Lions into grand final, Bombers continue their surge

They haven’t been in contention for more than a decade, but after their performance on the weekend, there can be no denying Whorouly are a legitimate flag chance. The A grade Lions won through to the 2025 grand final after stunning minor premiers Milawa with a 48-39 win in their qualifying final on Saturday at North Wangaratta. After resting during the elimination finals stage, the Lions took to the court as the underdogs, despite a draw and one-goal loss in their previous encounter with the Dees. For the first 30 minutes of game time, it was neck and neck – the sides went goal-for-goal for long stretches of time, and whenever a margin opened up, it was quickly eliminated. The Lions led by a single goal at the half, but their best was yet to come. The third term saw Whorouly surge, combining staunch defence with slick ball movement on transition and sharp shooting under the post, pushing the lead to a game-high eight goals by the final change of ends. Despite a dedicated effort from Milawa, Whorouly were able to hold firm, defending for their lives and running down the clock to take the win by nine goals. Coach Kelly Cousins said the confidence and freedom the team played with went a long way in securing the win. “The team was pumped going into the match, knowing you have that double chance takes the pressure off a bit and the team can just think about playing netball with a bit more freedom,” she said. “We had a few strategies in place in how we wanted to play against their attack end, and our defenders did a great job in disrupting their flow. “Our last half of games is where we have played our strongest netball this year, and we knew if we could be on terms with Milawa at half-time we were in with a real chance. “I think Milawa got back to within four at one stage in the quarter but the girls were able to withstand that surge and push again towards that back end of the quarter which was nice to finish off the game strongly.” The Lions’ defensive set up were as clinical as always, and they were able to bring the ball back up the court with a high conversion rate under the post. Abbey Forrest shot 37 goals at 82.22 per cent accuracy, further establishing her as one of the premier shooters in the league. “Abbey was outstanding in GS, she really stood tall and showed her strength under the post,” Cousins said. “She has improved immensely across this season and when she is in the mindset she was on Saturday, she’s very hard to stop. “It’s been great for us to have her presence in the goal circle but I also think both Tayla Allen and Katie Ivone have supported her really well out the front." Meanwhile, reigning premiers Bonnie Doon proved they're still the ones to beat after knocking off Tarrawingee 53-35 in the other semi-final. The Bombers controlled the match for the full hour, leading at every break in a sign of dominance. A bulk of the damage was done in the third quarter, when Bonnie Doon piled on 16 goals to the Bulldogs’ eight. Amy Starzer was imperious in goal shooter for Bonnie Doon, sinking 46 goals and only missing six, while her opposite number, Tarrawingee’s Kaylee Allan, was impressive (29 goals from 35 shots), but Bonnie Doon’s defensive pressure and midcourt efforts severely hampered her supply. The Bombers will meet Milawa in this weekend’s preliminary final, with the winner to meet the Lions in the decider.

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