By David Nagel
The stage is set for an absorbing four-week battle for the WGFNC A Grade premiership cup after the preliminary rounds finished with some thrilling matches on Saturday.
All teams from one to five on the ladder will head into finals with a strong belief that this could be their year, while Phillip Island appears to have a tough challenge ahead as it enters an elimination final against Tooradin-Dalmore on the back of a five-game losing streak.
The depth of this year’s finals series is epitomised by the form of Nar Nar Goon, who for the second week running pushed a legitimate premiership contender all the way to the final whistle.
The Goon, who finished the season in fifth place, went down fighting against ladder-leaders Inverloch-Kongwak on Saturday, in a 36-38 scoreline that had the same look and feel as a hard-fought two-goal loss to Tooradin-Dalmore just seven days earlier.
Both teams were at their brilliant best defensively, with the Sea Eagles’ 12-goal third term the highest of any team in the contest.
IK led 10-8 at quarter time before the Goon came bouncing back to level the scores at 17-all midway through the match.
Chantelle Dale (C), Bec Cox (WD) and evergreen performer Meaghan Winter (WA) took the game right up to the Sea Eagles, who were asked some serious questions by the Goon as they headed into the half-time break.
The Sea Eagles responded like only very good teams can do, scoring 12-9 in the third to open up a winning break.
Coach Jarrad Walker was down a couple of stars, with regular starters Rahni Mann and Tayla Robb missing in action on the weekend, but the Sea Eagles still found a way to get the job done.
Renee Pilkington was moved from wing defence to centre after half time and had a huge influence through the midcourt, while Lanni Pryor (WA), Ella Sadler (GA), Kelly Boyd (GS) and Tayla Smith (GK) were rock-solid contributors across the four quarters.
By finishing on top, the Sea Eagles have earned a well-deserved week’s rest, while the Goon girls have an extra day to prepare for a Sunday shootout against Dalyston.
What an absoluter cracking contest that is going to be, with both teams fighting for the season survival!
The other team to earn a week off is Bunyip, who won the battle for the double chance with a hard-fought 50-40 victory over Dalyston.
The Bulldogs thoroughly deserve to put their feet up this weekend after Saturday’s win made it seven victories on the trot.
Amongst those wins are Dalyston (twice), Nar Nar Goon and Tooradin-Dalmore who are certainly no mugs in the grand scheme of things.
The Magpies entered this match-up coming off a five-game streak of their own, and it’s hard to believe that either the Goon or Magpies will be packing their bags and saying farewell this Sunday.
Reigning premier Tooradin-Dalmore needed to thump Kooweerup to be any chance of earning second place on the ladder, and the Seagulls upheld their part of the bargain with a 90-10 smashing at Denhams Road.
Unfortunately for the Gulls, they need Dalyston to sneak across the line against Bunyip to be a chance, but that one went narrowly the wrong way.
The Gulls were awesome, becoming the first team to put 90 goals on the board for the season.
Alex Duff netted 37 goals, with Kayla Bratic (27) and Alex Maher (26) not too far behind.
It’s hard to see the Gulls being troubled by Phillip Island this Saturday, but netball is a funny game.
In other games, Warragul Industrials finished off their season in style, defeating an under-staffed Cora Lynn, 57-42, while Korumburra-Bena held on in a nail-biter against Phillip Island.
The Giants eventually missed out on finals by percentage, but still celebrated hard after a thrilling 32-31 triumph.
Garfield rounded out its season with the bye.
WGFNC FINALS
Saturday, 20 August, 2022
1st Elimination Final (3 v 6)
Bass Recreation Reserve
A Grade: Tooradin-Dalmore (3) v Phillip Island (6) 2.45pm
B Grade: Phillip Island (3) v Dalyston (6) 1.30pm
C Grade: Dalyston (3) v Cora Lynn (6) 12.30pm
D Grade: Dalyston (3) v Tooradin-Dalmore (6) 11.30am
17 Under: Phillip Island (3) v Cora Lynn (6) 10.30am
15 Under: Korumburra-Bena (3) v Nar Nar Goon (6) 9.40am
13 Under: Kooweerup (3) v Tooradin-Dalmore (6) 8.50am
11 Under: Dalyston (3) v Kilcunda-Bass (6) 8.00am
Sunday, 21 August, 2022
2nd Elimination Final (4 v 5)
Bunyip Recreation Reserve
A Grade: Dalyston (4) v Nar Nar Goon (5) 2.45pm
B Grade: Nar Nar Goon (4) v Inverloch-Kongwak (5) 1.30pm
C Grade: Garfield (4) v Nar Nar Goon (5) 12.30pm
D Grade: Nar Nar Goon (4) v Kilcunda-Bass (5) 11.30am
17 Under: Inverloch-Kongwak (4) v Tooradin-Dalmore (5) 10.30am
15 Under: Bunyip (4) v Dalyston (5) 9.40am
13 Under: Cora Lynn (4) v Warragul Industrials (5) 8.50am
11 Under: Tooradin-Dalmore (4) v Phillip Island (5) 8.00am
RESULTS
A GRADE: Dalyston 40 v Bunyip 50, Kilcunda-Bass 0 v Garfield 20, Kooweerup 10 v Tooradin-Dalmore 90, Nar Nar Goon 36 v Inverloch-Kongwak 38, Phillip Island 31 v Korumburra-Bena 32, Warragul Industrials 57 v Cora Lynn 42.
B GRADE: Dalyston 44 v Bunyip 73, Kilcunda-Bass 43 v Garfield 28, Kooweerup 31 v Tooradin-Dalmore 61, Nar Nar Goon 40 v Inverloch-Kongwak 35, Phillip Island 54 v Korumburra-Bena 24, Warragul Industrials 35 v Cora Lynn 64.
C GRADE: Dalyston 28 v Bunyip 38, Kilcunda-Bass 21 v Garfield 58, Kooweerup 24 v Tooradin-Dalmore 24, Nar Nar Goon 26 v Inverloch-Kongwak 28, Phillip Island 34 v Korumburra-Bena 34, Warragul Industrials 28 v Cora Lynn 43.
D GRADE: Dalyston 22 v Bunyip 31, Kilcunda-Bass 38 v Garfield 26, Kooweerup 11 v Tooradin-Dalmore 41, Nar Nar Goon 31 v Inverloch-Kongwak 40.
17 UNDER: Dalyston 49 v Bunyip 16, Kilcunda-Bass 38 v Garfield 20, Kooweerup 17 v Tooradin-Dalmore 22, Nar Nar Goon 22 v Inverloch-Kongwak 52, Phillip Island 43 v Korumburra-Bena 41, Warragul Industrials 28 v Cora Lynn 46.
15 UNDER: Dalyston 23 v Bunyip 24, Kilcunda-Bass 20 v Garfield 0, Kooweerup 15 v Tooradin-Dalmore 20, Nar Nar Goon 17 v Inverloch-Kongwak 25, Phillip Island 43 v Korumburra-Bena 31, Warragul Industrials 18 v Cora Lynn 27.
13 UNDER: Dalyston 25 v Bunyip 15, Kilcunda-Bass 4 v Garfield 37, Kooweerup 15 v Tooradin-Dalmore 5, Nar Nar Goon 38 v Inverloch-Kongwak 9, Phillip Island 37 v Korumburra-Bena 11, Warragul Industrials 20 v Cora Lynn 19.
11 UNDER: Dalyston 20 v Bunyip 3, Kilcunda-Bass 12 v Garfield 10, Kooweerup 7 v Tooradin-Dalmore 14, Nar Nar Goon 22 v Inverloch-Kongwak 10.
LADDERS
A GRADE W L D F A % PTS
Inverloch-Kongwak 17 1 0 916 423 216.55 68
Bunyip 15 3 0 928 534 173.78 60
Tooradin-Dalmore 15 3 0 847 602 140.70 60
Dalyston 14 4 0 731 540 135.37 56
Nar Nar Goon 12 6 0 818 660 123.94 48
Phillip Island 8 10 0 815 736 110.73 32
Korumburra Bena 8 10 0 609 654 93.12 32
Cora Lynn 7 11 0 670 666 100.60 28
Garfield 6 12 0 610 753 81.01 24
Warragul Industrials 5 13 0 653 1020 64.02 20
Koo Wee Rup 1 17 0 406 1055 38.48 4
Kilcunda Bass 0 18 0 0 360 0.00 0
B GRADE W L D F A % PTS
Tooradin-Dalmore 17 1 0 1040 637 163.27 68
Bunyip 15 3 0 962 583 165.01 60
Phillip Island 14 4 0 900 705 127.66 56
Nar Nar Goon 13 5 0 917 565 162.30 52
Inverloch-Kongwak 12 5 1 845 589 143.46 50
Dalyston 11 7 0 881 804 109.58 44
Kilcunda Bass 7 10 1 764 770 99.22 30
Garfield 5 12 1 640 840 76.19 22
Cora Lynn 4 12 2 654 862 75.87 20
Koo Wee Rup 4 12 2 562 807 69.64 20
Korumburra Bena 2 15 1 549 865 63.47 10
Warragul Industrials 0 18 0 509 1196 42.56 0
C GRADE W L D F A % PTS
Bunyip 18 0 0 818 274 298.54 72
Inverloch-Kongwak 14 3 1 761 360 211.39 58
Dalyston 13 5 0 645 444 145.27 52
Garfield 13 5 0 649 461 140.78 52
Nar Nar Goon 12 5 1 566 400 141.50 50
Cora Lynn 11 7 0 571 510 111.96 44
Phillip Island 8 9 1 518 534 97.00 34
Tooradin-Dalmore 5 12 1 430 556 77.34 22
Koo Wee Rup 5 12 1 377 532 70.86 22
Korumburra Bena 3 14 1 420 618 67.96 14
Kilcunda Bass 3 15 0 344 763 45.09 12
Warragul Industrials 0 18 0 278 925 30.05 0
D GRADE W L D F A % PTS
Inverloch-Kongwak 14 0 0 589 272 216.54 56
Bunyip 13 2 0 641 283 226.50 52
Dalyston 12 3 0 635 312 203.53 48
Nar Nar Goon 10 4 0 521 297 175.42 40
Kilcunda Bass 7 8 0 429 442 97.06 28
Tooradin-Dalmore 6 9 0 394 491 80.24 24
Cora Lynn 4 11 0 326 502 64.94 16
Garfield 3 12 0 345 532 64.85 12
Phillip Island 2 12 0 264 624 42.31 8
Koo Wee Rup 2 12 0 232 581 39.93 8
Korumburra Bena 0 0 0 0 20 0.00 0
Warragul Industrials 0 0 0 0 20 0.00 0
17 UNDER W L D F A % PTS
Dalyston 18 0 0 908 308 294.81 72
Korumburra Bena 16 2 0 723 346 208.96 64
Phillip Island 15 3 0 891 483 184.47 60
Inverloch-Kongwak 14 4 0 783 403 194.29 56
Tooradin-Dalmore 10 8 0 566 532 106.39 40
Cora Lynn 9 9 0 509 531 95.86 36
Bunyip 8 10 0 542 570 95.09 32
Koo Wee Rup 8 10 0 456 483 94.41 32
Nar Nar Goon 4 14 0 446 653 68.30 16
Kilcunda Bass 4 14 0 418 685 61.02 16
Warragul Industrials 2 16 0 324 828 39.13 8
Garfield 0 18 0 181 925 19.57 0
15 UNDER W L D F A % PTS
Inverloch-Kongwak 17 1 0 501 243 206.17 68
Phillip Island 16 2 0 616 312 197.44 64
Korumburra Bena 14 4 0 519 366 141.80 56
Bunyip 13 4 1 474 329 144.07 54
Dalyston 11 7 0 374 347 107.78 44
Nar Nar Goon 9 8 1 423 391 108.18 38
Koo Wee Rup 8 10 0 386 405 95.31 32
Kilcunda Bass 7 11 0 314 404 77.72 28
Tooradin-Dalmore 5 13 0 328 419 78.28 20
Cora Lynn 4 14 0 283 425 66.59 16
Warragul Industrials 3 15 0 346 563 61.46 12
Garfield 0 18 0 0 360 0.00 0
13 UNDER W L D F A % PTS
Phillip Island 17 1 0 659 196 336.22 68
Nar Nar Goon 15 3 0 539 236 228.39 60
Koo Wee Rup 15 3 0 524 247 212.15 60
Cora Lynn 13 4 1 442 219 201.83 54
Warragul Industrials 12 6 0 411 303 135.64 48
Tooradin-Dalmore 9 8 1 305 234 130.34 38
Inverloch-Kongwak 8 10 0 291 320 90.94 32
Korumburra Bena 6 10 2 294 328 89.63 28
Dalyston 5 13 0 130 434 29.95 20
Garfield 4 14 0 240 435 55.17 16
Kilcunda Bass 1 17 0 114 545 20.92 4
Bunyip 1 17 0 107 559 19.14 4
11 UNDER W L D F A % PTS
Nar Nar Goon 14 0 0 394 51 772.55 56
Inverloch-Kongwak 12 2 0 285 85 335.29 48
Dalyston 11 4 0 169 88 192.05 44
Tooradin-Dalmore 11 4 0 190 125 152.00 44
Phillip Island 7 6 1 177 186 95.16 30
Kilcunda Bass 6 8 1 122 209 58.37 26
Cora Lynn 4 9 2 112 195 57.44 20
Koo Wee Rup 3 9 2 87 168 51.79 16
Bunyip 1 14 0 81 295 27.46 4
Garfield 1 14 0 47 242 19.42 4
Korumburra Bena 0 0 0 0 20 0.00 0
Warragul Industrials 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0