Looking for an option: Seymour’s Courtney Aldous with ball in hand.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Seymour has the chance to defend its 2019 Goulburn Valley League A-grade netball crown after defeating Mooroopna by six goals in horrid conditions in Sunday’s preliminary final at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton.
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In one of the more unusual preliminary finals, the players were forced from the court for 35 minutes in the third term as a thunderstorm had all desperately ducking for cover.
But the professionalism of the Seymour outfit saw it successfully brave the elements, with dominant periods immediately before and directly after the lightning break seeing it soar to a 41-35 triumph.
Now with the chance to add premiership coach to her long list of career accolades, Lions mentor Ellie O’Sullivan was brimming with excitement following the victory.
“It is super exciting to be in the grand final. The loss (last week) to United certainly hurt us, so we certainly had the fire in the belly today,” O’Sullivan said.
“I thought the girls put a really complete performance out on the court today and to be in the position now where we get to compete on the last Saturday in September, we could not be more thrilled.”
With rain consistently falling on the courts, it was a slippery start to proceedings, with both teams struggling to handle the ball.
Star performer: Bree Hanslow was at her brilliant best for Mooroopna.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
In the tense opening period, dominant defensive performances from the likes of Sarah Szczykulski and Nakita Singe helped Seymour get on top, while Madison Wong and Ella Ogier were staunch for the Cats.
With the sides separated by one goal at the first change with the rain heaving down, it appeared spectators were set for a battle of attrition in the second quarter.
But Seymour showed why it finished the season minor premier, producing a perfect quarter in the wet.
Led by Casey Adamson in the mid-court and a lethal Jess Lallo in attack, the Lions romped to a six-goal half-time advantage, leaving Mooroopna on the canvas.
This is where the weather took a sharp turn for the worse, with lightning forcing players off the court early in the third term.
Battling hard: Seymour’s Jessica Lallo catches the ball.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“We spoke a lot about just staying mentally in the game,” O’Sullivan said of how her team handled the halt in proceedings.
“It was always going to be tough coming back on after such a long delay and even though there were certainly scrappy parts to our game after the restart, I felt we regrouped very quickly, which was super important to the win.”
While the delay would have rattled most teams, Seymour continued its momentum when play resumed, with its precise ball movement causing the Cats all sorts of issues.
Maintaining the six-goal break throughout the third term, the Lions could taste a return to grand final day as the final quarter started.
And midway through the stanza, the Lions looked home, with a goal from O’Sullivan extending the margin to eight just five minutes into the quarter.
But the Cats finished second on the ladder for a reason and mustered one final charge on the back of Bree Hanslow’s precision passing and Dayna William’s sharpshooting., reducing the margin to three goals.
Intensity reached fever pitch in the final minutes, before a crucial Rosie O’Sullivan intercept in the attacking half gave Seymour the goal it needed to consolidate and grind out the victory.
The result sets up a tantalising grand final rematch against Shepparton United at Deakin Reserve next weekend.
Having lost to United on two occasions in the past month, O’Sullivan said she was excited to play it on the league’s biggest stage.
“We’re so excited. Grand final day is always so hectic and crazy and a wonderful opportunity,” she said.
“It is always such a great battle with United and I’m sure it will be the same again next week.”
