Goulburn Valley League once again proved itself to be the state’s top dog on the netball court after its open squad claimed victory at the Netball Victoria Association Championships in Melbourne on Sunday.
Defending its crown from 2019 — the last year the championships went ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic — a new-look GVL side battled through a host of adversities to come away with the memorable triumph.
This included a number of its regular stars being unavailable and early challenges through the group stages, with the team getting better and better as the tournament unfolded.
It was another feather in the cap of legendary Shepparton United and Mooropna mentor Di Hanslow, who said it was a fantastic effort by the women to come away with a second successive title.
“I am very, very impressed with what the team managed to achieve,” Hanslow said.
“We didn’t go in with a set line-up, nor had we even had the chance to train together, but everyone associated with the team just managed to make it work.
“This result shows the strength of netball in our region and the character of the players who just gave it their all on the day.”
The GVL’s title defence got off to a rough start after it dropped its opening round clash to fierce rival Ovens and Murray 18-14.
But as all champion teams do, the women in purple and gold hit back hard, registering strong wins against Outer East (20-3), Murray (18-12), Western Region (17-16) and Sandringham District (25-7).
This set up a blockbuster clash with fellow pre-tournament fancy Bendigo, where the GVL showed its class late to record a 19-16 victory.
But its hopes of securing a top-two spot faded away in the final group match, when it fell to Hampden 16-14 to finish third on the table.
Pitted against Ovens and Murray in the semi-final, GVL exacted some sweet revenge, prevailing 16-11 in what Hanslow called a high-class game of netball.
“People that watched it just said it was an amazing standard of netball, with the skill level and speed of the ball movement making for a great spectacle,” she said.
Setting up a grand final against ladder-leader Bendigo, the class of the reigning champion again shine through as it continued its strong momentum to record an 18-14 win and secure back-to-back titles.
“The grand final just showed how far we had come as a group over the day,” Hanslow said.
“The players just stuck to that task all day, and as is often the case, the result took care of itself.”
The GVL wasn’t the only local team to hit the courts at the championships, with the Murray Netball League open side in action as well.
The MNL’s open team finished sixth on the ladder — registering two wins and five defeats — with its victories coming against Outer East (16-10) and Sandringham District (25-9).
The side gave semi-finalist Ovens and Murray a tough battle during their round five meeting, falling to a narrow three-goal defeat, 21-18.