SPECTATORS were treated to highquality netball at Drouin on Saturday with the two major contenders for finals in all grades going head to head.
A GRADE
DROUIN was keen to improve on its previous encounter against Garfield when it was soundly beaten. With Garfield in top form, it knew it would need to start well to keep the pressure on.
Drouin got off to a great start, opening up a fivegoal lead at the first break and extended that to 11 at halftime with some excellent passages of play.
Superior defensive work was led by Linda McLeish (GD) and Bronwyn Wallace (GK), who restricted Garfield to just 12 goals in the first half.
Sam East (GS) was a focal point for Drouin in the goal circle and when she was covered, Kylie Proctor (GA) worked the ball around the goal circle with great speed and precision. She also shot some great long bombs, much to the delight of team mates and supporters.
Drouin’s defensive pressure was outstanding with Kylie Proctor, Christie Proctor and Amy Fraser all gaining intercepts to send the team back into attack.
Sticking to the game plan, Drouin was rewarded with a direct passage to the grand final. The umpires’ bestoncourt went to Kylie Proctor.
Score: Drouin 46 d Garfield 27.
B GRADE
With the last match between Drouin and Traralgon ending in a draw, a tough challenge was always on the cards.
The first quarter was fairly even, with Traralgon ahead by three goals at the end of the quarter. Drouin made a few crucial passing errors in the second quarter and Traralgon capitalised, going to a sevengoal lead at half time.
Drouin made changes at halftime that helped the team stay in the match, reducing the margin to six goals going into the final quarter. Felicity Pratt played a steady game at goal attack and her oncourt leadership was invaluable.
Although Drouin fought valiantly in the last quarter to reduce the lead, Traralgon maintained its scoring rate and inflicted Drouin’s first defeat for the season.
Drouin now plays Garfield in the preliminary final.
Score: Traralgon 50 d Drouin 41.
C GRADE
Drouin took time to adjust to the wet, cold and slippery conditions with heavy rain making scoring difficult for both teams. Drouin defenders Millie Marriner, Lauren Ablett and Rosa Persico kept the pressure on their opponents, creating turnovers to give the Drouin goalers plenty of opportunity at goal.
In attack, Venessa Watson (WA) drove strongly onto the goal circle and with the precision passing of Ashleigh Bryce, Drouin looked confident.
The team was behind for most of the game until the third quarter when it levelled the scores, making for an exciting and nervewracking final quarter.
Lisa Watson (GS) maintained her focus and shot accurately when Drouin most needed the goals to drop and the final quarter was a determined team effort, building confidence for the grand final.
Score: Drouin 25 d Traralgon 22.
17 AND UNDER
Drouin came out on fire, showing no sign of finals nerves to open up an eightgoal lead at the first break. Full of confidence, they delivered the ball accurately to the first available option, making Warragul chase its opponents.
Warragul lifted its defensive pressure in the second quarter, causing Drouin to hesitate and turn over possession.
In the final quarter, all four goalers displayed some terrific shooting under pressure. Drouin got to within one goal of the lead but just couldn’t get the break needed to level the scores.
The team is now keen to win on Saturday and have another shot at the premiership.
Score: Warragul 37 d Drouin 33.
15 AND UNDER
This was a tight contest as expected, with Warragul and Drouin having some close encounters throughout the season. Drouin failed to get the start it would have liked, forcing changes at quarter time.
Karina Proctor moved into goals to add some more mobility in attack. Meg O’Dea (WA) displayed some great passing skills, enabling the goalers to gain close shooting position.
Drouin was erratic at times, with finals nerves a contributing factor. In defence, Jessie Hedley played a consistent game, often coming up with an intercept or deflection to keep Drouin in the match. She got plenty of support on the outside of the goal circle from Katrina Wardle who picked up a number of turnovers.
But Drouin just couldn’t string successive goals together to get up and had to bow out of the finals.
Score: Warragul 29 d Drouin 19.
13 AND UNDER
A superb match resulted in a convincing win and the opportunity to continue the finals campaign. Everything went well with the players timing their leads to perfection and passing freely.
Jess Wyatt teamed well with both Sam Davis and Abbey Kingi in goals. Melanie Piner ( WA ) was always an option on the centre pass and drove strongly to the goal circle to be in perfect feeding position.
In defence, Alice Goodwin (GK) recovered well from her ankle injury last week to be a tower of strength for Drouin. She was instrumental in sending Drouin back into attack on many occasions. Her hard work was rewarded with the umpires’ award for best on court.
Elly Derrick (WD) was prominent in Drouin’s transition from defence to attack, steadying the team in the mid court.
Score: Drouin 26 d Warragul 15.
