Pot of gold looms

Cranbourne star Tara Cecil proved an immovable object for Beaconsfield at Holm Park Reserve on Saturday. 171614 Picture: ROB CAREW

SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
REVIEW – ROUND 17
Finals fever has come a week early for this year’s premiership contenders with two magnificent games set to round out the SEFNL home-and-away season this Saturday.
Cranbourne and Doveton will slug it out at Casey Fields in a precursor to their elimination final at Berwick on August 27 – but even that huge clash pales into insignificance compared to the main event on the card.
Narre Warren and Tooradin-Dalmore, the two dominant teams of the season, level on points, going head to head at Kalora Park with the minor premiership and a week’s rest on the line.
Could it get any bigger than this?
Tooradin coach Kelly Andrews knows there’s a huge pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
“We definitely want top spot, we want the week off to freshen up and to fine-tune our set-ups with an extra training session or two,” Andrews said, before explaining the build up to this week’s contest.
“We’ve spread the court time evenly throughout the season but over these last two weeks there’ll be fewer changes because we want to settle things down,” she said.
“We’ve got plenty of quality all over the court and I’m probably still considering what our starting seven will be. It might all come down to match ups depending on who we play in the finals.”
The Seagulls are the last team to inflict that sickly-losing feeling on the Magpies, winning their Round 4 clash against the Magpies, 47-43.
“The last time we played them wasn’t a great indicator as to where both teams are at,” Andrews said.
“But this time around will be interesting because both teams have had ample opportunity to get their combinations right – it should be a great game and a great test to see where we are at.”
Both teams had star players sitting on the sidelines in Round 4 with the Seagulls missing gun defender Jess Maher – due to a mix up with the scoresheet – while Magpie goaler Tayla Shannon was on crutches recovering from injury.
The two guns are likely to go head to head this weekend.
But that’s only an appetiser for what could unfold, with tremendous match-ups set to be unleashed all over the court.
Magpies’ midcourters Britt Mashado, Leigh Taylor, Bec Potalej and Erin Clark will run head first into Shona Wells, Emma Iacovou, Jess Cox and Sara Duncan in a battle that will test their wills as much as their talent.
This one should be a cracker, with Andrews adamant that the side that plays best together will walk away with the crucial four points.
“We haven’t changed much at training but the focus has certainly narrowed in regards to playing together as a team and sacrificing for each other,” she said.
“The selfless runs to create space for a team-mate are just as important as getting the ball as far I’m concerned. Sometimes a lot of hard work can look like it’s going unrewarded but it’s really being appreciated by the team.”
We’ll go for the Magpies by two goals in a thriller.
Round 17 produced some great action on Saturday, with Cranbourne’s one-goal win over Beaconsfield the star attraction.
Cranbourne started magnificently, scoring only 11 goals in the first quarter but restricting their third-placed opponents to just five goals for the term. The gun-duo of Tara Cecil (GK) and Sharni Lambden (GD) was back in business, making life extremely difficult for the like of Bianca Sanzaro (GS) and Emily Boribon (GA).
But Beacy responded in the style of a very good team, scoring 12-5 in the second quarter to edge ahead through the middle stages of the match. Scores were basically gridlocked for the remainder of the contest, Cranny holding on in a nail-biter.
Alanah Hardy was a star for Cranbourne, starting in centre she allowed Tegan Stahl (GA) and Tahlia Coates (GS) to take responsibility for the scoring before taking care of business in the second half.
Beacy, who had some key personnel missing, had Brianna Pratt (WA), Dani Cameron (GD) and Ash Gill (C) put in solid four-quarter performances.
Narre Warren has produced a stunning third quarter effort to down Doveton 51-41 by 10 goals under lights at Robinson Oval.
The Magpies led by three at half time before a 16-7 third term put the issue beyond doubt.
Chloe Phillips (GS) and Gabby Dwyer (GA) were sensational for the winners, while Chelsea Imanisani (GA) held the Doves attacking end together in the absence of Rhani Samason. Coach Liz Edwards (WA) was also impressive for the Doves.
ROC has momentarily jumped into sixth place on the ladder after winning its third game from its last four starts, 48-45, against Berwick at Starling Road.
The difference between the teams was the third quarter, where players like Georgie Douglas (WD), Ash Barnett (C) and Courtney Linhart (GS) played some of their best netball for the season.
Linhart scored 10 goals in the third term, stretching the Kangas out to a five-goal lead at the final break. Berwick lifted, through Sarah Nash (C), Itagia Amataga (GS) and Olivia Macente (WA) … but the damage had been done.
And finally, Tooradin made light work of Hampton Park winning 55-27 at the Tooradin Rec Reserve.
Alex Duff (GS) and Alex Maher (GA) set the scene for the Seagulls in the first quarter, while Ebony Dolan (GD) and Jess Maher (GK) were equally adept at the defensive end. The Redbacks were never in the hunt but Brooke Kiely (GK) and Karli Foster (GD) can hold their heads high after limiting the potential damage.
The Redbacks host bottom-placed Pakenham this week, which should be rested up after the bye.

SEFNL Netball Scoreboard

A GRADE: Beaconsfield 33 v Cranbourne 34, Doveton 41 v Narre Warren 51, ROC 48 v Berwick 45, Tooradin-Dalmore 55 v Hampton Park 27, Pakenham – Bye.
B GRADE: Beaconsfield 55 v Cranbourne 39, Doveton 32 v Narre Warren 42, ROC 62 v Berwick 36, Tooradin-Dalmore 61 v Hampton Park 38, Pakenham – Bye.
C GRADE: Beaconsfield 35 v Cranbourne 20, Doveton 24 v Narre Warren 49, ROC 35 v Berwick 20, Tooradin-Dalmore 35 v Hampton Park 33, Pakenham – Bye.
D GRADE: Beaconsfield 41 v Cranbourne 28, Doveton 22 v Narre Warren 32, ROC 33 v Berwick 23, Tooradin-Dalmore 28 v Hampton Park 23, Pakenham – Bye.
17 UNDER RED: Beaconsfield 28 v Cranbourne 20, Doveton 48 v Narre Warren 16, ROC 51 v Berwick 23, Tooradin-Dalmore 30 v Hampton Park 16, Pakenham – Bye.
17 UNDER WHITE: Beaconsfield 40 v Cranbourne 11, Doveton 27 v Narre Warren 35, ROC 31 v Berwick 28, Tooradin-Dalmore 34 v Hampton Park 17, Pakenham – Bye.
15 UNDER RED: Beaconsfield 21 v Cranbourne 23, Doveton 33 v Narre Warren 28, ROC 31 v Berwick 25, Tooradin-Dalmore 23 v Hampton Park 27, Pakenham – Bye.
15 UNDER WHITE: Beaconsfield 18 v Cranbourne 24, Doveton 13 v Narre Warren 34, ROC 18 v Berwick 25, Pakenham – Bye, Tooradin-Dalmore – Bye.
13 UNDER RED: Beaconsfield 32 v Cranbourne 11, Doveton 15 v Narre Warren 16, ROC 33 v Berwick 22, Tooradin-Dalmore 30 v Hampton Park 16, Pakenham – Bye.
13 UNDER WHITE: Beaconsfield 50 v Cranbourne 5, Doveton 8 v Narre Warren 20, ROC 14 v Berwick 19, Pakenham – Bye, Tooradin-Dalmore – Bye.

A GRADE LADDER: Narre Warren 60, Tooradin-Dalmore 60, Beaconsfield 48, Cranbourne 44, Doveton 44, ROC 26, Hampton Park 26, Berwick 24, Pakenham 8.

THIS WEEK: Berwick v Beaconsfield, Cranbourne v Doveton, Hampton Park v Pakenham, Narre Warren v Tooradin-Dalmore, ROC – Bye.