By Lance Jenkinson
City West Falcons had soared into rarefied air in the Victorian Netball League this season, but it all means nothing now.
An undefeated regular season and direct passage to the grand final just made the fall harder to accept when the Falcons were rocked 48-42 by Southern Saints at the State Netball and Hockey Centre last Wednesday.
Falcons coach Marg Lind and her players were left stunned after their quest for perfection this year and a premiership three-peat was scuppered in an hour of netball.
“It does diminish the season a little bit because they have been the standout team all year,” Lind said.
“To lose the last one, which is always the most important, is pretty devastating.”
The Falcons undoubtedly left their worst performance of the season for last.
Their inability to force turnovers was costly, with the Saints’ attackers doing as they pleased.
The Falcons’ staple – scoring and lots of it –was sadly absent. Their average goals per game heading into the grand final was 58, but they fell well short of that mark at the big dance.
The Saints’ defensive tactics were brutal, with a number of indiscretions not whistled.
Their defensive unit played their roles to perfection, getting into the heads of the Falcons attackers and forcing them to retaliate.
Lind was none-too-pleased with the protection offered to her players by the umpires.
“We had four offensive penalties against us in that second quarter which were extremely costly and that got them their break,” she said.
“We’ve been allowed to compete a little bit more this year and tonight we weren’t allowed to compete.’’
The Falcons had three teams reach grand finals – 19-and-under, division 1 and championship – and all three lost.
The players seemed shell-shocked by the horror end to an otherwise brilliant season.
“Their faces said it all,” Lind said.
“To go this far and to be a standout team, which they were, they’d be really disappointed.
Is it the end of an era for the champions
of 2012-13? Only time will tell, but Lind
doesn’t expect the same team to be together next season.
Retirements loom, and there’s always the prospect of further recruiting from the Melbourne Vixens.
“We’ve probably got a few older players in doubt,” Lind said.
“We gave up another couple of players to
the Vixens and they might pick off a couple more. We could be rebuilding next year .”
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