After a thrilling opening week of finals, top-of-the-table Darley will take on Lake Wendouree at City Oval, with the winner earning a place directly in the grand final.

Darley will enter the contest full of confidence after a narrow 43–42 victory over North Ballarat in a highly contested qualifying final.

North came out strongly in the opening quarter, establishing a one-goal lead, before Darley settled into the contest. North Ballarat tried their best to place additional defensive pressure on Olivia Cawthray, who was responsible for 41 of Darley’s 43 goals.

Despite the attention on Cawthray, Darley continued to find ways to create opportunities. At the defensive end, Matilda Elliot was a dominant force at GK, putting North Ballarat’s attacking circle under enormous pressure and making it difficult for them to convert the opportunities they created.

North maintained a one-goal advantage at half time, but the third quarter proved decisive. The third quarter saw Darley settle into the game and begin to gain momentum, with North Ballarat having all but two players rotate into different positions.

The changes caused some unsettled combinations for North, allowing Darley to capitalise and take control of the quarter. Darley won the third term by two goals, turning the game around to take a one-goal lead into the final quarter.

The final quarter was again tightly contested, with the sides finishing level for the quarter. North Ballarat had more opportunities at goal late in the game but were unable to convert them, allowing Darley to hold on for the one-goal victory.

Lake Wendouree will come into the Semi Final after an impressive 53–49 elimination-final victory over Ballarat. With their previous two encounters both ending in draws, the Lakers knew they needed to produce something special, and they started strongly with a 14–8 opening quarter.

Addison Funcke proved a reliable target in the goal circle, converting 10 goals in the opening term. Ballarat responded strongly in the second quarter, winning the term by one goal and creating more scoring opportunities, but their inability to convert all of those chances kept the Lakers in front.

Ballarat again won the third quarter by two goals to reduce the margin to just three, setting up a tense final term. Jacinta McKenzie was influential defensively, creating turnover opportunities, but Ballarat's missed opportunities ultimately proved costly. In the final quarter, both sides battled hard for control, but Lake Wendouree remained composed under pressure and held on for the four-goal victory.

The previous encounter between Darley and Lake Wendouree resulted in an 18-goal victory to Darley, but finals netball brings a completely different level of pressure. With a grand final position on the line, the Lakers will be looking to close the gap and challenge Darley across all four quarters.

Key Match-Up

• Darley’s attacking circle against Lake Wendouree’s defensive pressure.
• Olivia Cawthray and Darley’s ability to create scoring opportunities under pressure.
• Addison Funcke and Ebony Porter against the Darley defensive circle.
• The battle through the midcourt and transition Sadie Cheesman against Montana Holmes

What to Watch

• Whether Lake Wendouree can contain Olivia Cawthray.
• Which team can remain composed in the final quarter.

Prediction

Darley will enter as favourites after finishing on top of the ladder and surviving a one-goal finals thriller against North Ballarat. However, Lake Wendouree showed plenty of resilience to overcome Ballarat and will take confidence from their ability to perform under pressure. With a Grand Final place on the line, expect another highly contested and physical encounter, with shooting accuracy and the ability to capitalise on turnover ball potentially deciding the winner.

Darley Team List

GS – Olivia Cawthray
GA – Akira McCormack
WA – Lucy Taylor
C – Montana Holmes
WD – Jaimee Smith
GD – Anna Lawley
GK – Matilda Elliot
Sub – Shannon Blackman
Sub – Ailish McCormack

Lake Wendouree Team List

GS - Addison Funcke
GA - Ebony Porter
WA - Bella Clark
C - Sadie Cheeseman
WD - Rosie Todd
GD - Remi Hooper
GK - Kate Drew
Sub -Emma Hawker
Sub - Demi Thompson
Sub -Evie Snowden
Sub - Paris Shrive

North Ballarat and Sunbury will meet in the Semi Final with no second chances, knowing that a loss will bring their finals campaign to an end.

North Ballarat will be disappointed to have gone down by just one goal to Darley in the qualifying final, but their performance showed they are capable of matching the top side when they settle into the contest. North started strongly against Darley, taking a one-goal lead into quarter time and maintaining that advantage through half time.

Their ability to pressure Olivia Cawthray and force Darley to rely heavily on her scoring was a positive, while their defensive pressure through the circle created opportunities throughout the game. However, North were unable to convert enough of their chances late in the contest, particularly in the final quarter where they had more shots but could not turn them into goals.

North will now face a confident Sunbury side that produced a strong 48–41 victory over Sebastopol in the second elimination final.

Sebastopol came out firing in the opening quarter, establishing a 16–10 lead, with Adut providing a strong target in the goal circle. Sunbury, however, used the second quarter to settle their combinations and completely changed the momentum of the contest.

The second term was the turning point, with Sunbury producing a dominant 19–4 quarter to take a convincing nine-goal lead into half time. Tayla Honey was a standout through Centre, influencing the game defensively while also providing strong support through the attacking end and leading the team around the court.

Sebastopol responded after half time, winning the third quarter by two goals, before the final term finished level. Sunbury's significant half-time advantage proved too much to overcome, allowing them to progress with a seven-goal victory.

The previous meeting between North Ballarat and Sunbury saw Sunbury claim a six-goal victory, giving them confidence heading into this semi final. However, North Ballarat's narrow loss to Darley showed they are more than capable of challenging strong opposition, and with their season now on the line, they will need to make every possession count.

Key Match-Up

• North Ballarat’s attacking circle against Sunbury’s defensive pressure.
• Tayla Honey against the North Ballarat midcourt.
• North Ballarat’s ability to contain Sunbury’s attacking options.
• The battle for turnover ball and possession through the centre third.

What to Watch

• Whether North Ballarat can convert the opportunities they create.
• Tayla Honey’s influence across attack and defence.
• Sunbury’s ability to maintain the intensity they produced in the second quarter against Sebastopol.
• Which side can handle the pressure of a win-or-go-home final.

Prediction

Sunbury will take confidence from their six-goal win over North Ballarat earlier in the season and their strong comeback against Sebastopol, particularly their dominant second quarter. North Ballarat, however, will be determined to respond after falling agonisingly short against Darley. With both teams having plenty of attacking firepower and strong defensive pressure, expect another tight and physical finals contest where conversion and composure could be the difference.

North Ballarat Team List

GS – Maddy Selmon
GA – Poppy Douglass
WA – Georgia Bodey
C – Lilly Francis
WD – Brydi Hutchinson
GD – Milly Simpson
GK – Maggie Smith
Sub – Maddy Fitzpatrick
Sub – Kelsie Rainbow
Sub – Amy Wirth

Sunbury Team List

GS – Caitlyn Hill
GA – Lani Fauonuku
WA – Georgia Hellyer
C – Tayla Honey
WD – Abi Inglis
GD – Eliza Gollant
GK – Elly Randall
Sub – Charlize Bellette
Sub – Taylah Easton