City West Falcons coach Marg Lind has seen a lot of Victorian Netball League championship matches, but the Falcons semi final win against the Geelong Cougars on Wednesday night tops the cake.
The Falcons trailed by 14 goals in the first half, before slowly working their way back into the game.
They still trailed by eight goals at the last break, but the tide was slowly turning. The Falcons levelled the scores with the two teams going goal for goal in the dying minutes.
Julia Woolley had the chance to win the game in the dying seconds, but missed and the game headed to extra time.
The Falcons had the better of the extra 15 minutes, to get the 70-65 win and the first spot in the grand final.
Falcons coach Marg Lind said it was an unbelievable match.
“I’ve been in the VNL since the start and that’s the best game I’ve seen,” she said. “It was electrifying and up and down, then equal at full time. That is what sport is about.”
Lind said the difference in the group after half time was that they started to believe that they could do it.
She said the coaching group thought they might be headed for a big loss at the break, but the players had other ideas.
“They wouldn’t lie down,” she said.
“I said to Toddy [Jacinta Todd] that we have to be focused on being positive. There wasn’t a lot of technical talk at the break, it was the girls talking about it themselves and saying “believe in ourselves and have a go.”
A couple of positional changes also worked in the second half and paid off as the Falcons started to make their comeback.
Mel Oloamanu came on in goalkeeper, while they made the decision to bench Jane Cook and bring in Uneeq Palvai in goal shooter.
Both worked.
“Jane was good early, but they weren’t releasing the ball to her,” Lind said.
“She hadn’t shot enough goals for a holding shooter. Toddy said how about Uneeq as she’s a different type of player.
“She can also shoot from range. We missed one goal in the second half.
“They had quick shooters, so Mel was a great match up for them.
“She sat off the body a bit and would go hunting for the ball and brought Zoe [Davies] into the game.”
Lind was also pleased with the work of Lucia Fauonuku, who played the whole game at wing defence, with Soli Ropati missing through injury.
With the game a physical one, players from both sides became tired with the Cougars starting to make changes which the Falcons capitalised on.
For the Falcons, Maggie Lind and Montana Holmes started cramping late in the game.
Marg Lind said once the side had hit the front late in the game, she thought they would win it even when Woolley had the shot to win the game.
“We thought we weren’t going to lose, she said. “The players just took control.”
Lind said the other factor in the game was the big Falcons crowd on the side lines.
It was a big night for the Falcons with their under-19 team also winning through to the grand final. The division 1 team was knocked out.
The Falcons will have next week off, before the grand final on August 10.
Lind said they weren’t sure whether Ropati would be available for the grand final.
Lind said having got the win, it would free the side up and give them even more confidence.
“It was enormous to have all teams in finals, and if we could get a result as in a championship or runners up, that’s a bonus.
“If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. I’m proud of the club.”
