Netball SA Premier League Grand Final replays: Contax v Matrics and Oakdale v Contax
Contax are on cloud nine after clean sweeping Saturday night’s Netball SA Reserves and Premier League grand finals to achieve a dream double. Watch the replays.
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Contax has produced a flawless defensive display to exact revenge against Matrics and claim the 2023 Netball SA Premier League title.
With last year’s 64-53 loss to their rival fresh in the memory, the Blues dominated from start to finish of Saturday night’s big dance to claim the silverware.
The 53-41 win was driven by perfect execution on the defensive end of the court, spearheaded by Jessie Grenvold, Kate Walsh and captain Chelsea Blackman, and efficient shooting by Sophie Agostino and Kayla Graham.
KommunityTV live streamed the Premier League and Reserves grand finals from Netbal;l SA Stadium. Relive the action by watching the full match replays below.
Superstar defender Jessie Grenvold was at her best throughout the four quarters, applying constant pressure to create turnovers and being awarded with the Marg Angove Medal for Most Valuable Player.
Both teams experienced a shaky start as they dealt with early game jitters, but it was Contax who would then hit the ground running.
WATCH THE REPLAYS BELOW
PREMIER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL
RESERVES GRAND FINAL
Fantastic defence, and smooth movement and finishing by Kayla Graham and Sophie Agostino gave the Blues a seven-goal quarter time lead.
While Matrics - which was without star attacker Lauren Frew - fought back early in the second term through the hard work of captain Sophie Croft and shooting of Lucy Reynolds and Emma Sibley, it would not be long until Contax clicked back into gear and extended its lead to 10 goals by half time.
While the Stars strung some strong defensive stops together to start the third quarter, swarming Contax defence was too hard to overcome as the Blues further extended their lead to 14 goals at the final break.
Matrics shook things up to start the final quarter, with Georgia Dent moving to Goal Attack, but it wasn’t enough as Contax closed out the win to claim the Reserves and Premier League double.
Earlier, the club’s Reserves side got the night off to a perfect start with a dominant four-quarter performance.
Contax surged to a fast start to the game and never looked back, eventually winning 60-43.
Molly Watson was inspirational for her side, winning the reserves MVP for her defensive work and seamless passing across the court.
Jasmin Noye was also important as the Blues pulled away in the final two terms, shooting 24 goals and linking up with her midcourters and fellow attacker Jordi Vidmar seamlessly.
PREVIEW: FAMOUS RIVALS TO CLASH AGAIN
Two of SA netball’s biggest rivals will meet again in this year’s Netball SA Premier League grand final, while a club on the rise will aim to notch a historic premiership in the Reserves.
League leaders Contax will clash with Matrics in this year’s grand final, with the club looking for revenge after losing last year’s big dance to their big rival by 11.
The stage was set last Friday when Matrics narrowly escaped an upset loss to Jess Paradiso and South Adelaide, emerging 52-51 winners after a dramatic final quarter.
While their opponent has eyes on back-to-back premierships, Contax coach Leanne Eichler said her side was confident after they beat Matrics in the major semi-final two weeks ago.
You can watch all the Premier League and Reserves action LIVE right here on KommunityTV from 6.45pm on Saturday. See the full grand final schedule below.
“We try not to look too much to the past, but we were pleased with how we played in that game and we know we still had some things to work on, which is a really good sign,” Eichler said.
“Defensively, we were very good as a full unit and we took our opportunities, but we know we can do a lot better.
“That’s all history now and we’ve been really happy with our preparation, so we’re excited and ready to go.”
Contax made multiple changes in the off-season, most notably adding star Super Netball defender Kate Walsh to the fold.
Eichler believed the club now had the team to go all the way.
“The team has been in some good form this year but we need to ensure everyone plays their role on Saturday – it’s about having seven attackers and seven defenders.
“We know Matrics are really good at bouncing back and have a strong team, so we need to be at our best, and I think if we are, we can get it done.”
While Matrics went down by 17 in the major semi-final, coach Jacqui Illman said her team would be up for the challenge after the tough preliminary final win over South Adelaide.
“I think it was really good to experience that game heading into the grand final – there’s more perceived pressure in finals, so to be challenged in that tight environment and come away with a win definitely gives you confidence that you can get it done,” Illman said.
“We’re looking forward to having another crack at Contax – whenever you lose it’s a good opportunity to learn and we feel we’ve learned a lot from that semi-final.
“Obviously it would be huge to be able to go back-to-back. It’s been a bit of a different year for us this year, a bit more challenging, but also an enjoyable one and it would be amazing to cap it off with a win.”
Oakdale will be taking on Contax in the Reserves grand final and will aim to become the first club, other than Matrics and Contax, to win a premiership in that competition.
The club finished third last season and failed to overcome Matrics in the preliminary final, but has been on a roll in the finals this season after finishing second, defeating Matrics behind 40 goals from vice captain Kayla Howes in the major semi-final.
Netball replays: Contax wins grand final epic to claim back-to-back PL titles
Contax has emerged victorious over South Adelaide and claimed back-to-back titles after two periods of extra time in an epic Netball SA Premier League grand final. Watch all the PL and Reserves replays here.
REPLAYS: Panthers power into Netball SA Premier grand final
South Adelaide bounced back from their heavy major semifinal loss to set up an intriguing grand final showdown with Contax next Friday night. Catch up on the Reserves/Premier REPLAYS.