A-grade: Deni Rovers 41 def Dookie United 29.
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We came out on Sunday a little unsettled and, after the first quarter, found ourselves down by one. But we got the first final out of the way, along with the nerves.
We knew we had to lift, settle and trust the netball we know we can play.
From the second quarter, the girls really started to find their rhythm.
Our defensive pressure lifted right across the court, forcing Dookie into errors down in their attacking area and creating some great turnover ball for us.
Our attackers worked hard to drive, create space and keep the ball moving, while our shooters showed great confidence to convert the opportunities we created.
Dookie continued to challenge us, and we knew we couldn’t switch off, but the girls kept building and stepped up another notch when it mattered.
The intensity, communication and work rate continued to improve as the game went on.
Finals netball is about staying composed, adapting when things aren’t going right and finding a way to get the job done and that’s exactly what the girls did.
A really pleasing team effort, with everyone contributing and doing their job for each other.
Award: Players’ player - Natalie Sampson.
B-grade: Deni Rovers 33 def by Tocumwal 43.
In a highly contested game, the girls fought hard but were ultimately outplayed on Sunday.
Our defenders worked tirelessly, holding up Tocumwal’s entries and making them work for every goal.
The midcourters applied pressure and contested every ball, showing plenty of determination throughout.
Our shooters moved well and were accurate with ball in hand, however a few unforced errors and forced entries allowed Tocumwal’s defenders to create turnovers.
Unfortunately, we went down in the end, but the girls continued to fight hard right until the final whistle.
Plenty to take out of the game and work on at training, as we look ahead to Dookie this week and to continue our finals campaign.
Award: Players’ player - Britt Kirby.
C-grade: Deni Rovers 42 def Tungamah 40.
The girls knew going into Saturday that Tungamah were going to be tough competition, and boy oh boy, they delivered!
It was an absolute battle from the first whistle, with both teams evenly matched and refusing to give an inch.
The final whistle sounded with the scores locked up, sending us into overtime.
Five minutes each end and it was still a draw. That meant we had to keep going until someone could get two goals clear.
The pressure was enormous, but our girls dug incredibly deep and eventually fought their way to victory.
The shooters were fantastic all day, continuing to put the ball through the ring despite the enormous pressure and constant changes thrown at them.
Our midcourt was outstanding, applying relentless pressure and producing some huge intercepts and turnovers to give our shooters every opportunity to score.
Abby Whitehorn was exceptional, combining brilliant feeding with some massive intercepts when we needed them most.
And then there were our defensive intercept queens!
Erika Martin and Shanè Bothma were absolutely legendary, putting their bodies on the line. Shanè took it to another level, throwing everything she had at every contest.
Nothing was going to get past them without a fight!
Under-17s: Deni Rovers 53 def Rennie 47.
What a way to start our finals campaign!
Our under-17s took on Rennie on Saturday and came away with a six goal win, booking their spot in the preliminary final in two weeks' time.
We knew finals were going to throw different challenges at us, and yesterday was no exception.
The girls were tested, had to adapt and were made to work hard right until the end, but they stuck together, kept competing and found a way to get the job done.
There were plenty of great moments throughout the game and, most importantly, the girls showed how much belief they have in each other when the pressure was on.
Under-15s: Deni Rovers 34 def Tocumwal 28.
A resilient and confident performance from our under-15s on Sunday in Strathmerton as they took on a tough Tocumwal side.
Both teams produced some beautiful passages of play, with the lead changing multiple times throughout the first three quarters.
In the end, our Rovers girls settled, trusted their structure and, most importantly, trusted each other to come away with a fantastic win.
Nina Glowrey was outstanding in defence, staying positive all game, creating vital turnovers and providing a steady presence on transition.
Zoe Harvey, Lara Redden, Stella McBurnie and Georgia Danckert also worked tirelessly on their one-on-one defensive pressure and combined brilliantly to bring the ball out of defence.
Our attack end was fast and ferocious all game.
Issy Didcock and Lilly Boyer had wonderful patches in the goal ring, supporting each other and shooting with confidence.
Jorja Woolston and Marlie Mison continue to work hard through the midcourt, using their fast hands and sharp feeds to create opportunities.
With a week off, the girls will hit the court hard and continue to solidify their game plan. There’s plenty of hard work still to come, but exciting times ahead.
Under-13s: Deni Rovers 14 def by Tocumwal 19.
In what was a tough and tightly contested game, the under-13s were unfortunate in just falling short against Tocumwal.
The girls began strong, executing their game plan well and ending the first quarter down by only one goal, and going goal-for-goal with each centre pass.
With lots of quick turnovers and changes of possession, the score at half time was again close with each player pushing to contest every ball and chasing down as much as possible.
By the end of the third quarter, with the score being 13 to 11, the girls dug deep to play their best until the last buzzer, unfortunately unable to regain momentum after a scoring run from Tocumwal.
The girls are ready to take on their next challenge at semi-finals, regrouping with some important takeaways and key areas to focus on.