Melton Centrals saved their best for last in the Riddell District Netball League A-grade grand final on Sunday.
Taking on competition front-runner Riddell, Melton dominated the contest from start to finish on its way to a 16-goal win.
PICTURE GALLERY: Melton Centrals v Riddell netball grand final
It’s the first time the Centrals have beaten Riddell this year, after suffering two losses in the home-and-away rounds and another defeat in the qualifying final.
Melton coach Randy Pereira said the turning point came the last time the two sides met.
“They really trounced us the first two times,” he said. “They beat us by 18 goals and 17 goals.
‘‘That qualifying final, we lost by six or seven but we really had a shocker.
‘‘We threw the ball away, they hardly missed a shot and we shot terribly. I thought if we could fix that stuff up and tighten our defence, that could be the difference.”
Pereira got his wish on Sunday, with the Centrals playing high-quality netball from the opening whistle at Romsey Park.
After going goal for goal the first few possessions, Melton ramped up its defensive effort in the second half of the first quarter.
The Centrals forced several turnovers from defence and the midcourt, with goalers Rebecca Morabito and Renee Hulls taking full advantage.
The pair combined for 18 goals to give Melton an eight-goal lead at quarter-time.
Things only got worse for Riddell, with the Bombers unable to string strong passages of play together.
The Centrals continued to charge forward and, after extending the lead in the next two terms, were able to wind down and enjoy the final minutes of the 56-40 win.
Pereira was full of praise for his side’s four-quarter effort.
“The girls followed instructions right from the start today,” he said. “I said to them, with Riddell being a young team, if we can stick to our guns and get out to a six or seven goal lead in the first quarter, they might struggle to come back.
‘‘The girls stuck to the plan, kept the pressure up and were really playing well.”
Morabito finished with 31 goals and was named best on court. Hulls scored 25 goals from 32 attempts.
“Rebecca was outstanding,” Pereira said.
“This year, she probably got a little bit fitter and it really showed in the back end of the year.
‘‘When she plays well, there isn’t a defender that is capable of stopping her.
‘‘Her movement sideways really throws the defenders off and she loses them pretty quickly. It was great to see her play so well in such a big game for our club.”
