PICTURE GALLERY TO COME
MELTON has broken the western stranglehold on the Ballarat Netball League with a three-goal win against Lake Wendouree in the A grade second semi-final.
The Bloods are through to the grand final to be played on September 22 after their 42-39 win at Darley Park.
The Lakers won 15 of 16 games through the home and away season but couldn’t match Melton’s competitive spirit in the dying stages at the weekend.
Lake Wendouree will play East Point in the preliminary final this weekend for the right to meet Melton in the grand final after the Kangaroos beat Bacchus Marsh in the first semi-final on Sunday.
Melton’s Melissa McCauley shot 36 of her team’s 42 goals as Melton came from behind at three-quarter-time to win.
“As soon as we got even, that’s where we found our legs,” coach Krista Woodroffe said.
“We applied a lot of pressure and the ball just happened to go our way.
“From the get-go it was goal for goal. We did get little breaks, one or two ahead, but we were about three or four down coming into the last quarter. I knew the girls would have a strong last quarter.”
Woodroffe said her team had kept things consistent and played to its strengths, having failed to find its best form in previous meetings against the two western powerhouses.
“Our defence was strong all day. It was a very physical match.
“The big thing was centre court. Amy Conroy in centre and Jessica Kalmar in wing defence put the pressure on in the last three minutes and forced turnovers.”
Woodroffe said the confidence in the group to make the grand final had been there all season, but the team had to play to its full potential to get the results.
“We hadn’t shown our best against East Point or Lake Wendouree, but we knew we would be competitive.
“Now we’ve got to keep our heads a little bit small and come together to prepare for the grand final.”
Bacchus Marsh lost 61-46 to East Point at Eastern Oval in the first semi-final.
The Cobras have the only Melton-Moorabool representative on the court this weekend with its C grade outfit playing East Point at Eastern Oval at 11am on Saturday.
Redan eliminated the Cobras’ B grade outfit in the first semi-final on Sunday, 34-20.
