In the final countdown of the Bupa VNL, teams played their last home and away round to decide who would have a chance at finals in the coming weeks.
With everyone packed in at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, close matches closed out the season with suspense, and finals favourites had their efforts rewarded with spots secured in the Semi Finals.
Who made the cut? Find out now in the Round 18 Match Breakdown.
Championship
Casey Demons (57) def by Geelong Cougars (70)
Two of the strongest 2019 forces entered their match against each other knowing their spots for finals were secure. Nonetheless, Cougars and Casey used this match to give us a hint at the competitive skill set to hit finals in the weeks to come.
Casey took a tight 1-goal lead in the first quarter over Geelong. It almost seemed Casey were looking to make a statement in their play, that despite being newcomers to the competition, they too deserved finals as much as anyone. Casey demonstrated speed and accuracy in their midcourt with notable players Shannon Blackman and Kass Withers driving the ball down the court.
A second quarter turn around for Cougars allowed them outscore Casey, 21-goals to 10-goals, and take a convincing 10-goal lead that would see them ultimately come out on top. Julia Wooley in Goal-Attack was a force to be reckoned with as she decisively directed the play for her team and shot spectacularly.
Just as they’ve demonstrated throughout the season, Casey executed some long bombs into goaler Emma Ryde. This disrupted Geelong’s defence at times but still, they remained calm and composed to keep control.
An impressive performance by both squads, Geelong finished 2nd on the ladder and Casey 4th.
North East Blaze (58) def Hawks Netball (38)
Blaze played a match built on team strength and strategy this week to secure their finals place, reflecting their style seen all season.
Taking an early lead, Blaze possessed an 11-goal advantage at the end of the first half. No signs of slowing down, they prevailed to extend their lead to 20-goals by the end of the match. Each player was switched on from Blaze and gave 100% to play their role on court.
Blaze were a powerhouse in each and every third. From Kali Dolphin, Elle McDonald and Chloe Lambert charging down the midcourt to provide clean transitions, to Libby Nicol and Taylor Bronwyn holding space in the ring and executing accurate goaling, to Kaitlyn Black and Georgia Bowkett nailing defence to force turnovers and block passes.
Despite not making it to finals, Hawks still played a strong match with shining moments from defender Shannon Rennison who celebrated her 50 game milestone.
Their final match also saw 19 & Under Hawks player, Ellia Karaula, step up to play the final quarter with some of the toughest competitors in Championship. Likewise, Blaze gave 19 & Under Mia Sudomirski some Championship court time. If these two show us a glimpse of what next seasons Championship competition could look like, we can’t wait!
Peninsula Waves (45) def by Wilson Storage Southern Saints (50)
After an upset last week that stole their chance at finals, Saints were back for Round 18 to make one last mark on the competition.
A thrilling match for spectators, Waves held the lead for the first three quarters of the match and entered the final quarter up by 4-goals. Saints powered through and played a comeback fourth quarter to shoot 15-goals to Waves’ 6-goals, taking back control to win by 5-goals.
In Saint’s goal end, a battle brew between Saints goaler Sam Silvester and Waves defender Mardi Cunningham. Their intensity matched one another, and both had the ball and nothing else in sights. Kate Kelly-Oman controlled most of Waves’ plays down the court and was a key player to pass to. Her movement paired well with Madi Capsalis who was always on circle edge ready to feed into her team mates.
Ultimately, the match came down to the efforts of Shannon Freeman and Kirsty Clark who stepped up their play in Saints’ defence which caught Waves off guard in the final quarter as they increased pressure.
A great season from Saints and Waves, they are sure to bring it again in 2020.
Melbourne University Lightning (59) def by Ariels (61)
It was a battle for control of the game for Lightning and Ariels this week. A competitive match from the get-go, only 2-goals could separate the two squads in the first half with Lightning taking a scarce lead.
A stand out second half for Ariels gave them the opportunity to capitalise on turnovers and take the lead in the third quarter, a result of Jane Higgs and Kyle Shae’s defensive pressure. A final quarter quarrel, neither side slowed down, both actually picked up their pace. Ariels managed to hold their lead in the end though, despite a strong Lightning midcourt in the final quarter.
The faces from both sides after the match expressed their love of VNL and we’re sure they can’t wait to step back on the court next year.
City West Falcons (69) def Boroondara Express (36)
By far the most formidable force of the 2019 home and away season, City West Falcons ended their season as strong as their started to secure a sizeable 33-goal win over Boroondara Express.
We saw Jini Sivalingam back with her team after returning from the World Cup series where she played with Sri Lanka. Not a surprise, she proved powerful in goals with Madelyn Gray. Jane Cook also upheld the City West goaling standards, her and Gray shooting over 90% goal accuracy across the first three quarters. Their defence was just as strong across the match, Zoe Davies and Sarah Szcyzykulski working as a tight nit pair to cause grief for Boroondara’s goalers.
Boroondara played an impressive final match with highlights from Isabelle Hodgson, Clare Vearing and Eleanor Leydin in the attack.
Not only do Falcons take out 1st place on the ladder, they do so having won 17 matches from 18 rounds. Time to see if they can keep it up in finals!
Division One
Casey Demons (31) def by Geelong Cougars (75)
Charging their way into finals, Cougars secured a 2nd place finals spot with a convincing win that highlighted their team strengths.
A soaring first quarter saw them double Casey’s score, 20-goals to 10-goals. Their goal average did not waver over the second and third quarter as Cougars continued to shoot 19-goals in the second quarter then 20-goals in the third quarter. A clean fourth quarter saw their final leading margin extend to an enormous 44-goals.
Geelong dominated the contest from the get-go, making use of all opportunities by speeding the ball down the court into their goalers and sticking tight on Casey to pounce for show-stopping intercepts.
With smoother transitions and precision feeding, Cougars maintained a steady match pace. After just missing out in the Grand Final last year, there is no doubt Geelong is on the prowl for redemption.
North East Blaze (43) def by Hawks Netball (55)
In what felt like a finals match, these two Division One competitors gave us a taste of what might come down in finals.
Taking a small 2-goal lead at the end of the first break, Hawks continued their consistent efforts over a full four quarters to walk away with a well-deserved 12-goal win.
Jasmine Ferguson was vital for Hawks in attack, providing dynamic movement onto the ring, allowing safe and accurate feeds into the goalers. Blaze started their third quarter by breaking Hawks’ centre. Wing attack Sam Coppinger for Blaze was flying across the court with multiple drives on the edge of the circle, giving the goalers plenty of opportunities to assist.
Despite the 12-goal margin, the contest between these two was one of high quality and we can expect ferocity in their finals campaigns.
Peninsula Waves (61) def Wilson Storage Southern Saints (43)
In their final match of the season, Saints and Waves played a strong match. Ultimately Waves’ ability to capitalise on turnovers and take advantage of possessions gave them the decisive win.
Despite Saints speeding the ball down the court into their goalers who positioned themselves well in the circle, it wasn’t enough to keep Waves quiet.
Melbourne University Lightning (55) def Ariels (39)
Lightning struck hard for their final match of the season to see out a 16-goal win against Ariels.
Sally Hunter and Hannah Orval were pivotal towards Lightning’s success as they held up Ariels attacking end to turn the ball over and take opportunities for goals. Ariels kept up with Lightning in the midcourt to transition the ball with pace when turnovers were achieved.
With strong attacking and defensive players at each end of the court, Lightning remained in control from the first quarter and sure to be happy with their end to the season.
City West Falcons (61) def Boroondara Express (58)
Who doesn’t love a close thriller of a match, especially when it closes out the season. Despite finishing 5th on the ladder to miss out on finals, Falcons put up an excellent fight against Boroondara to steal their final win of the season by 3-goals. For Boroondara, the loss doesn’t take away their chance at finals but we are sure they will be wanting to comeback with a win in Semi Finals.
Boroondara couldn’t utilise their space as well as usual and some basic errors in their play saw them fall short.
Falcons held the lead at each break of the game, but only by a maximum of 4-goals. Boroondara fought back in the final quarter to shoot a goal accuracy of 90%. Alahria Smith played a striking match in Falcon’s midcourt alongside Toni Lind, the pair manoeuvring themselves well down the court.
19 & Under
Casey Demons (43) def by Geelong Cougars (61)
Geelong made it three from three in Round 18 with their 19 & Under team capping off the final win of the night.
Sophie Shoebridge for Cougars was determined to win the ball, linking well with attacker Ava Pierce down the court. The cohesion and consistency from Geelong proved why they were the better team on the night, executing their ball delivery with patience.
Unfortunately for Casey, the final round sees them walk away without a win for 2019. Still, at the end of the match their faces looked bright having completed their first season in the VNL.
Geelong look strong to take on Semi Finals next week!
North East Blaze (44) def Hawks Netball (40)
Blaze and Hawks ended their 2019 season with a close win that showcased the skill of both teams.
More than doubling Hawks’ score at the end of the first break, Blaze came out with ferocity and strategic play in the goal third to take the lead.
Determined and not backing down, Hawks turned the tables in the third quarter to take a 2-goal lead over blaze, a credit to Liv Spence and Gemma Thomas’ defensive pressure that shook Blaze’s goalers. Blaze came back in the final quarter to take advantage and utilise every feed into Cass Iedema and Kirra Parks where they confidently shot 12-goals to take back the lead and ultimate win.
Strength in both sides players makes next season look intense and skilled.
Peninsula Waves (62) def Wilson Storage Southern Saints (61)
Another final like match was between Waves and Saints who gave 100% until the very last seconds of the match.
Control of the match fluctuated every each quarter. Waves led by 4-goals at the end of the first break, only for Saints to flip it to lead by 4-goals at the end of the second break. Saints retained their 4-goal lead in the third quarter.
Moody and Dom Taylor passed well to each other and held with enough space to drop back for passes. This gave their midcourt plenty of opportunity to feed in. Down Waves goal end, Jasmin Mackie shined on court to reward the hard work of her team with goals. The final quarter saw only a single point separate these two forces, Peninsula pipping Saints this time.
The two sides look to come out strong in Semi Finals and we wouldn’t be mad if a match like this was played as the Grand Final.
Melbourne University Lightning (52) def Ariels (48)
Both teams had their share of the momentum throughout the match with rapid feeding between goalers down both ends of the court. The talk between Lightning in the mid court and their steadiness to maintain their own pace matched Ariel’s ability to put pressure on passes and stick tight on players.
With determination and drive, Lightning’s attacking precision and midcourt defensive pressure helped them extend their lead over each quarter and result a 4-goal lead over Ariels.
City West Falcons (48) def Boroondara Express (47)
Last year’s premiers put up a tough fight against this years 1st placed Falcons in the final match of the season.
Falcons looked to have control of the game in the firsrt quarter but Boroondara remained in the fight, providing defensive pressure down the court to lead at the end of the first half. They maintained this lead in the third quarter, Emma Allman an instrumental player to the communication of their team and drive down the court.
Jasmine Fraser and Tiarah Minns increased Falcon’s defensive work in the final quarter to catch up to Boroondara. With only seconds remaining, Falcons scored when it was needed most to finish their season with a win. Falcons sit strong for their first final against Waves next week.
Written by Amellia Wood
