AFTER four months and more than 150 matches, the M League men's
and mixed netball season has reached its final week.
The grand final matchups were decided on Wednesday night in four
typically hard-fought preliminary finals.
Grand finals across four men's and mixed sections will be played
at the State Netball Hockey Centre on Wednesday evening,
December 16.
PREMIER MEN'S
Runaway minor premiers the Vipers will miss the grand final
after a five-goal loss to Hoppers Crossing.
Returning from last week's bruising qualifying final defeat at
the hands of Southern Sparks, the Vipers came out firing, jumping
to a five-goal lead at quarter time and extending their advantage
to nine goals early in the second quarter.
But some Hoppers Crossing positional changes began to bear
fruit, and seven unanswered goals late in the quarter saw them draw
level at the long break.
Hoppers then kept the favourites to just nine goals in the third
quarter and held them off for a 52-47 win and a grand final berth
against the Sparks.
PREMIER MIXED
M League's top mixed section produced a classic defensive
contest, with the result coming in overtime.
Locked at 38 goals each after an hour of play, the Vipers and
Hume 1 fought hard for a grand final place against South
Morang.
Hume were kept in the game by defensive pair Bo Stepanicic and
Olivia Mitchell, but some key attacking errors were snapped up by
the Vipers, giving them a telling break and sealing a four-goal win
(48-44).
DIVISION ONE MIXED
An undermanned PV Comets were bundled out of the finals in
straight sets after losing just two games in the regular
season.
Suffering a loss to the Yarra Jive Turkeys in the qualifying
final, the Comets were this week put to the sword by a Dromanarama
team led by centre and former Victorian Open representative Julian
Yeoh.
The Dromanarama goalers received consistent supply on the way to
a comfortable 52-43 win, making them surprise grand final
contenders after finishing the season in fourth place.
DIVISION ONE MEN
The South East Blackhawks put up a brave fight in the first half
against the PV Comets in the division one men's preliminary
final.
Just seven goals separated the teams at half-time, but the
Comets piled on the goals in the third quarter and the Blackhawks
had no answer.
The Comets ran out 59-23 winners and will now play Box Hill for
title honours.
M LEAGUE GRAND FINALS
State Netball Hockey Centre - Wednesday, December 16
Premier mixed - court 1 - 7pm
SOUTH MORANG v VIPERS
Division one mixed - court 2 - 7pm
YARRA JIVE TURKEYS v DROMANARAMA
Premier men's - court 1 - 8.30pm
SOUTHERN SPARKS v HOPPERS CROSSING
Division one men's - court 2 - 8.30pm
BOX HILL v PV COMETS
