City claims flag for second year in a row

NORTH Ballarat City are again BNL A Grade champs after overcoming a spirited East Point at Mars Stadium on Saturday, winning 48-46.

The game was as challenging as the weather, with each side taking turns at building sizeable leads, only to see them pulled back by their competitor.

Ultimately it was North who were able to make the margin count, something co-coach Stacey McCartin said proved the difference.

“Probably the third-quarter is what set the game up for us and we just had to hold off in the last,” she said. “We knew it was going to be a really good game, a close game, and the girls put four solid quarters together.”

East had the best of it in the early stages of the first, building a seven-goal lead halfway through the quarter and exploiting their high-quality fast-paced short game, as well as City’s inability to settle get long overhead passes into the circle.

North was finally able to find their rhythm and when the opening stanza ended they were only down five goals, 9-14.

The first break saw some key moves by North’s coaching duo, with Sally McLean medallist Madison Selmon moved from shooter to attack and Poppy Douglass pulled out of the circle altogether and allowed to run riot on the wing.

It was probably the key move of the match as the pair of young guns grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, contributing in a big way to both teams going into half-time level at 23 apiece.

“I think the move created a lot more drive and then the girls in the circle just steadied and got their shots,” McCartin said.

In a true premiership quarter, North turned the screws and took their turn creating a gap, which got out to seven and created 37-31 lead at the end of the penultimate period of play.

East Point looked for solutions to the Selmon/ Douglass conundrum, which came in the form of tight marking and physical defence, but that just allowed other City players to step up including hard working centre Gina McCartin and replacement shooter Brianna Gregory Johnson.

Position blending and hard at it sticktoitiveness by East, as well as a return to what they do best – playing their own game, gave the ‘Roos the better final quarter, but City had done enough and eventual best on court Selmon wasn’t missing the goals that counted.

The premiership capped an amazing week for Selmon who claimed the league best and fairest, grand final MVP and a top-level championship.

“It feels amazing and I’m really privileged to have won all of them,” she said.

“I came into goal attack and that changed it up a bit, but I do like playing goal attack as well and get to branch out a bit more.”

 

Ballarat Netball League

GRAND FINALS

 

A GRADE

East Point 46 – North Ballarat City 48

Goals – East Point – E Farrell 22, L Jew 13, K Burt 11

North Ballarat City – M Selmon 31, B Gregory Johnson 16, P Douglass 1

 

B GRADE

Ballarat 32 – Lake Wendouree 45

Goals – Ballarat – M Nunn 17, I Rustman 15

Lake Wendouree – K Berry 35, G Bear 10

 

C GRADE

Lake Wendouree 36 – East Point 32

Goals – Lake Wendouree – L Allan 15, A Maddison 14

East Point – C Lewis 17, E Carson 12, R Wilson 3

 

D GRADE

East Point 21 – Bacchus Marsh 18

Goals – East Point – J Wheeler 11, K Stewart 10

Bacchus Marsh – B Walsh 14, A Bamford 4

 

E GRADE

Ballarat 21 – Melton 15

Goals – Ballarat – E McGennisken 17, K Nicholson 4

Melton – B Thompson 12, M Button 3

 

19 & UNDER

Ballarat 38 – North Ballarat City 36

Goals – Ballarat – I Rustman 20, L Jordan 18

North Ballarat City – M Selmon 33