Live stream: Watch the Tasmanian Netball League grand finals

Cavaliers couldn’t repeat their TNL semi-final heroics as Ellie Marshall and the Northern Hawks reigned supreme. But it wasn’t all bad news for the Cavs. Relive all the action from a big day, starting with the talking points out of the games, and the season.

The Tasmanian Netball has run its course for another year with the Northern Hawks retaining their opens title and the Cavaliers ensuring the under-19 trophy also resides in Launceston.

Here’s five things we learned from the season, and what the future might hold.

SOUTHERN CLUBS MUST STRIVE TO EMULATE THE NORTH

After the Hawks 71-57 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday, the two Launceston clubs have won the past six opens premierships combined.

It’s a great reflection of the health of the sport in the state’s north, and a brand new northern netball hub is due to be completed in mid-2025 to help curb a critical court shortage.

But while the northern clubs have continually set the bar high, changes could be on the way for the south as they look to bridge that gap.

Netball Tasmania boss Mitch Coulson said late last month they would be “open to initiating conversations” about the possibility of southern clubs amalgamating.

Coulson said clubs “could be stronger together than as individuals”. The Arrows and newcomers South-East Suns in particular have endured some tough beatings against the league’s pacesetters. It’s a case of watch this space once the current TNL club licenses expire at the end of the 2024 season.

YOUNG TASSIE TALENT ON THE RISE

Netball looks to be in rude health through the development systems, with the unbeaten Cavaliers and Cripps Waratah putting on a quality spectacle in the under-19 grand final.

It showed the pathways are producing the goods and that only can be beneficial to the state’s hopes of eventually grabbing a Super Netball license.

In the opens, 17-year-old Ellie Marshall was named player of the match after a star display at WD.

Marshall, along with Cavaliers under-19 defender Paige O’Neill, recently attended the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra as part of an under-19 Australian training squad.

Marshall said her grand final display, and being earmarked to join the camp, had boosted her self belief.

“The camp was great. I learned so much about playing centre and wing-defence, especially the game we played against New Zealand.

“It gives me motivation to keep working harder and keep bettering myself.”

“Transitioning into a centre player (has been my biggest improvement).”

Cavliers centre and U19 grand final MVP Ava Lockwood-Roden with her medal and the premiership trophy at Launceston's Silverdome after defeating Cripps. Picture: PATRICK GEE/SUPPLIED

HAWKS’ COMPOSURE GETS IT DONE

The Hawks hadn’t been beaten since the 2021 grand final – before the Cavaliers ended that streak in this year’s qualifying final.

The Cavs also burst out of the blocks well in the grand final, establishing a four-goal lead during the first quarter.

However the Hawks moved to with a goal at quarter time, and dominated the next two quarters to build an 11-goal buffer.

“You’ve got to keep your nerve (against the Cavaliers), for us it’s playing our style of netball which is really patient and smart in attack,” coach Alicia Sargent said.

“In defence we were united and made sure everyone was in sync.

“The pressure was on when they came at us early, but we had to find ourselves and stick to our game.”

TASSIE CAN SUSTAIN A SUPER NETBALL TEAM

There’s no doubt Tasmania has the netball talent and support to sustain a Super Netball team, as long as enough corporate backing can be found.

After Collingwood’s demise, Tasmania flagged its interest in possibly throwing its hat into the ring to replace them next season.

However they ultimately decided to keep their powder dry and wait for another opportunity, which feels like a wise decision.

While it might be tough now to let a chance now go through to the keeper, the fact was it would only have given the franchise a few months to get its ducks in a row.

The focus should be to make sure everything needed for long term sustainability is in place before launching a proper crack at a license.

A sellout crowd watched the Magpies’ last-ever game at the Silverdome.

“We’re excited about the possibility of joining the elite tier and I think we’ve got a unique case to get a whole state behind one team, state league competition manager Kirstin Palfrey said.

“We want to make sure we have a sustainable model that would set us up well into the future, not just the next few years.”

DID WE TAKE YOUR PIC?

A picture gallery of the action from the under-19 and open grand finals can be found HERE.

OPEN GRAND FINAL REVIEW

Ellie Marshall jumped ship from the Cavaliers to the Northern Hawks in search of a chance at open level – and it has certainly paid off.

The 17-year-old was named player of the match after her efforts at wing-defence helped spearhead a brilliant Hawks display in Saturday’s 71-57 TNL grand final win over Launceston rivals, the Cavaliers, at the Silverdome.

Marshall, who also recently travelled to the Australian Institute of Sport as part of an under-19 Australian squad, went to Hawks to test herself and step up from under-19s.

The decision came up dividends as the Tasmanian under-17 captain enjoyed a grand final win with the medal around her neck.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE

Tasmanian Netball League grand final – Cavaliers v Cripps (19 and Under)

Led by a player of the match display from skipper Eva Lockwood in centre court and a hugely influential game from defender Paige O’Neill, the Cavaliers withstood multiple surges Cripps Waratah to win the TNL U19 grand final.

Scores were level at quarter time and halftime after Waratah closed each term well, but a surge either side of three quarter time ultimately proved decisive for Cavaliers.

Cavs coach Lynda Colgrave admitted it was tough for the side to avoid dwelling on the pressure of entering the decider unbeaten, but said their composure was key.

“It’s relief I guess. We’ve had such a great season and I feel like we deserved to win but sometimes th, e team doesn’t always win on grand final day,” she said.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE

PREVIEW

It all comes down to this.

The Tasmanian Netball League champions will be decided on a massive grand final double header at Launceston’s Silverdome.

KommunityTV will be the place for TNL fans to watch the action with our live streams of the grand finals on The Mercury website. See the grand final schedule below.

The Hawks will be determined to win a second-straight Tasmanian Netball League premiership as the side enters it’s sixth-straight grand final.

But standing in their way is a Cavaliers team full of confidence chasing their third premiership in the past five years.

The Cavaliers put in a stirring semi-final performance to become the first team to knock off their grand final rivals in two years of TNL action.

Cavaliers young gun Olive Morris.

Hawks wing attack Kendall Jones.

The Hawks didn’t take long to react to the loss, putting on a clinic in the preliminary final to signal their lethal intentions ahead of the decider.

In the Under-19s grand final, an impeccable Cavaliers side will clash with a resurgent Cripps Waratah at 1.30pm.

It is a great battle between the best attacking side in the competition, against the toughest defensive unit.

The Cavaliers, who finished the season undefeated, outscored their nearest rival, Cripps, by 200 goals across the year, with the sizzling Sophie Brewer leading their attack.

Cripps, who’s only losses this season came to the Cavaliers, conceded a miserly 403 goals this season at an average of less than 29 per game.

The grand final action begins from 1.30pm, Saturday.

Originally published as Live stream: Watch the Tasmanian Netball League grand finals