win over Port Fairy.
The Top 5 prior to this Round
South Warrnambool, 54 points, 142.09 percent; Cobden 46 points, 139.30 percent; North Warrnambool, 46 points, 119.24 percent; Koroit, 42 points, 120.48 percent; Warrnambool, 36 points, 98.46 percent.
Milestone Games
This week we Congratulate Emily Forrest who will play her 150th Open game for the Port Fairy FNC. Emily played her first Open game as a 15 year old in 2010. Emily was a member of the 2016 Open premiership team, has won multiple Club Best and Fairest awards and has also represented the HFNL at the Association Championships. As well as playing Open she is currently Assistant Coach for the Open team and has been a great role model for the younger players at the Club guiding them both on and off the court. Congratulations Emily, a great effort!
I also wish to congratulate Rachel Dobson who plays her 150th Open Game this weekend for the Koroit Saints.
Good luck to both girls who will play off against each other!
Umpire Accreditation
Congratulations to Lauren Westhorpe from South Warrnambool who successfully obtained her B Badge accreditation in Umpiring last weekend. Lauren has been working hard to develop her Umpiring skills during the season so this is a great result for Lauren. Well Done!
Congratulations also to Nat O’Dea from the Hamilton Kangaroos who was awarded her C Badge accreditation last week.
My Predictions for this Week.
Warrnambool take on Camperdown this week. Camperdown have worked well on developing their younger players this season and have a lot to look forward in the next few years but Warrnambool will be working hard to ensure they are at their best approaching finals and should take the win here.
Koroit are gaining momentum at the right end of the season and will be too strong all over the court for Port Fairy and will have a comfortable win.
Cobden host the Hamilton Kangaroos at the Community Bank Recreation Reserve. Despite not making finals the Kangaroos have been very competitive this season but Cobden have been in good form in recent weeks and will have too much to lose if they drop this game. Cobden should take the points here.
Terang Mortlake verse Portland in what will be a tough contest. Portland’s experience in defence will be a key factor and have a bit more depth than the Bloods. I think Portland will win a close game.
In the final game, South Warrnambool take on the Eagles at the Friendlies. This will certainly be a great contest and a must win for the Eagles if they are to hold third spot. North Warrnambool at their best have the ability to shut down opportunities for the Roosters strong attacking circle and may do enough to get over the line, just.
Good Luck to all the Junior Teams competing in the Junior Semi Finals on Sunday and best of luck to everyone else participating in both football and netball this weekend.
Author: Josie Logan
Netball Victoria conducts Talent Identification (TID) during Netball Victoria competitions and tournaments. Talent scouts assess athletes to be considered for invitation to trial for the Netball Victoria Talent Academy and State 17/U and 19/U Programs.
Congratulations to all the HFNL players who have been identified, along with the players in HFNL clubs who represented the Warrnambool City Netball Association.
Following the outstanding performances at the Association Championship finals, this is yet another indicator of the strength of netball in our region. Thank you to all of the players, coaches, umpires and volunteers who continue to go above and beyond week in and week out!
See the full lists on the Netball Victoria website here: https://bit.ly/3oQgoEZ
2023 Talent Academy Selection Invitation List – 15/U
Frankie Butters
Kimora Calloway
Indiana Cameron
Lara Clarke
Grace Cleaver
Matilda Darcy
Ruby Darcy
Reet Kaur
Kylita Kelp
Ellorah McConachy
Molly McLaren
Shelby O’Sullivan
Eva Ryan
2023 State Screening Day Invitation List – 17/U
Tyleah Barr
Mia Mills
Scarlett O’Donnell
2023 State Screening Day Invitation List – 19/U
Meg Carlin
Mary Place
The HFNL also wishes to congratulate all other players from HFNL clubs selected who represented the Warrnambool City Netball Association
Cap of Last Week’s Results
In what were very wet and cold conditions last Saturday there weren’t too many surprises with the results, but there has been some movement in the ladder positions.
North Warrnambool were challenged all game when they took on Portland at Bushfield but managed to get the job done by 9 goals. That important win now sees them currently holding 3rd spot.
Cobden defeated Koroit by 2 goals and both Emily Finch and Nell Mitchell had best on court performances for their respective teams. Koroit now sit in 4th position, 2 points ahead of Warrnambool, but 4 points behind 3rd spot.
Camperdown had another good win then they defeated Port Fairy by 10 goals.
Hollie Phillips from South Warrnambool was outstanding in her game against Warrnambool where she shot 53 goals. With the Blues missing key players – Amy Wormald, Emma Cust and Matilda Fitzgerald, the Roosters had a comfortable 57 – 41 win.
Hamilton Kangaroos were dominant in attack when they defeated Terang Mortlake 44 – 32.
Umpire Accreditation
Congratulations to Gemma Rentsch from the North Warrnambool Eagles FNC who was awarded her C Badge Accreditation last week. Gemma has been working towards her C Badge for a number of years so it was a great result for Gemma. Well Done!
Milestone Games
A massive Congratulations to Lauren Hockley who will play her 500th Senior game for the Portland FNCC this Saturday. Lauren first started playing in 1991 in the D Grade Division with the Western Border FNL – there were no Junior Competitions at this time. Across both Leagues Lauren has played 439 Open/A Grade games, 41 Div 1 games and 20 D Grade games. In all that time she has only won the One Premiership but has won many individual awards including 15 Club A Grade Best and Fairest Awards. Lauren also took top honours in the League Best and Fairest in 2013 and was Runner Up in 2015. Lauren is an A Badged Umpire and was awarded this accreditation in 2015.
Lauren has also contributed greatly to her club being the Netball Co-ordinator for 15 Plus years. She was also instrumental in the development of the new Netball Changerooms and the court and shelter upgrades. I’m sure Lauren has been an inspiration to many throughout our district. This is an amazing achievement and a record that I anticipate will stand for quite some time. Congratulations and well Done Lauren. Congratulations also to Emily Finch who will play her 150th Open game this weekend with the Cobden FNC and to Isabella Rea who will play her 50th game for South Warrnambool.
Association Championships
Congratulations to everyone involved in the Association Championships Finals Day last weekend in Melbourne where we achieved our best ever results.
All four teams, 13/U, 15/U, 17/U and Open, made it to the Semi Finals. The only Association across the State to do so and the 13/U and 17/U teams went on to win their respective titles, with the 13/U’s being crowned Premiers and Champions and the first time the HFNL have won two titles in the same year. (The Association Championships were first played in the year 2000).
Thank you to all the players, coaches, umpires, team managers, parent helpers, drivers and spectators. It was an honour to be present and watch all the great results unfold. Well Done HFNL.
My Predictions for this Week
Cobden verse Warrnambool at the Reid Oval. While I think Cobden will get the win, Warrnambool will not go down without a fight as they try to stay in touch with the top 3.
Koroit travel to the Leura Oval to play Camperdown. Camperdown are a much improved side from when they first met and it will be a competitive game but Koroit will earn the points here.
Port Fairy meet Portland at Hanlon Park. The seagulls are still hoping to get a win and this could be their best chance. If they bring their A game they could cause an upset and take a narrow win over the Tigers.
Terang Mortlake play North Warrnambool Eagles at Bushfield. The Eagles will be keen to secure a top 3 finish and should win comfortably.
Good Luck to all Teams competing in both Football and Netball this Saturday and Best of Luck to all the Juniors who kick off their Finals Series this Sunday at Cobden.
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