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Minor premiers Milawa will be on everyone’s radar after knocking off reigning flag-holders Bonnie Doon in the last round of O&K netball before the cutthroat finals series. The Demons backed up their earlier trouncing of the Bombers with a 62-51 scoreline in round 20, a sure sign they’re in red-hot form at the right time of year. Milawa was on fire early, shooting 21 goals in the opening 15 minutes to lead by seven at quarter time. Bonnie Doon worked into the contest, matching the Demons across the court through the second, with the margin sitting at eight by the half. The Demons remained composed in spite of the high-scoring affair, and managed to win valuable turnovers in defence and send them up to the shooters, who hit the scoreboard more than they missed. With a 10-goal lead heading into the final 15 minutes of gametime, both sides went for all-out offence, the Demons outscoring Bonnie Doon by a single goal to secure the 11-goal winning margin. Milawa coach Kerrie Gray said it was a brilliant hit out against a fellow contender. “We had a fantastic game against Bonnie Doon, with both teams playing well,” she said. “We were able to very slowly chip away at the scoreboard - both ends’ goal circles were shooting accurately, leaving little opportunity to win ball. “I’m proud of the girls’ patience and composure throughout the match.” Emily Canny was laser-focussed under the post, finishing with 38 goals from her 40 shots, well supported by Jami Ussher (24 from 30 shots). At the other end of the court, Tahlia Matthews-Vincent did a solid job on Bombers shooter Amy Starzer, who still had an impact with 39 goals. Elsewhere, Whorouly secured a top two finish and free pass to the second week of finals with a 45-26 win over Moyhu. The Lions built off a strong opening term to outscore the Hoppers by eight goals to set up a 23-11 lead by the half. Their defensive game leading the way, Whorouly was able to capitalise from turnovers generated in the back end, with Abbey Forrest (32 goals) and Tayla Allen (12 goals) doing the job under the post. Moyhu had no answers for the comprehensive display shown by the Lions, pushing out the margin in every quarter on their way to a 19-goal win. For the Hoppers, Imogen Taylor was strong, while Sophie Morey provided options across the court. Whorouly will take the first week of finals off before taking on minor premiers Milawa, with the winner of their match straight into the grand final, while the loser heads to a preliminary final. In other A grade matches, finalists sharpened their skills in preparation for the run into the grand final, with contenders Goorambat and Bright coming away with wins against North Wangaratta (75-26) and King Valley (54-27), respectively. Despite missing finals, Greta finished their year on a high by doubling Benalla All Blacks’ score, 60-30.

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