Netball
2 September, 2024
Warriors win thriller in front of home crowd
Stawell defeated Nhill by one goal in a thriller in front of their home crowd at Central Park in Sunday's elimination final in the Wimmera Football Netball League.
The Warriors had a lot of support in misty weather, and it gave them a boost. They played well, capitalising on turnovers to lead by four goals at quarter-time.
The Tigers ramped up their pressure in the second quarter, but the Warriors held firm to take a two-goal lead into the main break.
It was goal-for-goal in the third quarter, with the Warriors holding their nerve to lead by one at three-quarter-time.
The last quarter was tense, with scores level on a couple of occasions. Even though the Warriors got a three-goal lead, the Tigers came back, but it was the Warriors holding on to win 32-31.
Ebony Summers and Madi Taylor scored 18 and 14 goals, respectively, the latter one of the best on the court alongside goalkeeper Lauren Homden.
Ellen Bennett was sensational through the centre for the Tigers, and Larnie Hobbs was excellent in defence. Ruby James and Claudia McRae scored 12 goals, and Emma Beer shot seven.
Warriors coach Jemma Clarkson was thankful for the crowd.
"You don't get to play finals at home often, and the support was wonderful. I am thankful to everyone at our club for the tremendous amount of support they gave us," Clarkson said.
"Everyone came out and cheered us on, which boosted our energy on the court. It was wonderful to have that support."
Clarkson praised her troops for the way they handled the pressure.
"We built it well over the first quarter, and it was an even match throughout, and that buffer we had at quarter-time helped," Clarkson said.
"We knew the whole game would be challenging, and we knew we had to play to the final whistle, and it was tough out there, but the girls just kept patient on the court, and we could keep our noses in front.
"Nhill kept coming at us in the last, but we had to hold steady, and Lisa Considine and Lauren Homden did excellent in the defensive ring picking up rebounds, and we played patiently down the court."
"Nhill's defence was tight all day, and it took us five or six passes to work through the midcourt and their defence, and we had to play the possession game, and we managed to do that well."
With Ayva Mitchell missing again due to injury, Madi Taylor stepped in well to cover her in attack, and Clarkson said her versatility is important.
"Regardless of where Madi plays, you know she will give you something special as she is super talented and works hard all game," Clarkson said.
"She has played a lot of juniors through the goals and midcourt, had confidence in the ring all day, and rebounded beautifully with Ebony.
"It was tough conditions for goal shooting, and she and Ebony both worked hard to get what they got."
The Warriors now play Dimboola for a spot in the preliminary final at Coughlin Park next Sunday, and Clarkson knows it will be a challenging game.
"The quality of netball through the A-grade competition this year is very strong, and we know Dimboola is going to come out wanting that win as they finished third, so we are prepared for another tough game," Clarkson said.
"We need to play four quarters of strong netball, which has been our goal this season. We have had lapses in quarters that have lost us the game, so we are going to work hard to make sure we take each 15 minutes on and play through the entire game, and we need to do that next week if we are to win."
Clarkson is looking forward to indoor netball, with the match being played at Coughlin Park.
"Now that we are indoors, it will probably be a beautiful day outside," Clarkson joked.
"In all seriousness, it takes out all the questionable conditions, and we can concentrate on playing netball in an indoor environment, and it will be nice to play someone indoors rather than the Saints.
"I am proud of the girls that we have made it this far. They have worked hard this season; you never know what will happen in the finals."
"Last year, we finished third and had that second chance, but we didn't make it beyond the second week. This year, we are more confident after being in a different position where we needed to win."
"The girls have really rallied this season as a team, and we have found our feet as a playing group, and it's exciting to see what we can do next weekend."