Under-17s: Jerilderie 45 def by Rennie 57.
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Jerilderie’s under-17 netballers bowed out of the season with a loss to the strong Rennie side in the first semi-final.
The team headed to Berrigan knowing they were in for a really tough game.
It was a beautiful day to be a spectator, but a very warm day on the netball court.
Despite the heat, the girls stepped onto the court ready to win and gave it everything they had.
The first quarter was a real battle, with both teams going goal for goal.
The Dees finished the quarter trailing by just two goals, showing early on they weren’t going to give up without a fight.
The second quarter saw the Dees drop away a little, with some rushed passing creeping into their game.
However, it was nothing the players couldn’t come back from, and they regrouped and continued to fight hard.
The deficit was reduced to just six goals in the third quarter, with every opportunity to get back into the contest.
Unfortunately, the Jerilderie team couldn’t quite catch a very strong Rennie side.
While the result wasn’t what they had hoped for, the girls could not have done any more.
Under-13s: Jerilderie 24 def Mathoura 15.
Jerilderie’s under-13 netballers produced one of their best performances of the season on Saturday, defeating Mathoura in a hard-fought semi-final in front of a large and vocal crowd.
From the opening whistle, the young Demons came ready to compete.
There was plenty of drive and determination, with every player prepared to fight for the loose ball, apply pressure and work hard for their teammates.
The opening quarter was a tight contest, with Mathoura making Jerilderie earn every possession.
The Demons held their nerve to take a narrow two-goal lead into the first break.
Jerilderie began to find their rhythm in the second quarter.
There was relentless defensive pressure forcing crucial turnovers, while the midcourt worked hard to capitalise on every opportunity.
By half-time, the Demons had stretched their advantage to six goals.
The midcourt players were outstanding.
Their well-timed intercepts created key opportunities to turn defence into attack, while their hunger for the contest saw them chase down loose balls, create space and link together some excellent passages of play through the court.
Mathoura came out firing early in the third quarter and a string of intercepts disrupted the Demons’ flow and allowed Mathoura to marginally close the gap, putting the game back in the balance.
But Jerilderie got their game back on track. Rather than allowing the momentum shift to rattle them, the girls dug in, settled their play and fought their way back into control.
By three-quarter time they had restored their six-goal advantage, setting up a huge final term.
A couple of changes heading into the final quarter gave the Demons another lift.
With a preliminary final berth on the line, they continued to attack the contest, hunt the ball and make every possession count.
Their determination paid off as they pushed the margin out to nine goals, sealing an impressive victory.
The win has earned the under-13s their place in the preliminary final next Sunday at Blighty, where they will take on Tocumwal for a place in the grand final.