A Grade Bonnie Doon defeated Tarrawingee 58-36 A GRADE looked to rewrite their loss to Tarrawingee in their home and away season and claim redemption from last years semi final when the Bulldogs knocked the Bombers out of finals. Bonnie Doon came off the back of a huge victory against Moyhu last week gaining momentum at the right time of the year and although the nerves were there they didn’t show when the girls took the court and earnt themselves a 16-7 first quarter. Erin Brond, Anna Manning and Cara Moody had an absolute day out in defence and suffocated the Bulldogs attack end. Working as a complete unit in their best display this season the girls were able to send the ball back into attack robbing Tarra of any easy passages to goal giving Bonnie Doon a seventeen goal lead at half time. Amy Starzers ability to both be available for the ball and drag the Bulldogs attention away from star shooter Portia Keatch was integral to the success of the Bombers. Keatch stood strong and tall all game and dominated the goal ring easily playing her best game of the season so far. Although leading comfortably heading into the last, the loss from last year rang loudly in the ears of both the coaches and the players and the message was clear to put our foot down in the final quarter. Tanner and Byrnes once again prevailed against Tarra’s defence dominating the midcourt and continued to control the ball seamlessly finding the circle edge and feeding beautifully to both shooters. Under the roar from the Bonnie Doon crowd Jess Harris entered the game for a cameo minute before the final whistle and the Bombers took a twenty two goal win, a fitting end to an outstanding game. B Grade Bonnie Doon defeated by Milawa 41-46 THE first quarter of the 2023 grand final rematch saw the Bombers and Milawa go goal for goal both knowing it would be a tight battle as both teams had one win each from the home and away season. The Bombers shooting combo of Summers and Ward found their feet early with only one miss between them and kept the Bombers in the game and only down by one leading into the second term. McCormack knew exactly what her role was in goal keeper and came out for some “Cass Mac specials” and paired with Evans in goal defence the pair put pressure on the Demons goalers and clawed back the gap helping Doon to lead heading into half time 23-22. A few uncharacteristic errors from the Bombers in the third saw Milawa edge out the scoreline to six goals however our the ability to run two different defensive options in Cameron and Foster off the bench meant Milawa couldn’t get a run on. The last quarter showed an outstanding display of grit from Harris and Murray who were under immense pressure as they battled to keep the Bombers in the hunt. Unfortunately although we bridged the gap the Bombers will look to next week to keep their grand final chance alive going down to the Demons by a very small five goal margin. B Reserve Bonnie Doon defeated Milawa 50-32 B RESERVE took a breathtaking eighteen goal win over the Milawa Demons to progress to their third consecutive grand final appearance in as many years. The Bombers came out firing in the first quarter and controlled the beginning of the game, very aware of what was at stake. Tanner and Ragg worked their way around the goal circle scoring eleven goals between them to set up a five goal lead at the end of the first term. Charlotte Atherton elevated her game for finals with two “Cass Mac specials” and a couple of deflections for the quarter pairing well with Cass Turner who did not disappoint the large crowd with her own bag of high flying intercepts. Heading into the second half Seymour made her entrance and had an immediate impact rattling the Demons attack end and combined well with Ace and Madi, the trio’s ability to produce momentum down the court was crucial for a shift in the game. Enter Demi Murray who was by far the turning point for the Bombers who although may be small in stature did not shrink to the challenge and showed courage beyond her years. Murray led the bombers to their strongest quarter of the day helping the Bombers pile on an extra fifteen goals. Casey Hearmon proved the nerves of her first B Reserve finals series were no match for her skill. Hearmon put the crowd on their feet with her ability to go to the post never faltering and shooting at a massive 93 per cent accuracy. Rolling subs were used in our favour with the injection of Greaves at wing defence giving Sheahan a spell on the bench after she worked tirelessly all day, taking and dishing out some much needed one on one pressure. We look forward to what the next two weeks brings and are eager to try for a three peat performance on the 14th. Under 17’s Bonnie Doon defeated Greta 61-29 IN the second week of finals for the year, Doon took on Greta and the girls came to play. From the first centre pass, the defenders came out hard, hunting for the ball and coming up with plenty of tips and intercepts. The first five minutes saw Doon have a 6-0 lead thanks to the work of Emmeline Evans, Tilly Thornton and Charli Purcell applying pressure to Greta’s attack line and capitalising on their mistakes. Demi Murray and Chloe Cash were the perfect link between our defence end and attack line, settling the girls and delivering some nice passes and strong drives through the middle. By half time the 17s had secured a massive 20 goal lead, 31-11. The second half of the game saw Stella Brakels and Cobie McCormack sink some long bombs and showcase their three year connection, utilising the midcourters for some textbooks screens, triangles and holds. Our bench were loud and proud, with Chelsea Neale and Gemma Revell joining the court in the third quarter, playing their part in our 32 goal win over Greta to secure our well earned spot in the grandfinal in two weeks. Their coach couldn’t be prouder. Under 15’s Bonnie Doon defeated North Wangaratta 40-18 AFTER finishing the home and away season on top of the ladder the girls were fully aware that finals netball put everyone back on a level playing field and they’d have to go out and earn the win, and that they did. Erin Mahoney led from the front in her first finals appearance. Tips and intercepts galore, causing havoc in the defensive end. Bella Neale brought her normal composure and leadership to the defensive end. Rebounding with dominance and strength. Carly Desmond got her hands on many balls and was able to provide a strong drive out of defense, which we were missing early on. Sadie Brakels kept the WA under control and helped bring the pressure to create turnovers defensively. Not even a shoe blowout could slow her. Amy Cash brought the glue and calm required of a Centre. Her ability to pinpoint a pass into the goalers was very good and should not be underrated. Maya Rhodes dominated the attack end, her timing and passing were on point. She also provided a crucial link out of defense. Annie Armsden willingly put her body on the line as per normal, driving with conviction her timing perfect. Lara Klingsporn played a true GA role. Sweeping hard, getting involved and nailing some strong takes against some close tagging. Keira Thornton brought her goaling form into the finals and what a target she was. Her strength on the hold and when rebounding had the defenders scratching their heads. The girls through to the big dance after a dominating performance. Our composure and discipline were keys to our success today and will hold us in good stead as we aim for the ultimate. Eyes on the prize.
