A perfect storm has been created to make Girgarre what a month ago would have been an unlikely Kyabram District League A-grade netball premiership favourite.
The Kangaroos stole top spot from Lancaster in the final home and away game of the season after the Wombats lost a second game in the space of three weeks and slipped from the top rung for the first time his year.
Girgarre will meet Lancaster on its home court in week two of the finals, in a game that will decide who goes straight through to the grand final. The teams haven’t played one another since June.
The Wombats have had a series of personnel issues, due to injury, after dominating the competition for four months.
Lancaster had been a clear competition yard stick and was unbeaten right up until a series of injuries messed with its seemingly impenetrable mojo and it lost to Nagambie and Shepparton East in Rounds 14 and 16.
The Wombats lost both games by two goals and Girgarre managed to claim the minor premiership on percentage, also losing two games for the season.
The Kangaroos will be looking to extend their winning run to eight weeks when they confront Lancaster in the qualifying semi-final on Saturday.
It was Lancaster which last inflicted defeat on Girgarre, in a Round nine result where the Wombats won by 24 goals. Girgarre’s only other loss for the home and away season came in Round three when it lost by a goal to Shepparton East.
The Eagles are the only team to have wins against the top two teams to their credit this season.
· Merrigum B-grade has won through the first week of elimination finals and will be involved in a second cut-throat game at Undera on Sunday.
The Bulldogs beat Girgarre 39-28 at Avenel on Saturday, nine first-quarter goals from Brooklyn Holt-Hebbard setting up a seven-goal lead.
Holt-Hebbard then bagged another 10 goals in the third term and set up a match-winning 15-goal three-quarter time lead.
Emily Crocker produced the highlight of the Girgarre game when she shot all 11 of her team’s final quarter goals as Girgarre mounted a comeback which was a little too late to influence the result.
Merrigum’s defensive unit of Shanae Doherty and Kelsey Moss had the better of their opposition for much of the game, although Girgarre did win a second term when Bella Heggart and Kristie Day had the better of their opponents in the defensive ring.
· Girgarre has won through to the second week of the C-reserve finals by taking a four-goal win against Murchison-Toolamba at Lancaster on Sunday.
Leading by one at quarter-time, the Kangaroos extended the margin to six at half-time and eventually won the game 35-31 on the back of contributions by Caitlin Campbell and Giulia Pulsoni in goals.
Girgarre was outscored by one goal in the second half, but had done enough to secure a place in week two of the finals on the back of midcourt contributions from Samantha Brinkman and the defensive work of Tatiana Taylor.
· Stanhope exploded out of the blocks in its 17-&-Under elimination final with Tallygaroopna on Sunday, Charli Miller shooting eight goals as the team led by nine at quarter-time.
By half-time the margin was 11 and despite Stanhope being outscored by five in the second half it was a 37-31 win for the Lions.
Tia Harrison and Charlotte Grealy led their team from the midcourt, while 11 second-half goals from Matilda Schubach was enough to give the team safe passage into week two of the finals.
· Thirty two goals from Girgarre 15-&-Under captain Neve Pethybridge was the highlight of an eight-goal elimination final win at Lancaster on Sunday.
Girgarre led by 10 goals at quarter-time and held the advantage throughout on the back of defensive work from Mia Munro and Sophie McDonald. Pethybridge also had support from Tayla Starling as the team held tight to its half-time lead despite being outscored by one in the second half.
· Thirteen first-quarter goals from Stanhope 15-&-Under goaler Matilda Schubach provided the spark to give her team an early lead that it never surrendered against Dookie United.
Leading by nine at the first break, Dookie cut the margin to three by the final change before Schubach and goaling partner Amity Wright responded with a 15-6 final term to give Stanhope a 12-goal victory – 42-30.
Taylah Gray and Layla Ratcliffe combined in that final term to dominate their opposition and set up an opportunity to progress further with a win at Undera in week two of the finals on Sunday.