Nagambie was crowned Kyabram District League C Reserve netball premier at the weekend.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Nagambie and Tallygaroopna were the standout sides in the C Reserve netball competition all season, and they delivered a duel befitting of that fact on Kyabram District League grand final day at Mooroopna Recreation reserve on Saturday.
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The head-to-head was locked at one apiece heading into the decider, the Lakers having claimed the most recent win in the semi-final clash, and they would repeat the feat on the biggest stage, clinching a 51-45 victory to be crowned 2025 premiers.
It was all Nagambie early on as the Lakers took the lead from the opening possession, however the hunger from both sides to attack led to plenty of turnovers, which Tallygaroopna pounced on, levelling the scores before forging clear to lead 15-11 at the first break.
The Redlegs were unable to withstand the Lakers pressure early in the second, however, as Nagambie closed the gap within the blink of an eye and was soon back in front, with full court pressure forcing plenty of Tallygaroopna errors, almost all of which were converted on the scoreboard, leading Nagambie to a 27-22 lead at the half following a brilliant 16-7 quarter.
Tallygaroopna needed a response to stay in the contest after half time, and it is exactly what they got, winning possession at will and cutting the lead, however the Lakers found answers of their own, once more pulling away to a game-high 40-32 lead at the final change.
Nagambie's Caylee Perry earned best on court honours for her performance in the Lakers’ triumph.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
With a comfortable margin Nagambie did all that was needed in the final term, cruising home to record an eventual six-goal victory, with coach Maree Findlay overjoyed at what her side had managed to achieve.
“We knew that we could do it, and we just had to keep calm and composed and play our game,” she said.
“It was a challenge having so many people in our team, but throughout the year we needed every single person with injuries and illnesses - all our players are mums, so we had sick kids, work commitments, holidays…
“We knew that it was going to be us at the final siren, so we just had to go in and give it our best.”
Having managed such a special group of mothers throughout the season, Findlay had only one word to sum up the experience.
“Chaos,” she laughed.
“I think between the 13 or 14 (players), there's about 37 kids, so training wasn't really training, it was a good social time for the mums to get together, we might run for 20 minutes, but actually walk.
“It was about these girls having a bit of a break on a Saturday, getting with other mums, having a bit of social fun, but having an outlet from families as well.
“So, they were super easy to coach because they were just here for fun, and they had each other's backs.”
Nagambie’s Caylee Perry was named best on court in the win, having led the Lakers’ charge during the second term when they came from behind and made the decisive break in the contest.
