By Marcus Uhe
The season of Pakenham’s A-Grade netball side has come to a grinding halt thanks to an Outer East Football Netball A-Grade netball competition semi-final loss to Wandin at Yarra Glen on Saturday.
A team of older and more experienced heads on the court than what Pakenham provided proved pivotal in the result, in a physical contest that saw Wandin prevail by eight goals, 53-45.
Pakenham went into the contest without first-choice Goal Shooter Kelly Cousins who succumbed to an ankle injury during the week, and was reduced to a supporting role on the bench to cheer her teammates on.
Rose Laidlaw paired with Charlotte Hudolin in the Pakenham goal circle, and after some nervous moments to open the game, settled with a vital rebound that led to a goal for her teammate a few minutes in.
Hudolin’s head-to-head with Wandin’s Ruby Tidd was an eye-catching matchup early in the game, with penalties traded and physicality intensifying on both sides with every Pakenham advance.
Wandin looked to move the ball quickly down the court before Pakenham could establish its defences to combat towering shooter Emmalia Blake, creating a manic fast-paced contest.
Pakenham’s patience was rewarded with an even score line that reflected a tremendous opening term, before the Bulldogs flexed its muscle in the pivotal second period.
Outscoring the Lions 18-7, the Bulldogs made their move.
Wandin benched Blake and allowed reserve shooter Lauren Spinks to do the attacking, while at the other end of the court, Tidd was winning the battle with Hudolin.
The first eight goals were split four-apiece, before Wandin scored the next nine to lead 25-16.
Hudolin was replaced by Eliza Molino at shooter, taking Molino away from her primary end of the court, where the goals continued to flow.
Molino stayed at Goal Shooter to open the third quarter with Hudolin at Goal Attack, and the Lions made inroads early in the third term.
Pakenham scored 10 of the first 15 goals of the quarter and cut the lead to six goals at 35-29, with shades of last week’s revival against Emerald beginning to emerge.
The care with which the Lions entered the goal circle was evident, adopting the ‘one extra pass’ approach that served them so well in their elimination final win.
Wandin provided a strong close to the final term however, with eight of the final 11 goals, to restore the double-digit lead by the end of the final term.
The Lions returned to their starting line up to begin the final term, but with the speedy Millicent Utber at Wing Attack in place of Rose Goodman Hancock.
Pakenham refused to give up, fighting the contest to the very end, but could only cut the lead down to six goals late in the last term.
Outside of the brutal second quarter, the Lions actually outscored Wandin 38-35, but will rue the middle period of 15 minutes over the offseason.
Wandin will face Narre Warren for a sport in the grand final next week at Officer, after the Magpies fell victim to their nemesis, Mt Evelyn in the second semi final.
The Rovers remain the only team to beat the Magpies in 2024, and got the job done for the third time in a 48-42 result that sends the Rovers through to the grand final.
Mt Evelyn outscored the Magpies in the first three quarters to take an eight-goal lead into the last, and held strong in the face of a Narre Warren fight back that cut the lead to three with three minutes remaining.
Mt Evelyn made a move at the beginning of the third quarter with the opening five goals to build its lead from four to nine goals, and holding the Magpies at bay for the remainder of the afternoon.
Narre Warren won both contests against Wandin this year and claimed the 2023 A-Grade premiership over the Bulldogs on grand final day, making it three wins a row for the black and white.
