C-grade premiers: Deniliquin Rovers.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The heart rate of Deniliquin Rovers’ C-grade coach Carissa Holmberg would have likely gone past a comfortable beats-per-minute range at times during her side’s flag-winning deliverance over Waaia on Saturday.
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Anyone who was in attendance could tell you why.
The Rovers went from cruise control to spinning out of control, surrendering a 10-goal lead before wresting it back to hold on to a three-goal outcome in the Picola District Netball League grand final.
Star of the show: Deniliquin Rovers’ Nicole Felmingham.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Get them going: Deniliquin Rovers’ Georgia Dudley.
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Megan Fisher
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Passion: Waaia’s Zoe Cooper.
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Megan Fisher
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Alert: Waaia’s Nicole Karl.
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Megan Fisher
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Waltzing Matilda: Deniliquin Rovers’ Matilda Glowrey.
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Megan Fisher
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On her toes: Waaia’s Andrea Walker.
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Megan Fisher
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Staying aware: Waaia’s Sharri Longmore.
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Megan Fisher
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Tussling: Deniliquin Rovers’ Matilda Glowrey and Waaia’s Andrea Walker.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Those heart-stopping circumstances may have made it even better according to Holmberg.
“It’s unreal, we fought hard all year to get to this point,” she said.
“Honestly I thought Waaia might’ve gotten over us, the fight that they bring is unbelievable.
“My girls worked hard for it and they knew what they wanted and that’s what we got.”
Hard work was a non-negotiable in the clash as it was a true grudge match from minute one.
A cagey start with inaccuracies from both sides had the scoreboard stagnate.
However, Deniliquin worked as a unit around the ring with Nicole Felmingham and Georgia Dudley working in tandem and hunting together.
Waaia’s goaling beacon Claire Dickenson and, later, Jessamy Doyle, was literally head and shoulders above the likes of Caitlan Lewis and Jemma Smith.
But it was the diminutive defenders who bared their teeth the better.
Rovers built on an 8-7 quarter-time lead slowly but surely throughout the second quarter, turning over loose Bomber shooting to nail down a 20-12 advantage at the half.
It was apparent the maker of the least mistakes would win and here the experience of Waaia ― such as Sharri Longmore, Andrea Walker and co ― proved golden.
Waaia made the mother of all comebacks in the third term, reversing a 10-goal deficit to pull level with the Rovers.
A Bomber barrage silenced the sea of blue and white at 28-all though Deniliquin was able to nudge ahead by a single goal at the final break.
The Rovers then cruised back out and found the breathing room they needed to work with, five goals the difference for most of the last quarter.
Though Waaia would tease the thought of a miraculous finish, Rovers saw out the game without issue and claimed a 41-38 win.
Felmingham was bestowed best-on-court honours, while Smith did enough to elicit fair praise from Holmberg.
