The door is still ajar for Moyhu to make the A grade finals after the Hoppers pulled off a stirring heist at Pioneer Park on Saturday. In a must-win scenario, the Hoppers came out ahead of Bright, bringing themselves within two points of the top six with a stunning 47-45 win. The high-pressure match started with a bang, as Moyhu hopped out to an early lead, with Bright slowly but surely pegging them back. Scores were deadlocked at 34-34 at the final break, setting the stage for a monster final quarter. The two quality squads fought tooth and nail late, but at the final whistle, it was the Hoppers who had the lead. Sophie Morey was stellar in goal attack, only missing five goals out of her 26 attempts, while Liv Corso came up clutch in defence. For Bright, Amber Quirk and Shanae Gribbin were impactful. With a fortnight of netball left for the Hoppers to make their case, it’s a simple equation – Moyhu need to score a major upset in one of their last two matches against Tarrawingee (second) and Whorouly (third), while needing Bright to lose both of their matches against the Lions and King Valley. While clear on paper, it’ll be a tough ask for the Hoppers – but if this season of O&K netball has taught anything, it’s that all options are on the table. Elsewhere, Tarrawingee came one step closer to a top-two spot with a clinical fightback victory over Greta. The Blues dominated the first half, leading by three at the major break, before the Bulldogs powered back to take the win 44-34. The match was decided in the third quarter, which saw Tarrawingee outscore Greta by 11 goals to bridge the gap and shoot into the lead, thanks to inspired defensive work and accurate execution under the post. A frenetic final quarter saw 16 goals scored, but it was Tarrawingee who had the firepower in the circle and the gas in the tank. The Bulldogs sit second on the ladder with one match and a bye left in their season, needing a win and the Lions to stumble to book their ticket to the qualifying final. In other A grade matches, ladder leaders Milawa won convincingly 58-32 over Benalla All Blacks, Bonnie Doon were 15 goals too good for the Bats 45-30, while Whorouly hammered the Hawks 63-21.
