Korumburra-Bena and Nar Nar Goon have provided an early taste of what September action might look like after the Giants produced a magnificent last quarter to defeat the previously undefeated Goon by two goals on Saturday.
Ladder positions would indicate nothing has changed in West Gippsland A Grade netball, but the second-placed Giants pricked the ears of many coaches around the league with a grinding 52-50 triumph on home court.
While Nar Nar Goon has been the standout performer to this point in the season, there’s no way they’ve built up the fear factor or aura of an Inverloch-Kongwak or Tooradin-Dalmore from season’s gone by.
Opposition teams have still seen the Goon as gettable…and that’s the way it played out on the weekend.
That scenario hardly looked likely at quarter time however after the Goon came out blazing from the outset.
Alex Fenton (C), Olivia Hamilton (WA) and Chantelle Dale (WD) had the ball on a string through the midcourt, while Darcy Utber (GA) played a crucial role in providing Kyra Esler (GS) with the opportunities to score 13 goals alone in the opening stanza.
The Goon led 16-10 at the first break to hit the Giants with the first big question of the match; and right between the eyes.
Can you come with us or not?
The Giants replied with an emphatic ‘yes’, with Chelsea Fox (C), Ash Cuff (WA) and Felicity Fox (WA) lifting their rating through the engine room, while Gemma Dixon (WD) and Fiona Burns (GK) created great pressure in defence.
Elisha Nicholas (GA) began to have an impact in attack and Mackenna Whiteside (GS) nailed her chances, reducing the deficit to just one goal at the half-way point of the match.
Things stayed that way after an 11-11 third term, setting up an amazing contest in the final term.
A great game got even better, with both teams blossoming and neither going into their shells.
A total of 29 goals were scored in the final quarter; clearly the highest of the match.
The Giants first caught the Goon then surpassed them, turning that one-goal negative into a two-goal positive with a 16-13 final quarter.
It was a magnificent victory for the Giants; with not one ‘bib change’ across all four quarters of netball.
Inverloch-Kongwak’s quest to win an incredible fourth-consecutive premiership is now a little more realistic after the Sea Eagles survived a scrappy 31-29 grind against Dalyston.
It what must almost be a first, the Sea Eagles prevailed despite not scoring double figures in any quarter of the match!
They led by five after a 7-6 and 8-4 first half, before the Magpies clawed back to two with a 10-7 third quarter.
Both teams were desperate in the final exchanges, but the connection between Kate French (GD), Renee Pilkington (C), Lanni Pryor (WA) and Sophia Hughes (GA) got the champs across the line in a close one.
Missing some key players, the Sea Eagles turned to youngsters like Macy Newcombe (WD) and Ruby McCartney (GA) to have an impact.
Gemma Thomas, Mataya Maloney and Olivia Bramley were warriors in defence for the Magpies.
In other games this week, steady goal-shooting from Kasey Brooks-MacMillan and Brooke Abu-Jaber saw Cora Lynn consolidate third place on the ladder with a 49-32 victory over Warragul Industrials, while Phillip Island banked its third win for the season with a 48-35 success over Kooweerup.
And seventh-placed Tooradin-Dalmore is one win away from sneaking into the top six after a 56-45 win over Garfield.
The Seagulls broke the game open with a 17-7 second quarter which would prove the defining period of the match.
Tooradin heads to eighth-placed Kilcunda-Bass this week, with the winner likely to sit in sixth position after 10 rounds of the season.
