Three more chances for netballers to make grand final day

The rural city has three more Ovens and Murray netball teams aiming to book their tickets to this year's grand final spectacular when they take to the Albury courts this Sunday. Wangaratta Magpies B grade and 15 and under, plus Rovers C grade can join Magpies C graders on the big day to make it a Wangaratta netball carnival if they win this weekend. The Magpies B graders have the perfect opportunity to secure their place and wreak a little revenge by taking the scalp of Lavington who upset them in the qualifying final a fortnight ago. Previous to that encounter, the Magpies had defeated the Panthers in both home and away fixtures so should feel more than capable of doing that once more this season. Co-coach Chaye Crimmins, who shares the duties with Hannah Grady, is confident her troops will carry the momentum forward from last week's stunning win over Wodonga Raiders. "We had very strong games against them throughout the season which fell our way, the qualifying final on reflection wasn’t our best netball," Crimmins said. "We’ve reflected on where we can improve and that’s on our strength onto the ball, pressure across the full court with all sevens players playing that role, and I think putting in the hard work for a consistent four quarters. "This match will be won from our intensity, consistency and will need to have a solid start to the game. "It will also be won on our mental game." Crimmins has a full squad to choose from and with the likes of Sarah Bond dominating up forward and the miserly defence of Abbey Moore and Olivia Szeligiewicz, the Magpies should start as favourites. After a frustrating loss against Wangaratta Magpies last week in a match they were in control of for three of the four quarters, Rovers C grade coach Deb Doyle said earlier this week he team was more than ready to bounce back in the preliminary final against against Lavington. "The girls are competitors and are all keen to get back to work and bounce back," Doyle said. "The team watched the elimination final on Sunday to get a good look at who we would play and the vibe remains high." Rovers finished second on the ladder to Magpies before the finals began and would be keen to face their neighbours again in the grand final and defend their 2025 crown. The Hawks beat the Panthers by 11 goals in the qualifying final a fortnight ago, and by more than 10 goals in the other encounters this season, however, that is no guarantee of a repeat this weekend as Doyle pointed out. "Everyone is competition come finals time," she said. Wangaratta Magpies will also feature in the 15 and under final at 8.30am on Sunday when they face Wodonga Raiders, a team they are yet to defeat this season. The young Magpies will be buoyed by their thrilling one-goal win last week over Lavington and if they can show the same steely resolve and tighten up their shooting accuracy and pressure their opponents across the court, they are more than capable of an upset. Co-coach Leah Jenvey, who shares the duties with Annalee Nolan, said Raiders were a really well-drilled side who will make her side work for everything. "Our message will be to trust ourselves and stick to our structures," Jenvey said. "We know what we are capable of when we play our own game. "We’ve also worked a lot on handling the big moments and what we can tell ourselves when things get tough, so hopefully the girls can use that when they need it." Despite having a few players recovering from injuries, she is confident in the depth of the squad. "Whoever gets the opportunity will be ready to step up and do their job for the team," Jenvey said. "At the start of the season, our biggest aim was development by helping the girls grow as players, build confidence and learn how to play together as a team. "To see how much they have developed individually and as a group has been really rewarding. "We’re really proud of where they are now and hopefully we can finish the season strongly. "The girls have put a lot of work into this season and they deserve the opportunity to enjoy this moment. "We know Raiders will be a tough challenge, but we’ll go in confident, stick together and give it everything we have."

Three more chances for netballers to make grand final day

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 9 September, 2026

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