IN the final round of the season the bottom three sides had a point to prove with the Northern Mystics claiming a surprise win over the Central Pulse and the Mainland Tactix putting on an impressive performance against the Magic.

Mainland Tactix (60) defeated Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (48)

It was a hard and fast start for the Tactix who came with a point to prove, taking an early lead and slowly building on it throughout the game. Their ability to work the ball down the court and reset when there were no options forward showed their growth throughout the season, showing promising signs for next year. Unfortunately for the Magic they were unable to put out a four quarter performance.

Once again it was Ellie Bird who asserted her dominance at the post with her clever movement, strong holds and ability to turn and shoot. In the last quarter alone the Tactix goal shooter nailed an impressive 12 goals straight to take her total to 42 from 46 at 91 percent accuracy. Her shooting partner, Kate Beveridge also lifted her intensity, doing a wealth of work to bring the ball down the court, feed into the circle and contribute on the scoreboard with 18 from 25. Both Jane Watson and Sophia Fenwick stood up in defence with their ability to apply hands over pressure, confuse the space and win the ball back. Watson finished with six gains, three intercepts five deflections and three rebounds showcasing her defensive prowess while Fenwick amassed five gains, two intercepts and six deflections highlighting the work she did to nullify her opponent. Kimiora Poi was lively in attack with her dynamic movement, finishing with 32 feeds and 18 goal assists.

Magic struggled to find their rhythm in attack, forcing changes in the goal circle with Kelsey McPhee, Abigail Latu-Meafou and Monica Falkner all rotating through the circle. McPhee was the leading scorer for the Magic with 24 goals from 29 attempts. Simmon Howe was a key member in attack along with Ariana Cable-Dixon. Both worked hard in attack using their cuts and drives to hit the top of the circle with pace and deliver the ball into the goalers. Samantha Sinclair moved into wing defence to apply strong defensive pressure while Kelly Jury impressed with her ability to win the ball. Jury racked up six gains, one intercept, three deflections and two rebounds highlighting her tenacity and intent to disrupt the opposition’s attacking play.

Northern Mystics (60) defeated Central Pulse (54)

The Northern Mystics came out all guns blazing to claim their biggest scalp of the season winning against the first place Central Pulse. It was a close contest with both teams applying strong defensive pressure and making the most of their opportunities in goals but it was the Mystics that pulled away in the final term.

In their final game of the season, the Northern Mystics had a point to prove, claiming their fourth win for the year. The Mystics struggled at times to transition from defence to attack with the ball getting lost down court, but they looked more composed with ball in hand and worked their way through the defensive pressure applied by the Pulse. Once again Grace Nweke had a blinder thanks to her sheer ability to turn and shoot. Nweke proved to be the go to girl nailing 47 from 58 at 81 per cent while Bailey Mes also increased her workload. The real standout was down in defence with goal keeper Erena Mikaere collecting 11 gains, three intercepts and six deflections, showcasing her ability to hunt the ball and disrupt the attacking play of her opposition. She was assisted by partner in crime, Phoenix Karaka who amassed seven gains and four intercepts while Michaela Sokolich-Beatson was solid in wing defence with her hands over pressure and fancy footwork.

With a grand final appearance all sewn up for the Pulse, coach Yvette McCausland-Durie made a few changes to help rest and prepare her players for the big dance. Aliyah Dunn was once again a star under the post with her accuracy and volume no issue sitting at 89 per cent for the match, converting 39 goals from 44 attempts. Ameliaranne Ekenasio was down on her usual output, only managing nine goals for her three quarters, while Tiana Metuarau relished her time on court putting up six goals in the third term. The changes did not stop there with every player on the bench making an appearance throughout the game. Elle Temu made her way off the bench into goal keeper, picking up four gains and two intercepts credit to her ability to read the flight of the ball and solid body positioning. Her defensive partners Karin Burger and Katrina Rore were also impressive with Burger making her presence felt with five gains, five intercepts and two deflections. Through the midcourt Whitney Souness, Maddy Gordon and Claire Kersten all worked tirelessly to move the ball down court and get into attacking positions.

Southern Steel (63) defeated Northern Stars (46)

In a preview of the elimination final the Southern Steel stamped their authority on the competition with a convincing win against the Stars. Their class was on show across the court credit to their quick transition and ability to capitalise on turnovers making them hard to stop.

The rotation through the goal circle did not seem to both the Steel with all three players finding the net with ease and showcasing their ability to dominate with a combined shooting accuracy of 82 per cent. Lenize Potgieter was on fire once again and while she was not on for the entire match her ability to create space, score and set up opportunities for her teammates impressed. She top scored for the Steel with 28 form 32 at 88 percent while Te Paea Selby-Rickit was down on her usual accuracy but still did a wealth of work across the court to feed the ball into Potgieter and Jennifer O’Connell. Gina Crampton was electric through the midcourt with her timely feeds, strong hands on the take and drive through the attacking third leading the way with 50 feeds and 24 goal assists. Defensively Te Huinga Selby-Rickit was unstoppable picking up a whopping 11 gains, three intercepts and six rebounds showcasing the pressure she was applying on the Stars goalers. Abby Erwood and Courtney Elliot also played their role down back with their strong hands over pressure and cleanliness to get clever tips and disrupt their opposition’s attacking flow, collecting nine gains and two intercepts between them.

Unfortunately for the Stars the pressure of the Steel was too much and they struggled to move the ball down court with ease. The Stars were forced to make a host of changes throughout the game unable to find composure with ball in hand and stop the bleeding. Goal shooter, Maia Wilson was solid under the post but was unable to capitalise on her opportunities sitting at 33 from 43 attempts at 77 per cent. Youngster, Charlee Hodges was impressive in the loss putting up 12 goals at 75 per cent and finding good space to feed into Wilson but it was not enough. The experience of Temepara Bailey through the midcourt paid dividends for the Stars credit to her composure with ball in hand and impressive vision finishing the game with 27 feeds and 17 goal assists. Captain Leana de Bruin was impressive in defence using her experience and general netball knowledge to try and limit the influence of her counterpart picking up four gains, one intercept and a couple of deflections. She worked well with goal defence Storm Purvis who worked tirelessly to shut down Selby-Rickit getting timely tips.