The Netball NSW 17U & 19U State Teams returned home after a successful week at the Australian National Netball Championships in Darwin.
With the 17U winning a silver medal and the 19U claiming bronze, the results cap off months of hard work and dedication from the athletes and the support staff.
The gold medal match for the 17U was against the undefeated QLD team.
There was a mix of nerves, excitement and determination as the 17U took the court for the Gold Medal match. The team started strong and their full court defence was outstanding in applying pressure over every pass and forcing turnovers which put them in front 11-8 at the end of the first quarter.
However the Queenslanders started to pull back the lead with some great defensive pressure in the 2nd Quarter to lock the scores at 20-20 at half time.
The game was a physical contest but QLD were in the lead by 2 goals at 3/4 time. In the final quarter NSW left nothing on court but unfortunately the Queenslanders came away with the win by 2 goals, 40-42.
"A silver medal for our 17U is a fantastic achievement after a grueling week of competition and a wonderful reward for all their hard work," said Mardi Aplin, General Manager – Performance & Pathways.
The NSW 19U State Team took on Victoria in the bronze medal match of their competition.
Both teams came out strong and it was goal for goal most of the first quarter, but Victoria led by 2 at the first break.
The 2nd quarter was much the same and NSW's defensive unit was relentless trying to create turnovers, however Victoria pushed the lead out by 3 at half-time, 19-21.
Going into the 3rd quarter NSW made some positional changes and they were able to win that period by 1 goal to leave just 3 between the sides at the last break.
The stadium was electric and NSW were able to create some turnovers and the shooters were able to capitalise which drew the scores with a few minutes to go. The bench was on their feet, the coaches on the edge of their seats and the crowd were cheering the girls home to win the final quarter 10-6 and take out the bronze medal by 1 goal 37-36.
It was a fantastic way to finish the Nationals for the 19U team.
For full results of Australian National Netball Championships National Netball Championships - Netball Australia
