THE semi-finals of both Men’s Premier Division and Division 1 featured some massive clashes, seeing closer results than expected in some matches while one went down to the wire. In the Premier division Melbourne City Blackhawks went toe to toe with Geelong Cougars to come close to victory, putting on a strong performance against the reigning premiers but falling short missing key midcourter, Matt Doyle to injury earlier in the day. St Therese ran over a depleted Sirens in a tough physical contest, seeing plenty of fight and determination from both sides. Division 1 saw DDNA Teal prevail over DDNA Red for bragging rights and a grand final berth, while Northern Titans never looked like dropping their lead over Melbourne Bucks.

Men’s Premier Division 

Both matches started with turnovers at the first centre pass making for an interesting battle from the get-go. The feisty matches saw similarly even first quarters before the margins extended, though both losing sides did put in a massive effort in the final term to close the margin but were ultimately unable to steal victory.

Geelong Cougars (62) defeated Melbourne City Blackhawks (54)

The Blackhawks got off to an impressive start against the Cougars, leading early and using the ball well to get around Geelong’s defences before going down by eight goals. Geelong were missing key defender in Luke Rawlings which the Blackhawks saw fit to expose from the get-go, with David Chisholm (49 goals) able to hold ground on Alastair Punshon early to receive lobs into the circle, gaining valuable ground and confidence to shoot from all around the goal circle. While Geelong missed their usual cleanliness down the court and despite the Blackhawks’ strong start, the Cougars were quick to get back into the game, turning the tides and trailing by only one goal at half time. From then on the Cougars did not relinquish control, forcing errors from the Blackhawks and maintaining a solid lead to finish the match well. The Blackhawks did their homework well, creating a pressing defensive unit with Tim Marshall and Simon Cartwright creating plenty of turnover ball and denying Cameron Allum and Brayden Pastore easy ball. Blackhawks’ Joel Gosbell impressed in wing attack winning back valuable ball and creating opportunities in Doyle’s absence, getting out well at the centre pass and finding good position on circle edge to not only feed into the circle but regain possession when required. For Geelong, Jed Christian put in a solid effort through the midcourt working well through defence with Jake Dambrauskas and Jake Noonan providing plenty of run and speed transitioning back to attack.

St Therese (53) defeated Sirens Netball (38)

Despite a strong start the Sirens were overrun by St Therese, going down by 15 goals in a frustrating end to their season. It was a physical battle from the starting whistle with both sides relentless in their pursuit for possession, while an injury to Sirens centre, Luke Hunter saw the side rotate positions thoroughly to patch up the midcourt. Stalwart goaler Brodie Roberts showcased his versatility, playing goals for the first half and putting up seven, aiding Josh Smith at the post, before rotating through to centre for the second half to direct play through the midcourt and doing battle with Mixed Premier Division teammate Riley Richardson. The pair were evenly matched, creating an exciting contest with plenty of fight from both sides. Andrew Lewis rotated into goals from defence to put up an impressive performance in the second half, sharing the load with Smith but with the likes of Dylan Nexhip showcasing the best of his defensive prowess the Saints were able to steer the ship to the grand final. Matthew Longhurst was also solid through defence moving the ball through the midcourt while Richardson and Guy Keane were dominant as ever on circle edge feeding to Corey Nexhip and Connor Lilly. With nothing going the Sirens’ way the Saints were able to work through the intensity well with their defensive pressure just too good in the end.

Men’s Division One

With plenty of excitement coming into the semi-finals Division 1’s matches saw plenty of intensity with no side willing to slow their effort and relinquish an opportunity for finals glory. With pressure and stoppages abundant in both matches, it created a big contest between the top four sides of the season.

Northern Titans Men’s (48) defeated Melbourne Bucks Men’s (37)

The battle between Northern Titans and Melbourne Bucks was an interesting one, with the Bucks using the ball well but ultimately unable to score off their opportunities. Despite a strong final quarter effort the Bucks could not take control of the match, seeing the Titans run away with an 11 goal victory from a consistent four quarter effort. It was a relatively even first quarter, with the Bucks having plenty of opportunities to put goals on the board but missing valuable goal attempts, putting up more shots than their opposition but unable to convert thanks to the strong defensive pressure and rebounding effort of the Titans’ defensive unit. The consistency and positional rotation of the Titans was key, with high accuracy helping their way to victory and the rotation of positions creating a difficult time for the Bucks to anticipate their movements.

DDNA Teal (43) defeated DDNA Red (42)

DDNA Teal got off to a slow start before coming back into the match, trailing at half time before putting on a defensive show in the third to take a one-goal lead into the final term. DDNA Red were unwilling to let the match go however, scoring evenly with Teal in the final term to bring the match well and truly down to the wire. The DDNA battle was tough from the get-go, with both sides looking for bragging rights and unlikely to release the pressure. Both sides had plenty of aerial ability with every player flying for the ball, turning over precious loose ball and creating opportunities for goals off the back of constant deflections. With both sides showcasing their two-way running through the midcourt it was a real battle for control in attack, with both teams sharing the shooting load to make for an even contest.