Prelim finals for Netball go down to the wire

There were plenty of tight contests in the Randwick Netball Association’s 2022 season preliminary finals at the Heffron courts last Saturday.

Of Maccabi Netball Club’s seven teams that were in the thick of the action, two booked their places in this Saturday’s grand finals with terrific, yet contrasting wins.

Maccabi Bronze cruised to a 23-9 victory in their 12 years division 5 prelim final over the Saints, setting it up by getting on top of their opponents early on, to lead by 16-4 at half-time.

Co-team coach Clio Stockley credited the players for “all working together as a team, and communicating well throughout the match”.

“The girls really wanted that win, and to reach the grand final.”

The other Maccabi team to advance to the grand final was the seniors division B2 team, who had to really dig in during their epic prelim final versus Mascot – a team ranked above  them on the ladder.

Remaining focused until the final buzzer, the Maccabi women prevailed by 39-27.

Five Maccabi junior teams all had narrow prelim finals losses.

The closes defeat was by 13-14 for third-placed Maccabi Silver agains second-placed St Catherine’s, in 12 years division 3.

Maccabi Silver’s coach Daniel Howlett praised his team’s effort throughout the season, and in the finals.

“For a team whose players only played together for the first time as a group this season, they have done so well and come so far – as a coach, I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

In other prelim finals results, Maccabi White had a 5-point loss to MRSL in 11 years division 2, Maccabi Blue lost 20-29 to St Catherine’s in 11 years division 3, Maccabi White were defeated 17-25 by RRNS in 12 years division 1, and Maccabi White lost 26-32 to Mascot in 14 years division 4.

Read more in this week’s @The Australian Jewish News