AN incredible 18 goals to 10 second term from St Therese has seen the M-League Men’s Premier Division minor premiers secure the 2021/22 title. The clash was a high-scoring battle in the first term as the sides went blow-for-blow, but from the second quarter, St Therese started to get away from its opponent, Netblacks, and eventually record a 14-goal win, 66-52.

Tom Hardwick was picked to start with Sam Bury, and it proved to be a fantastic decision, as the former was on fire early. St Therese grabbed a mini break five minutes into the term, but after Netblacks forced it back to eight goals apiece, Jake Schuster pulled down a big intercept over Riley Richardson, and set up an end-to-end play which resulted in back-to-back goals to Junior Levi.

Both sides had their fair share of turnovers in the first term as the team’s were still feeling each other’s game out, and at one stage, St Therese went up 15-12, but a miss from Bury with 2:30 on the clock allowed Netblacks to score another set of back-to-back goals. Kai Suzuki-McGauran picked up a big intercept rising high, to eventually set up the 16 goals piece scoreline. Late in the term the crowd – which seemed to be more in favour of Netblacks – though Levi had the opportunity to score, but was called for the foul and Jake Hederics got it down the other end of the court, and Hardwick nailed the last-second buzzer beater for an 18-17 lead.

Hardwick had scored 12 goals in the opening term, matching it pretty well with Levi (14), but it would be the second term where the game changed. Both teams headed in with the same teams in the second term. The Netblacks scored the first with Levi at the post, but after St Therese forced an important turnover to go two goals up, it was the sign of things to come. The minor premiers raced out to a seven-goal lead (26-19) before Netblacks could score again, with the danger signs there when Suzuki-McGauran missed the bullet pass to Deepak Patu. To the former’s credit, he worked hard to win it back at the defensive goal circle and lead to a Netblacks goal.

The lead – which would remain stuck between a seven and eight-goal buffer – was never really headed, as St Therese went into half-time with a very handy 36-28 lead courtesy of an 18 goals to 10 quarter. Bury had worked into the game for 14 goals, as Hardwick had 22. The defensive pairing of Hederics and Matt Longhurst managed to keep Levi – five goals – and Cameron Powell – five – to a combined 10 for the term. But critically, it was the pressure from the St Therese midcourt that forced uncharacteristic errors from Netblacks.

Netblacks’ biggest chance came midway through the third term with the deficit back to five goals (36-41) after Richardson was called for three seconds not long after and St Therese missing a shot. But when Tristan Comans took an intercept right in front of the smaller Brodie McCleish – who had replaced Powell at goal attack with the midcourt also reshuffling – it was game over. Netblacks tried to get it back to four goals, but could not capitalise with the defence doing well to limit Levi’s easy chances, and then when St Therese scored off a Netblacks centre pass, in the blink of an eye it was out to an eight-goal lead again.

Though Netblacks kept fighting – including a turnover off the first centre pass in the final term – it would prove to be in vain as St Therese won the third term 15-13 and the last quarter 15-12, to get up 66-52. With six and a half minutes left on the clock, the crowd roared as St Therese rotated Richardson, Bury and Comans off – as they had the Mixed Premier Division Grand Final a little later – allowing Chris Cameron, Connor Lilly and James Sutton to take their respective bibs.

Hardwick won Most Valuable Player in the Grand Final, shining in goal attack for three and a half quarters and combining well with Bury. Richardson controlled in the midcourt, with Netblacks’ emphasis on the perfect feeds through to the circle working in the first term, but then fell away in the second, forcing Patu to be moved into centre. He and Powell were both good, with Schuster always trying hard in goal keeper. Levi ended up with 35 goals in another strong performance under the post.

St Therese (66) defeated Netblacks (52)

MVP: Tom Hardwick (St Therese)