Busy grand final day for Sale City junior netballers

Initiating the NGFNL 2022 Grand Final day are the Under 15s, where the undefeated Sale City takes on Rosedale for the chance to win the Bulldogs’ first Under 15s Grand Final in club history.

For nearly all of the girls in Sale’s Under 15s team, this year has been their first introduction to finals netball, having been cancelled the past two years because of COVID. For half of the group, tomorrow’s game marks the end of their Under 15s netball career.

Tomorrow’s instalment of the NGFNL finals is two years in the making for Sale City’s Under 15s coach Debbie Fox.

“I had them [Sale City Under 15s] last year, but it was a COVID season, we finished top of the ladder and undefeated, but we didn’t get to play finals,” said Fox.

“The top-age girls have gone through all two seasons undefeated, so they’ll hopefully get to win a Grand Final.”

With this year’s team varying in ages, spanning from 13 through to 15, and half of the girls having never played together before, Fox has strongly focused on teamwork throughout the season, which has also been the team’s most considerable improved quality for the 2022 season.

“We really work on being a team, so teamwork – knowing their role and how they fit within the team and then how to bring that together,” Fox said – “so understanding their individual role and then piecing that together, so it fits as a whole on the court”.

Fox has worked some coaching magic because watching the Under 15s Bulldogs as they train on the court, their movement, collaboration and comprehension of each other’s movement showcase an exceptional fluidity, leading any spectator to believe the girls had played together for years.

Heading into tomorrow’s NGFNL Grand Final, Sale City will be focused on their team rules, which coach Fox says are “must haves”.

What are these team rules you ask? No idea; they are more confidential than a state secret, but Fox assures the Bulldogs will be “implementing the team rules” in tomorrow’s final.

All eyes will be on Sale City’s Under 15s; will they write Bulldog history?

Sale City’s Under 17s will meet Heyfield tomorrow in the NGFNL 2022 Grand Final, with all expectations for a cracking game.

Finishing second on the ladder, losing just two games, both of which were to the undefeated, top of the ladder Heyfield, Sale City is in for the fight of their life; supporters hope the Bulldogs bring both their bark and their bite.

The Under 17 girls looked strong as they trained at Stephenson Park on Tuesday evening, with coaches Ella Ronchi and Kirralee Carstairs running an extra training session in preparation for tomorrow’s game.

Having finished top of the ladder last year and securing a spot in this year’s NGFNL Grand Final, kudos goes to second-season Under 17s coach Kirralee Carstairs.

Whilst there is a high focus on skill, fitness and gameplay, Carstairs emphasises to her team that netball is more than just ability on the court and the importance of connection.

“On the court, we speak about our positions and what we need to do ourselves, as a team, and we also talk about our mindset because everyone has their highs and lows,” said Carstairs.

“Off the court, we have team dinners; I am a teacher, and I teach a lot of the girls, so I speak with them at school and take the opportunity to ask how they are going, how their day is, and that is where you connect as a coach.”

For Carstairs, being a part of such a family-orientated, communitive club has aided her efforts to connect her team off the court.

“The club this year, on the whole, has been fantastic, really healthy. It is a very family-orientated club like I have four kids and everyone looks after your children, it’s great,” Carstairs said.

“The grades train together; the juniors only train separately because of coaches’ availability, but all the girls get along really well. They all hang out after the game on weekends and at club teas.

Last night was the Grand Final dinner, where the teams and coaches were announced, with a spiel about each player. Once a year, the girls had to cook a dinner with the Under 15s.

“So these are ways the girls get to know each other, not just within their team but across the grades,” Carstairs said.

At the start of the 2022 season, Carstairs guided her Under 17s team in creating a team motto encompassing their desired achievements for the year: ‘Be part of the process together and be strong to achieve our outcome together’.

“At the start of the year, we talked about working together because this is a brand new team, and our outcome was to reach the Grand Final and obviously to beat Heyfield,” said Carstairs.

Sale City head in tomorrow focused on strong drives down the court, ball placement and creating and taking space.

Will the Bulldogs dethrone the Kangaroos from their undefeated throne? Only time will tell.