Western rivals collide
CITY WEST PROVE THE BEST IN CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION AND 19-AND-UNDERS
VU Western Lightning and City West Falcons locked horns on Saturday night in the Victorian Netball League Championship Division grand final.
It was the first time the two western suburbs rivals have met in the grand final.
CITY West Falcons are Victorian Netball League Championship Division champions after defeating cross-town rival VU-Western Lightning in the grand final on Saturday night.
The Falcons capped a grand season with a 42-37 triumph in the premiership decider, a strong start helping them over the line with City West co-captain Christie Barnes winning the best-on-court medal after an enormous game.
In Round 12 this year, Lightning were no match for the flying Falcons, falling by 32 goals.
But the grand final was anything but a one- sided affair.
Former Melbourne Vixen and Falcons co-captain Kath Knott shot the bulk of her side’s score in the first term as VU struggled to find range, the Lightning hitting just one of their nine goal attempts.
VU got its mojo back, but the isolation of Knott in the goal circle forced the Lightning captain, Brooke Thompson, and Melissa Bragg to double-team her and Maggie Lind, the daughter of Falcons coach Marg Lind, had to step up.
Post-game, the coach revealed she had contemplated subbing Maggie from goal attack as the young sharp-shooter had struggled throughout the first three quarters.
But junior Lind responded in the fourth quarter, repaying the faith shown in her by the coaching staff to shoot five-from-five, helping to ice the game.
‘‘I thought she made a bit of progress in the third. If she hadn’t we wouldn’t have continued with her,’’ Lind said.
‘‘Coming into the last I actually sat (assistant-coach Jason) Wooley down with her and he said, ‘Come on, focus on the things that we know have been working all year’.’’
VU coach Matthew Hills was also thinking tactically at the final change, bringing on ex-Australian Netball League player Megan Fitzpatrick to assist Melissa Mccauley under the ring.
Falcons defender Peta Fay snared a crucial intercept in the final quarter to give her side some momentum, with Barnes providing great options through the midcourt as she moved from centre to wing attack.
While VU went goal-forgoal with the Falcons, they could never catch up.
‘‘First five minutes of the last quarter was where the game was won and lost,’’ VU coach Matt Hills said.
‘‘We went down 6-1 and made a couple of basic errors.’’
Lind was ecstatic after the victory, admitting she would have been disappointed if the result hadn’t gone City West’s way in both the Championship Division and the 19-and-unders (which the Falcons also won).
‘‘I would’ve been really disappointed if we didn’t get them, we’ve worked hard and we’ve been the standout team in the second half,’’ Lind said.
Meanwhile, in Division 1 Monash University Central enjoyed a thrilling one-goal grand final triumph over the Boroondara Genesis, while the Falcons got over the line against the Genesis by 11 goals in the 19-andunders’ decider.
Appeared in the Wyndham, Moorabool, Maribrynong, Melton, Hobsons bay, Hume and Brimbank Leader. Edited by Cody Winnell.
It's more than just a game 