Sport
17 September, 2024
Dog delight for Avoca with back-to-back flags
AVOCA (64) def NATTE BEALIBA (38)
All that was missing from this incredible run from Avoca was back-to-back premierships.
On Saturday, it was a mark that the Bulldogs emphatically made sure of with a dominant performance from start to finish against Natte Bealiba, delivering their sixth Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League A grade premiership and their 16th overall.
Caitlin Drummond added her very own chapter to a historic family name at the Bulldogs in winning the best on court medal, thanks to a stellar performance in the defensive third.
With this being the first grand final between the two fierce rivals on the netball court since 1968, the two teams threw everything at the cause early on, but it was Avoca who were cleanest, getting the early break with the very first goal of the game through Gina Beavis.
In the early stages, it was a dour struggle, although the Bulldogs did have the break in their back pocket, with five goals to four in the opening five minutes perhaps a departure from previous high-scoring meetings between the two teams.
Avoca would turn the wick up in the middle phase of the quarter, and the next three minutes yielded six goals to one as the Bulldogs shot clear to a six-goal lead.
That was the impetus they needed to maintain their lead throughout the remainder of the term.
The Swans were struggling to get the ball fed inside the goal ring, with the pressure of both Drummond and Keisha Tonzing not giving Emma Ryan and Polly Douglas an inch.
That made Natte rethink their strategy of moving the ball quickly, but it had the added effect of playing into Avoca’s hands and pace.
In the end, the Bulldogs ended the first term scoring 18 goals to 11. Maddy Egan was a force in front of goal for the Bulldogs, scoring 13 goals from 15 attempts, while Beavis was also getting her chances, scoring five goals from nine shots. For the Swans, Ryan made the most of her opportunities, scoring seven goals from 10 chances, while Douglas went at four goals from five shots.
The second quarter started similarly to the first, with Avoca looking to knuckle down and almost put the game out of Natte’s reach as early as the second term.
It was clear that although the Swans were giving it everything, they were also desperately missing the drive and two-way game of Naomi Medlyn.
It forced a change from Ryan, who shifted Ellie Martin from goal defence to goal keeper and Anna Mortlock into goal defence off the bench.
No matter what, however, it just seemed that Avoca had all the answers.
Scoring seven of the first 10 goals of the term helped the Bulldogs extend their lead to 11 goals.
That forced another flurry of changes for Natte, who were desperate to find a solution on the run to stop the Bulldogs’ dominance, with Shannae Mills moving to goal attack, and Ashlee McClelland shuffled into wing attack.
However, it was the Bulldogs who again reigned supreme in the second term, scoring 15 goals to eight to lead 33-19 at the main break. Egan scored 11 goals to make it 24 for the half, while Beavis added another four goals.
Natte’s offence was struggling against the punishing Avoca defensive structure, with just 14 opportunities garnered for the quarter. Ryan scored five goals, while Douglas added three before she was moved to the bench.
It seemed there was an inevitability to the Bulldogs when they slotted through four of the first five goals of the third term to extend their lead to 17 goals.
However, to the Swans’ credit, they would slow down the Bulldogs’ offense a little bit more throughout the quarter, but despite only allowing 18 shots for the quarter, Natte were unable to make it count on their offensive end, scoring 10 goals from their 20 attempts.
Instead, Avoca took the quarter by scoring 12 goals to lead 45-29 at the final change. Egan scored nine goals to make it 33 for the day, while Beavis added three more, while for Natte, Ryan scored five goals, Douglas four and Mills one.
The last quarter was effectively a celebration for the Bulldogs as they played like a team with significant freedom.
They were relentless in feeding Egan and Beavis effectively, while their play across the court was just too good for anything Natte could throw at them, try as they might.
In the end, the Bulldogs were able to restrict Natte to what would eventually be their lowest score of the season, and their lowest since the 2023 preliminary final.
Egan finished with 13 goals in the final term to end with 46, while Beavis scored six goals to finish with 18.
At the other end, Ryan scored five goals to make it 22 for the day, while Douglas scored four to finish with 15.