AFTER a fascinating and enthralling M-League season, it all comes to an end tonight when the Premier Men’s and Premier Mixed Grand Finals take place tonight. At 7pm, Premier Men’s minor premiers City Heat take on the Netblacks who will look to go one step better than last year, before the Premier Mixed grand finalists, Parkville Panthers and Geelong renew hostilities in a repeat of the 2021/22 decider.

PREMIER MEN’S:

City Heat vs. Netblacks (Court 1 @ 7:00pm)

In the first of the senior finals, last year’s runner-up Netblacks takes on minor premiers City Heat in a blockbuster decider. The Netblacks reached the grand final after overcoming the team that knocked them off in the 2021/22 grand final, St Therese. The one-goal win was a massive confidence booster for the Netblacks, who will now likely deserve favouritism for the flag, having beaten City Heat in their most recent matchup this year. City Heat did get the better of Netblacks the first time they faced off in 2022/23, however that was before the latter regained some of their stars.

The Netblacks certainly have their stars that standout, with a key player in each third leading the way and are deemed gamechangers on their day. Junior Levi is a high-volume shooter who is likely to cause plenty of problems for the Heat defence. Josh Byron and Alastair Punshon spent the semi-final in the defensive circle and could be asked to do the jo again, with Simon Cartwright looking to cut off the feeds in midcourt.

Jesse Failla impressed in wing attack last week, while Deepak Patu is one of the best midcourters going around. Australian international netballer Jake Noonan will enjoy a huge battle with him, while Michael Dower and Cameron Allum are among the shooting options for City Heat. Jake Schuster nullifies most opponents and will have a big job, while Nathan Selvidge can provide support out of the wing defence bib.

PREMIER MIXED:

Parkville Panthers vs. Geelong (Court 1 @ 8:20pm)

Last year’s grand finalists meet again in the blockbuster 2022/23 Premier Mixed Grand Final. Parkville Panthers have gone the entire season undefeated, but as they will not so fondly remember from last season, ladder position means nothing on the big night. The Panthers will be out for blood in their revenge class against a Geelong outfit that has looked impressive without dominating, and puts the match in a eerily similar vein to that of 12 months ago. Parkville has beaten Geelong throughout the 2022/23 season – as with every other team – but tonight is a different ball game.

Minor premiers Parkville have enviable depth, with former Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) shooter Kaylia Stanton showcasing her versatility last week by playing the full game in goal keeper. She can play at either end, but will share the duties with the likes of defender Jake Hederics and shooters Amy Starzer and Connor Lilly. That is before even factoring in Brodie Roberts, Australia’s international goal attack. The Geelong defence – feature the likes of Sarah Szczykulski and Gerard Murphy will have tough jobs containing them.

Geelong’s midcourt of Olivia Taylor, Noonan and Zara Walters is strong, and then to be able to feed into the circle for the likes of Allum and Tim Marshall is a huge bonus, with Zana Woods winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in last year’s grand final as well. Jake Dambrauskas has been in ripping form this season and is capable of playing both midcourt and defence.

JUNIORS

17 & Under: WDNA vs. St Therese (Court 6 @ 8:20pm)

WDNA will be the top ranked team in the 17 and Under clash, with shooters Nicholas O’Meara and Campbell Brown both among those to watch, while Daniel King is a key player up the other end of the court. For St Therese, Ben Morgan and Ryan Lovell will look to contain the Waverley shooters, while Josh Francis is one to look to in attack.

14 & Under: St Therese vs. WDNA (Court 6 @ 7:00pm)

St Therese finished top in the 14 and Under Division, and will play up first. Wynter Morgan Eeles and Brodie Lilly lead the attack, with Finn McLeod a strong defender and midcourter for the minor premiers. For WDNA, Noah Bacon is a versatile talent in midcourt and attack, with River Zielinski a reliable defender, and Thomas Lane a consistent shooter to watch.