NAVARRE has done it.
The Grasshoppers claimed the club’s first senior premiership in Lexton Plains Netball Association history after fighting to a 45-42 victory over Lexton in Saturday’s grand final.
After an even opening two quarters that saw the Tigers
lead by one goal at half time, Navarre set up its victory
with a fast-paced thirdquarter blitz. The Grasshoppers
netted 12 goals to Lexton’s six to take a 33-28 lead into the final term.
From there, a gallant Tigers outfit tried desperately to reverse the margin, but it was all in vain as the Grasshoppers held on to record a memorable triumph.
Navarre coach Nicole Harding was named the grand final’s most valuable player and said her team always had the belief that it could beat Lexton on Saturday
and headed into the clash as the Tigers’ only conqueror for the year (round seven).
‘‘We believed that we could do it, Rokewood-Corindhap (preliminary final) was our biggest issue because we hadn’t beaten them,’’ she said.
‘‘We knew it was going to be a close game (on Saturday)
because we had been close with them (Lexton) pretty much all year.
‘‘It was just a matter of who handled the ball better
and it just happened that we did.’’
Harding said Saturday’s performance rated up there with the Grasshoppers’ best of the season and predicted
that the young crop of players could go on to bigger and
better things in the coming years.
‘‘If we can continue on the way we are going, they are
only going to get stronger, they are only babies,’’ she
said.
‘‘They haven’t got their netball heads yet, imagine when they actually mature that little bit.
‘‘They will be a force to be reckoned with for a few
years I’d say.’’
While Harding was named best on court for her starring
performance in centre, Grasshoppers goal-attack
Jess Parry was the team’s x-factor on Saturday. Parry,
who was runner-up in this year’s association best and
fairest count, was brilliant in and around the goal ring,
shooting the majority of her team’s goals.
Meanwhile, Lauren Tickner and Caitlyn Murphy were vital in defence, holding the potent Lexton attackers at bay.
The Grasshoppers finished 2008 in second-last place on the ladder with just three wins and a draw, before coming of age this year, winning 12 home and away
matches to end the regular season in third place.
A qualifying final loss to Rokewood-Corindhap kicked off the finals series on a bad note, before toppling
Natte-Bealiba and then Rokewood en route to the
grand final.
Harding, who arrived at the club at the start of the
season, said a premiership was never initially on the
radar.
Above Photograph from Ballarat Courier Picture: Zhenshi Van der Klooster.