FIXTURE
Wednesday 24 July
7.00pm - 23&U
1v2: Hawks Netball vs MU Lightning*
3v4: North East Blaze vs City West Falcons
8.45pm - Championship
1v2: City West Falcons vs Boroondara Express
3v4: Hawks Netball vs North East Blaze*
BROADCAST
All games will broadcast live on KommunityTV – Subscription required (access is free for existing Herald Sun subscribers).
* Games also broadcast live on Netball Victoria Facebook
FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
Championship
- Major Semi Final: The City West Falcons finished atop the VNL ladder to earn a double chance alongside second-placed Boroondara Express. Only a single goal could separate the two sides in Round 1 – where Express prevailed, before a nine-goal loss in Round 14 triggered a rocky end to their season. Express steadied themselves when it mattered though, securing vital wins in the last three weeks, spearheaded by the smart attacking unit of Isabelle Hodgson, Ally Black and Ruby Barkmeyer. They come up against the Falcons’ ruthless defensive duo of Sophie Hanrahan and Melissa Oloamanu, and goaler Jane Cook. The prolific goal shooter is fresh off her 1000th goal for the season and will be drawing plenty of heat from the Express defence – expect this match to have it all!
- Minor Semi Final: History shows that North East Blaze has got Hawks Netball’s measure after winning both of their contests this year, albeit by small margins. However, with Blaze winless in their last four matches, that history may not repeat. While their fall from grace is a major concern, the Hawks also suffered a loss last week and are well matched on the court: look out for the Hawks’ attacking combination of Kaylia Stanton and Annabelle Gorman and their battle with Blaze defenders Ty Coppinger and Kaitlyn Black, plus the key one-on-one of Keighley Starrett (Hawks) and Maddi Wallmeyer (Blaze) in the midcourt.
23&Under
- Major Semi Final: Hawks Netball and MU Lightning set the standard in 2024 with just three losses between them. After reaching a drawn result in Round 1, Hawks prevailed by seven goals in Round 14, often settling with their starting lineup while Lightning are known for rotating through all 12 players. Look out for the midcourt battle between the Hawks’ Sienna Green and Lightning’s Montaya Sardi, while Charlee Kemp and Dayna Williams hope to unsettle dominant Hawks goaler Dominique Taylor. At the other end of the court sits a tantalising match-up between Lightning goal attack Emma Winfield and the Hawks’ Olivia Barnett – a talented defender from Gippsland, with an A-Grade premiership to her name.
- Minor Semi Final: The City West Falcons will face an uphill battle against North East Blaze, after losing twice to them already this year, and coming off the back of four straight losses before their win last week. Blaze are the favourites on paper, with key players like shooter Olivia Cawthray and defender Eliza Molino key to their winning formula, while the Falcons are full of young talent hungry to stir up the finals: Victorian representatives Amalani Fauonuku and Holly Adams-Alcock create a lethal shooting combination that will be sure to push Blaze to the end.
ONE TO WATCH
Chloe Duke – Hawks Netball
Defender Chloe Duke brings the premiership glamour to the Hawks, while remaining a silent achiever on court. The ever-reliable defender has a 2022 Division 1 premiership to her name, won the Hawks’ best and fairest in 2023 and was named in the VNL’s Division 1 team of the year – all leading to her earning selection into the Championship side. When the nerves of finals start to kick in, look for Chloe Duke to get the job done.
FINALS STRUCTURE
The winner of the Major Semi Final (1st vs 2nd) progresses straight to the Grand Final, earning a week off in between. The loser has a second chance, where they will meet the winner of the Minor Semi Final (3rd vs 4th) in the Preliminary Final. The winner of the Preliminary Final will progress to the Grand Final, held on Wednesday 7 August.
VNL finals tickets can be purchased at the venue, with adult tickets $5 and $2 for children (16 & under).
