TWO goals separated North Warrnambool Eagles from finals or missing out.
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The Eagles’ season was on a knife edge late in their Hampden league final-round match against bottom-placed South Warrnambool at Friendly Societies’ Park on Saturday.
They rallied to score a 44-43 triumph – a result good enough to hold out Warrnambool and secure a top-five finish.
They could have settled for a draw too and still made the finals on percentage.
But a loss would have signaled the end of their flag defence tilt.
Eagles coach Jody Roth praised South Warrnambool for its tenacity.
“They played sensational netball,” she said.
“How that team hasn’t won a game this year (I don’t know). They play good, clean netball.”
North Warrnambool Eagles were forced to mix their line-up around to combat the loss of captain Indi Morrison, sidelined with an ankle injury, in goal keeper.
Teenage goal shooter Victoria Grundy was elevated for her top-grade debut and thrown into unfamiliar territory in defence.
Another teenager, Molly McKinnon, also spent time in goal keeper.
“The long and the short of it was we had two injuries,” Roth said.
“Georgia Corbett sprained her ankle in the 17 and under warm up.
“Georgia got on the court and, credit to her, she got through the game.
“We really did miss Indi and not having our captain on court but she was sensational on the bench, really talking to the goal keeper and giving positive feedback.”
Roth was thrilled with Grundy’s performance in a pressure-packed contest.
“We put her in goal keeper and tried to get on top of the height of their goal shooters,” she said.
Roth believes the Eagles – premiers in two of the past three seasons – can make a mark in September.
They will work on the “little things that let us down” at training this week ahead of their elimination final against Cobden.
“I feel finals is a totally different kettle of fish,” she said.
Camperdown finished atop the table and earned a week off after edging out a plucky Hamilton Kangaroos.
The Pies’ seven-goal three-quarter-time lead was cut to four, winning 43-39 at Melville Oval. Second-placed Port Fairy accounted for Terang Mortlake, 41-33, and third-ranked Koroit overcame Portland, 46-37.
The Seagulls and Saints will meet in a qualifying final.