THE Bendigo Football Netball League has solidified its reputation as one of the state's best after winning Netball Victoria’s Association Championships on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Coached by joint Sandhurst coach Tamara Gilchrist, the team defeated Bellarine 18-14 in Sunday's final at the State Hockey and Netball Centre.
Bendigo finished the minor rounds with an equal-best 6-1 record in pool A, setting up a semi-final clash against North Gippsland.
The BFNL won convincingly 20-10, booking its spot in the grand final against Bellarine, which survived a thriller against Goulburn Valley 11-10.
Bellarine entered the final on a high, undefeated through its seven minor round matches and semi-final.
But a star-studded BFNL pressed home its early advantage to claim a memorable four goal win.
The win ended a run of near-misses at the championships for Bendigo, which was runner-up to Geelong last year and eliminated by the same team in a tense semi-final in 2015.
Bendigo's sole loss was against Ovens and Murray 18-15, with its minor round wins coming over Essendon District 25-3, Ellinbank and District 24-11, Riddell District 21-6, Goulburn Valley 14-10, Hampden 21-11 and AFL Yarra Ranges 22-12.
Five clubs were represented in the team with Eaglehawk's Ashley Ryan and Abbey Ryan being joined by Golden Square's Meg Gilbert, Allira Holmes and Gabe Richards, Kangaroo Flat trio Ruby Barkmeyer, Chelsea Sartori and Milly Wicks, Sandhurst's Brooke Bolton and South Bendigo's Monica Wellington.
The association championships triumph followed the BFNL's impressive 22 goal inter-league win over the Ballarat Football Netball League last month.
It also gave BFNL affiliated teams a clean-sweep so far this year of the major Netball Victoria championships following Kangaroo Flat's pre-season win in the inaugural League Club Challenge in March.
Meanwhile, the BFNL's 17-and-under team coached by Golden Square's Melinda Keighran narrowly missed the opportunity to replicate the deeds of their senior team counterparts.
Bendigo missed a spot in the semi-finals on percentage, despite finishing the minor rounds with wins in four of its five minor round matches, after eventual champions Banyule and District and Gippsland also finished 4-1.
Banyule and District won a nail-biting grand final against St Albans-Caroline Springs 14-13.
An 11-19 loss to Banyule and District was the only loss for the day for the young BFNL team, which defeated Hampden 13-12, Albury 11-10, Gippsland 16-12 and Yarra Ariels 18-6.
The squad captained by Gisborne's Melinda Luke, with Sandhurst's Sophie Shoebridge as vice-captain included Holly Doricic, Tyla Evans (Gisborne), Millie Fogarty, Macy Brown (Golden Square), Bree Heiden, Georgia Lowther (Kangaroo Flat), Keely Hare (Maryborough), Rebecca Eade, Ruby Turner (Sandhurst), and Paige Ryan (Strathfieldsaye).