Tara Murray
The City West Falcons took another step towards their championship dream with victory against the Boroondara Express on Wednesday night in the Victorian Netball League championship.
The three-time reigning champions, with Covid in middle, won the semi final between the top two teams to win through to the grand final.
The Falcons started slow and it was game on for the first quarter with the Falcons leading by one goal.
After the first break it was all the Falcons who were able to run away with a 77-54 win.
Falcons coach Marg Lind was thrilled they were back in the final game of the season.
“I think the team has been solid this year and I think they really deserved to be there to contest the grand final,” she said.
“We’re very pleased. I think tonight [Wednesday] the experience really showed. I thought Cookie [Jane Cook], Maggie [Lind], Mon [Montana Holmes] in particular, that attack end were really super calm when it was tight.
“Then the defence end came good in the second half when it counted. We’re starting to show they’ve been there before and they know what to do.”
Lind said the Express cheer squad put a bit of pressure on their girls early, but said once they got over that they were able to settle.
She said defensively they’d put a lot of time into preparing for Melbourne Vixens training partner Ruby Barkmeyer, who ended up missing the game with illness.
Lind said the switch of bringing Mel Oloamanu onto the court in goalkeeper and Sophie Hanrahan out into goal difference really worked for them.
“That’s a big out for them,” she said of Barkmeyer. “All of a sudden we were faced with a team that doesn’t have her and are a lot quicker, a different attack end.
“It took us a quarter to work that out. The switch definitely worked and I think Soli [Ropati] improved her one-on-one and shut down the centre pass the goal attack was forced to come over.
Jane Cook shot 65 goals at 100 per cent to continue her dominance for the Falcons.
Uneeq Palavi got more minutes back in the side having returned from national and Suncorp Super Netball commitments.
Lind said she had some good moments, while Olivia Cameron was solid in attack as well.
With the margin blowing out the Falcons were able to give Chelsea Imanisani and Genna Ogier some court time.
‘That’s really important and they’ve been there the whole year,” Lind said “They’re two very committed players.
“They don’t have that experience and haven’t been in a grand final before. We have to reward them as well.”
The Falcons will have the week off and face the winner of the Hawks and Express preliminary final.
Lind said they were hoping they would have Lucia Fauonuku back from injury for the grand final.
It was heartbreak for the Falcons under-23s, who were knocked out by the North East Blaze.
The Falcons trailed by 12 goals at three quarter time before getting it back to one goal late in the final quarter.
The Blaze steadied to win 51-49.
Lind said there was a lot of potential in the side and they would continue to build around that core.
