A-grade: Deni Rovers 35 def Katamatite 30.
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In the preliminary final showdown at Yarroweyah on Sunday, the Deniliquin Rovers A-grade faced off against Katamatite.
The match was a fierce contest right from the start, with the first quarter resembling an arm wrestle.
At the first break, Katamatite held a narrow one-goal lead.
As the game moved into the second quarter, the Rovers found an extra gear, thanks to the relentless defensive pressure from Natalie Sampson, Ella Park, and Chloe Way.
Their efforts resulted in numerous turnovers, which the Rovers attackers capitalised on, working tirelessly and showing great patience in getting the ball to their shooters.
Hazel Glowrey stood tough in the middle, supported by the lightning speed of Chloe Brown.
The Rovers outscored Katamatite 11-7 in this quarter, thanks to the accurate shooting of Abbey Wills and Carissa Bulmer, giving them a lead at half-time.
Katamatite responded strongly after the break, closing the gap back to a single goal heading into the final quarter, with the Rovers still holding a slender advantage.
Some strategic changes were made, which shifted the momentum firmly in the Rovers' favour.
Gabrielle Barlow used her strength in the wing attack position to steady the side, while Jackie Thorpe was injected into the defence, further strengthening the team's resolve.
The Rovers finished the game with solid play, winning the last quarter by four goals and securing a 35-30 victory.
It was a true team effort, with every player contributing to this hard-fought win, earning the Rovers a well-deserved spot in the grand final.
B-grade: Deni Rovers 46 def Katunga 39.
In a high-stakes preliminary final held in Mathoura, the Deniliquin Rovers faced off against Katunga.
The Rovers knew it would be a tough battle, and Katunga came out firing, capitalising on a few early turnovers caused by some nervous mistakes.
By the end of the first quarter, Katunga had established a five-goal lead.
However, the Rovers, embodying their never-back-down spirit, turned the game around in the second quarter.
Isabelle Mcilwain delivered a standout performance, leading the charge as the Rovers outscored Katunga 14-8, seizing the lead at half-time.
In defence, Jackie Thorpe's ability to effortlessly read the play and create turnovers was instrumental.
She was well-supported by Georgia McCulloch, Sophie Dudley, and Montana Jones, who all contributed to a formidable defensive unit.
Olivia Park rose to the challenge against a physical opposition, feeding the shooters with precision and maintaining a calm demeanour that helped steady the team.
Montana Muldoon-Leetham provided strong drives and was able to pinpoint passes into the attack.
Brittany Kirby and Georgia Van Lieshout were tireless throughout the game, working hard in both offence and defence.
By the end of the third quarter, the Rovers were up by just 2 goals, setting the stage for a tense final quarter.
In the last quarter, the Rovers’ true spirit shone through.
They remained composed in every attacking play, while their defence was relentless
Jackie’s brilliant intercepts and Isabelle’s solid shooting, combined with her ability to change up the play, were crucial in maintaining the Rovers' momentum.
At the final whistle, the Rovers secured a 46-39 victory, winning by 7 goals and booking their spot in the grand final.
It was undoubtedly a team effort, but standout performances came from Isabelle Mcilwain, Jackie Thorpe, Brittany Kirby, and Olivia Park, who all played pivotal roles in this victory.
C-grade: Deni Rovers 37 def by 42 Waaia.
Pure grit and determination unfortunately couldn’t get us over the line this week, but what a game it was by all!
Rovers had a steady start, holding their composure with an early intercept and conversion thanks to Erika Martin.
Brittany Edwards also had her eye in early as movement in the ring with Nicole Felmingham was free flowing and consistent.
Rovers went into quarter time three goals up.
Makhaya Mitsch was the definition of determination all day, chasing numerous loose balls and spending just as much time on the ground to get to everything.
This gave us a few more handy intercepts as we went into half-time with a narrow four goal lead.
Despite the slightest of leads, the momentum was just building for Waaia.
This forced coach Jemmah Conallin to make some selfless choices, opting for more youth and speed in the mid-court.
Matilda Glowrey, Makhaya and Erika continued to stick tight and contest every ball.
Waaia’s height was also difficult to contend with, forcing an uncommon change in our defence, with Lorna Davison coming into the mix and Jemma Smith using her skills in the mid-court instead.
The changes gave us some momentum back and forced Waaia to make some forced errors.
We were still in the game.
The lead continued to be a narrow one, with Deni up by three at the final break.
Another last ditch effort to stretch our lead in the fourth quarter saw another change as Shané Bothma took the stage and gave it her absolute all.
Her determination continued to apply pressure in our opponent’s attacking end, continuing to make it difficult for Waaia to score.
At the end of the day, Waaia’s height and resilience to continue fighting won them the battle to get into the big dance.
Of course our girls were disappointed and could feel the hurt after the game, but they should be incredibly proud of how well they played, knowing that they gave it their absolute all.
Congratulations C-grade on a brilliant season!
C-reserve: Deni Rovers 33 def Katunga 19.
The C-reserve team has secured their place in next week's grand final with a commanding win over Katunga on Saturday.
It was business as usual for the team, as they showcased accurate shooting and applied relentless defensive pressure, creating turnover opportunities and steadily increasing their lead with each quarter.
A full team effort from start to finish sealed the victory.
Under-15s: Deni Rovers 43 def Rennie 25.
Here we were again, facing Rennie in the preliminary final, determined for a different outcome than last year.
Rennie’s hunger for the ball kept the match close for the first three quarters, with our girls allowing them to close the gap to within three goals at one point.
There were some strong passages of play, but nerves seemed to take their toll, leading to some inaccurate passing.
However, the girls finally found their groove in the final quarter and stepped up to secure the win.
Under-13s: Deni Rovers 39 def Mathoura 9.
The under-13 Deni Rovers have secured their spot in the grand final with another convincing win.
Despite some early nerves, the girls quickly found their rhythm, showing solid defence and pinpoint accuracy in their shooting.
Their performance was a true display of skill and agility.
With determination and commitment, they're heading into next weekend's grand final ready to go all the way.
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