Last Saturday’s finals series delivered netball at its finest, featuring high-stakes, physical clashes, and stellar performances across the board.

In the Qualifying Final, undefeated Minor Premiers Vipers secured a direct path to the Grand Final with a hard-fought 49-41 victory over Orange City Craig Harvey Mechanical. Welcoming back Caitie Harvey and Talia Opetaia, City looked up for the challenge. Vipers took the opening term 15-11, but City fought back brilliantly in the second, with Harvey putting on a shooting masterclass to level the ledger at 18-18 before trailing 23-21 at halftime.

However, Vipers put on a lethal third-quarter surge. Capitalising on their whole court defensive pressure from the likes of Suz Simpson and Georgia Davis and their versatile shooting depth led by Ellie Mooney, they extended their lead to 40-29. Though City claimed the final term with typical heart, Vipers' clinical middle quarters proved decisive.

Meanwhile, the Elimination Final saw LIFE Studio end Orange High School Hornets' season with a 52-33 win. LIFE asserted early control behind a dominant display from classy goal attack Lucy Wilson and the mid-court mastery of Sara Rush. The young Hornets showed tremendous spirit; Ali Harvey igniting the midcourt with brilliant vision, and Alli Garlick delivering a tireless, season-best game at Wing Defence.

While a polished LIFE unit—sparked by Mikayla Riley’s vintage shooting—pulled away through the middle passages, the Hornets finished strongly, narrowly dropping the final quarter by a single goal to bow out with heads held high.

Looking Ahead: The Preliminary Final

The stage is now set for a blockbuster preliminary final showdown between Orange City and LIFE Studio. With City eager to redeem their semi-final loss, and a hungry LIFE side chasing a maiden Grand Final berth, the clash promises to be a thrilling prelude to the championship match.