The City West Falcons dreams of a fourth straight premiership remain alive in the Victorian Netball League.
After their most disappointing performance in years in the semi finals, the Falcons didn’t waste their second opportunity against the Boroondara Express.
There would be no blow out like in the first week of the finals between the two sides, but it would be the same result.
The Falcons started well and led 5-1 early on before the Express settled.
It was goal for goal for most of the first two quarters with the Express leading by one goal at the first break and two goals at the main break.
The Falcons came out hard early in the third quarter to regain the lead.
They threatened to break it open more than once but the Express kept it close.
City West had all the answers in the final quarter as they locked in a 61-55 win and a date with the Hawks in the grand final.
Falcons coach Marg Lind said they weren’t going to drop the match.
“We’ve given ourselves a chance,” she said. “That was the goal this week to get there a lot of work to do.
“I think it took until today [Wednesday] to get over it. I wasn’t feeling confident until we got messaging today.”
Lind said they started well before they threw a few balls away and couldn’t turn the ball over.
She said they played around with their defensive structure and it took them a while to get going.
“Once they got their heads on what we wanted to do and stuck to it, it definitely made a difference and we started to get hand to ball,” she said.
“We got them to get a few misses and you have to take every turnover that you can get and a rebound is a good one.
“I still think we can do better defensively, there’s more to come.”
Lind said one thing she was really happy about was the playing group showing anger and that really got them going in the third quarter.
“They gritted their teeth,” she said. “Cookie [Jane Cook] chased a loose ball, we didn’t get it but it was a little bit of a catalyst for the others to think, we’re going to go.
“I think that is where we broke the game open. I believe that was the turning point.”
Lind said they thought they fed Cook, who shot 53 goals, well early before making a couple of errors which they will need to tidy up in the grand final.
They ran the goaling combination of Cook and Maddie Romios for most of the game, with the connection in the attacking third working well.
Olivia Cameron in her couple of minutes in the first quarter did cop a corkie which also played a role in that decision.
“I thought Maddie got herself into the game, so well that we couldn’t take her off,” Lind said.
In a bonus for the Falcons, co-captain Maggie Lind played the whole 60 minutes as she continues to struggle with a leg injury.
Her mum said it was a miracle to get her up and she made just one error for the game.
The Falcons now face the Hawks in the grand final. The Hawks beat the Falcons in the semi finals, their only loss for the season.
“We were so bad against the Hawks,” Lind said. “We can never ever be that bad again.”
