By Marcus Uhe
A dominant fourth quarter saw Narre Warren reign supreme in an Outer East Football Netball A-Grade Netball grand final rematch from 2023 over Wandin, prevailing in a 44-41 win at home.
Trailing by three goals heading into the final term, the Magpies showed exactly why they are reigning premiers, winning the final term 11-5 and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat over last season’s runner up.
Remarkably, the final quarter scores repeated the opening quarter, with both sides making nervous starts to the big contest.
Moved to 12.30 to accommodate the broadcast partners and avoiding any overlap with the football, the opening stages featured turnovers on the first two possessions and 90 seconds of play before the opening goal.
Narre Warren jumped to an early 9-3 lead, thanks to some poor ball handling from Wandin and a better path to goal for the Magpies.
Without Emmalia Blake in the Wandin goal circle, the Bulldogs were forced to find other routes to goal, rather than exploit her considerable height advantage over most defenders.
Wandin were grand finalists in 2023 for a reason, however, and showed tremendous fight in the second half to retake the lead late in the term.
Much of the quarter was played in Narre Warren’s half but with its high defensive press, the Bulldogs made a conscious effort to pass over the oncoming pressure and find Lauren Spinks close to goal.
The Magpies responded to take a four-goal lead into the long break, but a five-goal run early in the third term saw the Bulldogs retake the ascendency.
Wandin’s lead reached as many as three goals, the final two of the quarter fighting off a mini-resurgence from the premiers, entering the final term ahead 36-33.
The beginning of the final quarter was going to say plenty about each team, but for Wandin it was a period of the game to forget.
With the first possession of the quarter, they missed two chances to open the scoring, before Grace Ioelu converted at the other end of the court for Narre Warren.
Despite missing Gabrielle Dwyer, the Magpies defenders were extremely effective in keeping Spinks and Jackie Cutting away from the post, and forcing them to shoot long shots that she struggled to convert.
Erin Bell tied the scores at the other end, showing a considerable lack of nerves compared to her contemporary.
She did miss two shots on one possession later in the quarter, but tellingly managed to secure the rebounds on both occasions.
On the second miss, she found Ioelu, who converted on the Magpies’ third try.
Wandin tied the scores at 37, but failed to retake the lead in the remainder of the game, as Spinks missed a number of chances down the stretch.
Ioelu outshone her experienced and more credentialed shooting partner with 24 goals and was critical to the result for the Magpies, filling the breach left by Chelsea Tonna.
Maddy George showed tenacious intensity for Wandin throughout the contest, while Spinks finished with 33 goals.
The return of Eliza Molino to the Pakenham line up played a huge role in the Lions downing ROC by 15 goals in the 54-39 contest to make to two wins from three matches.
Molino helped restrict ROC on the offensive end, holding them to just five goals in the second quarter, where the Lions nailed 13, to grow the lead from one goal to nine at the long break.
Elsewhere, Upwey Tecoma downed Olinda Ferny Creek 57-34, Woori Yallock kept Berwick Springs to just 16 goals in a 66-16 hammering, and Emerald almost doubled Gembrook Cockatoo’s score in a 60-33 win at Gembrook.
Gembrook Cockatoo had no answer to Emerald captain Kaylah Loulanting, who scored 40 goals on her own to singlehandedly outscore the Brookers, ending the home side’s winning streak in the process.
Monbulk, meanwhile, played Mt Evelyn to a low scoring tie, the scores locked at 46 each.
The Rovers have now started the season with one win, one loss and one draw, in results that could prove consequential when jostling for positions and seeding, come finals time.
