Premiership partnership: Merrigum’s under-17 goaling partnership of Jade Christou (left) and Nicole Doherty was one half of a premiership double for the club at Mooroopna on Saturday.
Twenty five goals from grand final MVP Georgia Wilson completed a winning quinella for Merrigum in the Kyabram district netball league’s water logged netball grand finals on Saturday at Mooroopna.
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Wilson was spectacular in tandem with Shanae Doherty and was recognised as the most influential player on the court at the end of the 41-32 grand final win against Tallygaroopna.
Wilson and Doherty managed just four goals between them in the first quarter, forcing coach Jen Smith to bring Nhykira Mansfield off the interchange and into centre for the second quarter.
Mansfield, captain of the under-17 team, had already played a major role in the victory of Merrigum’s other grand final team.
Coaching quinella: Jen Smith barks some intructions at her Merrigum under-17 players late in an exciting match with Tallygaroopna, which her team won by four goals.
Desperate defence: Kayla Gordon is airborne as she saves the ball from going out of bounds for Merrigum during the under-17 Kyabram district league grand final.
B-grade premiers: Merrigum’s premiership team, (back, from left), Sally Halliwell, Jazmin Edwards, Caitlyn Cartwright, Allana Adams, Jorja Tranter, Holly Halliwell, Shanae Doherty and Jen Smith. (Front, from left), Charlee-Rose Quinton-Thompson, Georgia Wilson, Jade Christou, Nhykira Christou and Nicole Doherty.
The impact of Mansfield was immediate and supply to Wilson increased to the point she shot all nine Merrigum goals as the margin remained at five at half-time.
Captain Jorja Tranter and defensive partner Allana Adams stepped it up in the third term and a 16-6 quarter gave Merrigum a five-goal margin with a quarter to play.
Jade Christou and Charlee-Rose Quinton-Thompson combined in the mid-court with Mansfield to maintain the advantage in the final term when Merrigum outscored Tally 12-8 for the premiership victory.
Under-17 premiers: Merrigum’s premiership team, (back, from left), Kayla Gordon, Nhykira Mansfield, assistant coach Allana Adams, Jen Smith, Nicole Doherty, Klaudia Shandley, Brianne Tucker and team manager Deb Tucker. (Front, from left), Jade Christou, Paige Hogan, Charlie O’Hara, Alyssa Christou and Kayla Speed.
– Earlier in the afternoon coach of both the B-grade and under-17 teams, Jen Smith, notched her first win of the day when her team scored another come-from-behind win against Tallygaroopna.
The 47-43 victory came as Nhykira Mansfield completed leg one of a spectacular afternoon with a MVP display for the under-17 team.
Trailing by one goal at quarter-time, Smith brought Charlie O’Hara onto the court for the second quarter and then introduced another set of fresh legs in the third term when Kayla Speed replaced Brianne Tucker.
Tally dominated the second term and Merrigum faced a four-goal deficit before Nicole Doherty led the charge with 10 of her team’s 15 goals in the third term.
At the final change of ends it was all square, 32 apiece, before Doherty repeated the dose with another 10 goals in a 15-11 final term for Merrigum.
Kayla Gordon and Klaudia Shandley spent the entire match in defence, while Jade Christou acted as the key supplier to goaling partner Doherty.
How low can you go: Wet and slippery courts made the task of defending difficult for Merrigum’s Allana Adams.
Super save: Shanae Doherty makes a baseline save for Merrigum B-grade in its come-from-behind win at Mooroopna on Saturday.
Jen’s joy: Dual Merrigum netball premiership coach Jen Smith embraces players after the first of her two grand final wins.
Red, white and blue: Leading the cheerleaders on the sidelines was passionate Merrigum supporter Graham Gibbs.
MVP: Merrigum B-grade goaler Georgia Wilson shot 25 goals in the second half of her team’s winning grand final against Tallygaroopna and was judged best on court.
