By Marcus Uhe
A dramatic final quarter to a gripping and tense contest saw Narre Warren prevail in the face of adversity to secure a second-successive Outer East Football Netball A Grade netball premiership in a one-goal win over Mt Evelyn.
The Magpies lost playing coach and former Australia representative Erin Bell to an ankle injury late in the final term but survived on the back of a brilliant shooting performance from vice captain Chelsea Tonna with the game on the line.
Tonna made a series of timely and crucial shots in the games final minutes to maintain her side’s slender lead over their nemesis as the Magpies held on to win 43-42.
It was Goalkeeper Gabrielle Dwyer who made the game-sealing shot, however, earning her Best on Court status for the second year running after another brilliant display.
Mt Evelyn has been the Magpies’ kryptonite this year, and won its last two matches heading into the grand final against Narre Warren, earning them the psychological upper hand.
Bell’s head-to-head with Kaitlyn Black in the Magpies’ goal circle and Brittany Mashado’s with Montana Wallis in the centre were both intriguing battles, with Black the head of the maroon snake that sets the tone from the defensive end.
A tense opening to the game saw goals hard to come by and the atmosphere reduced to a hush, with wind making life difficult for the shooters to ply their trade.
In open play, Black could dictate how the Magpies fed Bell and Tonna in the goal circle, but the Magpies did everything they could to extract her away from the action.
Out of bounds entry passes and penalties that put Black out of position took on extra significance, with Bell making her pay on nearly every occasion.
Two chances to take a two-goal lead into the first break were not taken by Bell, however, missing both shots after the quarter time siren, in a moment that threatened to haunt the Magpies in their quest for glory.
The second term was littered with momentum swings, as every goal felt it was worth double in such a low-scoring affair.
Narre Warren started the quarter better and edged ahead by four goals but Mt Evelyn responded with seven of the next nine, as the half closed with the scores locked at 22.
Unlike the first period, Bell nailed a shot on the half-time buzzer, after some sharp work from Julia Kaitani and Mashado further afield.
Kaitaini won a critical interception and Mashado, sensing time was of the essence, wasted no time in getting the ball down to her coach, who capitalised on a late chance.
Mashado’s speed was beginning to emerge as a critical factor in the contest with her ability to change the momentum of the game becoming noticeable in catching Mt Evelyn’s vaunted defence off-guard.
A five-goal scoring run from Mt Evelyn early in the third quarter threatened to break the game apart, as Narre Warren felt the trademark defensive squeeze the women in maroon have so expertly applied to all sides they’ve faced this season.
The Magpies offence appeared to be drying up, but crucial rebounding and interceptions in the mid-court ensured the weight of opportunities saw the Rovers buckle.
From a 26-28 deficit midway through the quarter, Narre Warren scored six of the quarter’s final seven goals to take a two-goal lead into the last quarter.
Like the second period, another Mashado and Bell connection in the last moments of the quarter saw Bell take her chance, and harness momentum ahead of a huge final quarter.
Mt Evelyn secured the first break through a Wallis interception to tie the scores at 33, but the Magpies scored the next four to create some separation.
Tonna was beginning to find her groove, responding from a pair of missed shots by nailing the third attempt that sent the Magpies on their run.
Three of the next four went Mt Evelyn’s way to cut the lead to two, before Bell’s tumble brought the contest to a frightening pause.
She was carried from the court in immense pain, having rolled her ankle in an unfortunate tangle, forcing Dwyer to come to the shooter’s position for the game’s final minutes.
After the delay in escorting Bell from the court, Tonna nailed the next goal to get the Magpies back on track.
Measures were getting desperate for the Rovers, who attempted long passes and risky decisions to cut the lead down, but ultimately brought them undone, as the Narre Warren defenders made vital interceptions.
A four-goal lead became one heading into the last minute, before Dwyer stepped up to make the biggest shot of the afternoon with 30 seconds left.
Mt Evelyn threw one final punch, but it wasn’t enough, with the final siren confirming premiership status once again by the barest of margins.
