A-grade: Deni Rovers 39 defeated Dookie 26.

Deniliquin Rovers A-grade continued their winning run with a commanding victory over Dookie United in Saturday’s preliminary final, keeping their hopes of a premiership three-peat alive.

From the opening whistle, the Rovers looked like a team on a mission, executing their trademark game plan with precision.

Their composed start set the tone as they built a seven-goal lead by quarter time.

Dookie responded in the second term, capitalising on turnovers to peg back the margin slightly before half-time.

But the Rovers’ experienced heads steadied.

Chloe Brown and Hazel Glowrey controlled the mid-court, dictating the tempo and maintaining possession, while defenders Chrissy Hurst and Natalie Sampson once again proved dominant, cutting off Dookie’s attacking forays.

Chloe Way and Pip Metcalfe were both tenacious in wing defence, contesting every ball and applying relentless pressure.

The second half saw Abbey Wills move into goal attack and take her shooting to another level.

Ably supported by coach Carissa Bulmer, who executed clever decoy movements, Wills piled on 17 goals with impressive accuracy to keep the scoreboard pressure on.

From there, the Rovers tightened their grip, extending their lead and never allowing Dookie back into the contest.

Their composure and relentless pressure secured a 13-goal win and a place in next week’s grand final.

B-grade: Deni Rovers 35 defeated Tungamah 34.

B-grade have booked their place in the grand final after a gripping one-goal victory over Tungamah.

The Rovers burst out of the gates with the first four goals, only for Tungamah to reply with five of their own.

The first half continued as a seesawing battle before Rovers steadied to take a three-goal advantage into the main break.

As she has done all season, Georgia McCulloch was rock-solid in defence, holding her nerve against Tungamah’s tall shooters.

At the other end, Lainey Blake worked smartly in the circle, controlling the baseline and feeding Brittany Edwards, whose accurate shooting kept the scoreboard ticking.

Erika Martin was influential across both wing defence and goalkeeper, pulling in intercepts and rebounds to disrupt Tungamah’s rhythm.

In the second quarter, youngster Bae Willis injected spark at wing attack, adding movement and precision in feeding the circle.

The second half became a tense arm-wrestle with neither side giving an inch.

Mid-courters Phoebe Jefferies, Sophie Dudley and Sienna Jenkins contested fiercely, driving the ball forward under immense pressure.

Tungamah surged in the final quarter to briefly take the lead, but Rovers dug deep.

Bell McIlwain stepped up in goalkeeper, combining with Martin and Willis to steady the play and wrestle back control.

In a thrilling climax, the Rovers held firm to clinch a one-goal win and secure their shot at premiership glory next week.

C-grade: Deni Rovers 25 defeated Dookie 19.

In a complete turnaround from the previous day's sunshine and heat, the C-grade girls took to the court in wind and rain for their preliminary final clash against Dookie.

With five Rovers teams already booking their spot in the grand final, the team was eager to join them - and they didn’t disappoint.

The girls adapted quickly to the wet conditions, playing smart, short, and sharp netball from the outset.

Mid-courters Ava Robinson and Montana Muldoon-Leetham were outstanding, re-offering and putting relentless pressure on every Dookie pass.

The Rovers forced key turnovers, which they were quick to capitalise on.

Despite a few unforced errors brought on by the weather, the Rovers remained composed and pounced on every loose ball and scoring opportunity.

In defence, Catie Lewis and Reagan Behshman were rock solid, working seamlessly together to shut down Dookie’s attacking options.

Up front, Paige Brown, Jarrah Fitzpatrick and Nicole Felmingham showed great composure under defensive pressure, staying cool in the ring and finishing their shots well - helping to keep the scoreboard ticking over when it mattered most.

Matilda Glowrey and Britt Kirby added late-game pressure with some crucial intercepts, helping to seal the win.

With a six-goal win, the C-grade girls have earned their well-deserved place in the grand final.

C-reserve: Deni Rovers 20 def by Tungamah 32.

In warmer than usual conditions, it wasn’t the ending C-res had hoped for.

Facing a taller and more experienced Tungamah side in the preliminary final, the Rovers girls struggled to find the rhythm and teamwork that had defined their dominant 20-week season.

Tungamah came in with a clear plan to disrupt the Rovers’ momentum and apply mental pressure. Unfortunately for the Roos, it worked.

The margin stretched to as much as 18 goals, and at times, the game threatened to blow out even further.

But to their credit, the Rovers showed real character in the final quarter, digging deep to outscore Tungamah and reduce the margin to a more respectable 12 goals.

While the season didn’t end the way they had envisioned - especially after going through undefeated as minor premiers - the girls carried themselves with pride, heart, and grit from start to finish.

Under-17s: Deni Rovers 48 def Jerilderie 32.

The under-17s secured a strong preliminary final win over Jerilderie, showing composure and teamwork throughout.

Dominating both attack and defence, the girls maintained control from the first whistle to the final siren.

With this victory, the Rovers are now set to face their toughest challenge yet in next week’s grand final.

Under-15s: Deni Rovers 30 def Tocumwal 21.

Our under-15s came out with grit, intensity and trust in each other this weekend, knowing that a home grand final was on the line.

From the very first whistle, the girls showed determination and composure, setting the tone with quick ball movement and great balance right down the court.

Every player stepped up, not only fulfilling their role but lifting the team around them.

Our defenders put on an absolute clinic, reading the play brilliantly, taking strong intercepts, and rebounding beautifully to deny the opposition second chances.

They applied constant pressure, forcing errors and keeping the opposition under the pump all game.

Through the mid-court, the drive and precision passing kept the game flowing, linking defence to attack seamlessly.

Up front, our attack was relentless.

Patient and clever, they worked the ball around, chipping away until the perfect opening appeared, before finishing with composure and confidence at the post.

The connection between players was outstanding and the teamwork on display made for some very classy netball.

It was a true team effort where every single girl made her mark, and the energy on and off the court was something special.

With this performance behind them, the excitement and anticipation for this weekend’s grand final are sky-high.

Under-13s: Deni Rovers 19 def Tocumwal 14.

The Rovers were able to secure their spot in the 2025 grand final, taking the win against the undefeated Tocumwal.

The girls began with a strong start, taking the initial lead by one goal at the first quarter time.

Shooters Madeline Woolston and Madison Danckert held their own in the circle, popping up goal after goal.

Coming in at half-time, however, the girls needed to dig deep with a 9-9 draw.

Sophie Bulmer and Indi Conallin both provided solid attacking options as WA, driving hard and positioning themselves well on the court.

Holding their own in what was a contact-heavy game, the girls used their training focus and grit to keep on working for turnovers and getting the ball down to the shooters.

Defenders Lara Redden and Meg Meharry continued to collect rebounds and shut their players down.

Khoa Unwin and Isabella Goodear worked in tandem as C and WD, smoothly changing between attacking and defensive moves.

After an unexpected mid-game injury disrupting the third quarter, the girls used their confidence to remain strong in their set positions and cement their lead with the help of Isabelle Didcock in GA.

The girls are ready to take on their final challenge next weekend.

Southern Riverina News Google News Panels

Monday, 6th February 2023

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