THOUGH the Victorian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (VMMNA) finalists may be decided, the order of the top four can still change, with both the Premier Men’s and Premier Mixed semi-finals fixtures not decided until the very last round of the season.

PREMIER MEN’S:

Heading into the final round of the Premier Men’s competition, the top four might be already decided, but the order can still change. Last week Netblacks shuffled their players around against St Therese and suffered a big loss to slip to fourth, while Altona Falcons took full advantage and moved up to third place on the table. The two results were enough that the Netblacks will need to win huge against the Falcons to overtake them in third, however by remaining in fourth, they face top of the table City Heat in the do-or-die semi-final, a side they beat in their most recent encounter.

It will be fascinating to see how the Netblacks shape up in the final round, and whether or not they go back to their usual lineup, or keep trying players in other positions. Junior Levi is always difficult to contain at goal shooter, with Jake Schuster one of the strongest defenders in the competition, and Deepak Patu able to control the tempo through the midcourt. They will face a strong Falcons outfit that includes Australian shooter Brodie Roberts coming off a 54-goal haul against Darebin Dragons. Andrew Lewis can also pile on the goals, while Jake Dambrauskas was a rock in defence.

In the other two matches, St Therese will look to finish off its season on a high by taking on Boorondara Thunder. The Thunder are 4-6 for the season, and though they cannot move out of fifth, would not want to lose by too much or they could drop below the Ariels. The Ariels are sixth and take on the minor premiers City Heat, though a competitive effort – even in a loss – could see them leapfrog the Thunder.

ROUND 13 FIXTURE: All 8:20pm

Netblacks vs. Altona Falcons (Court 1)
City Heat vs. Ariels (Court 2)
St Therese vs. Boroondara Thunder (Court 6)

PREMIER MIXED:

Looking to the Premier Mixed grade and thanks to the fourth placed NNE Vipers having two byes, it has guaranteed them a spot in the finals. They can still snatch third spot off the Altona Falcons who they face in the final round, while the Falcons can also overtake Geelong in second spot. Looking to the the possibilities, there is just 0.76 per cent between the Vipers and Falcons, which means the winner will take third, but the latter also have an extra four points to their name thanks to a 7-3 record.

If the Falcons win by enough, or if Geelong has a shock loss to Melbourne Quakes, then Altona will leapfrog Geelong into second. If Altona loses, it could fall to fourth and take on Parkville Panthers in the semi-finals, elevating the Vipers into third. The Vipers utilised the talents of Jake Schuster at goal defence last round during the win over LTU, with Brooke Dadds and Michael Dower forming a strong team, and Maddi Wallmeyer feeding through to the shooters. Josh Smith and Andrew Lewis were high volume shooters the round before last, with Nyibol Akec playing a full game in wing attack.

In the other matches, Geelong takes on the Quakes with the latter able to hold onto fifth spot with a victory, while Valley Wolves will need to do what no one else this season has been able to do and defeat Parkville Panthers in order to grab fifth. Though not playing for a finals spot, LTU can finish on a high when it takes on the winless Eastside Sonics in the other contest.

ROUND 13 FIXTURE: All 7:00pm

Geelong vs. Melbourne Quakes (Court 6 @ 7pm)
Parkville Panthers vs. Valley Wolves (Court 7 @ 7pm)
LTU vs. Eastside Sonics (Court 8 @ 7pm)
NNE Vipers vs. Altona Falcons (Court 6 @ 9:40pm)

The final round of the M-League Juniors takes place tonight, with St Therese’s 17 and Under team hoping to put the rare understrength loss of Round 12 behind them and knock off Peninsula Waves like the ladder leaders did in the final round of 2022. In the other match, WDNA are strong favourites to hand Darebin another loss, with the latter yet to pick up a win thus far in season 2022/23. In the 14 and Under grade, a potential grand final preview takes place on Court 1 with WDNA and St Therese going at it from 7pm, while Melbourne Up & Comers face TBC on Court 2.