CASTERTON Sandford will take six teams – four netball and two football – into Western Border finals after celebrating a big round 16 of the home and away season at Island Park.

On the courts, the 15 & Under A side produced what was, arguably, the entire competition’s nail-biter of the season.

With four wins apiece and on equal points going into the final round, the home side held the magic number four spot on the ladder by percentage only over East Gambier and Saturday’s match was set to be a true Cat and Dog fight for a place in the finals.

After a successful premiership campaign in the B division in 2021, the Cats have put in the hard yards this season and Saturday was no different.

With only one player in reserve on the bench, the Cats made their mark in the first quarter, Indi Longhurst at centre and Brydie Carlin at wing attack presenting plenty of opportunities for the goalers and Chelsea Hulm absolutely deadly at goal attack, shooting 100 per cent of her eight attempts.

Wing defence Matilda Thompson and Sarah Richardson at goal defence restricted East’s access to its own goalers and with pressure from Amy Crauford at keeper, saw the Cats leading, 11 to six, at the first break.

The Bulldogs found their pace in the second and third terms, outscoring the Cats by four and three goals, respectively; East goal attack, Millie Button, doing most of the damage, shooting four from four in the third.

At the final break, the home side found itself two goals shy of keeping its finals hopes alive and the Casterton Sandford support crew was on the edge of its seats in the last, as the Dogs made quick work of extending the lead to four goals.

But with their entire season on the line and fresh legs in Caitlyn Gorman at wing defence, the home team girls dug deep, cutting off supply to East’s attacking end, while shooter Olivia Nolte and partner-in-goals Hulm, kept the Cats’ score ticking over, drawing the match and securing their spot in the top four.

Netball president, Tracie Layley said the netball representation in this year’s finals was “outstanding” and Saturday’s 15 & Under match could not have seen a more exciting lead into the semis.

“(The Cats) were looking down the barrel, East looked like they were going to take it, but our girls just really put it together and with their whole year on the line, they played well above their age group, really impressed with the standard of play and commitment they showed,” she said.

With coach Renae Newell and her 13 & Under B finishing in second place on the ladder, they’ve earned a week’s break before heading to the second semi-final next weekend at McDonald Park.

Joining the 15s this week at Malseed Park will be the Casterton Sandford B Graders - whose finals run was secured well before the season ended - and the Cats’ 17 & Under team.

With Ivy Lane, Chloe Foster, Makayla Hutchins and Phoebe Carlin making their debuts with the Cats A Grade side this season and Ebany Jarrad and Caeleigh Humphries already seasoned senior players, the 17s have developed into a well-oiled machine in 2022 and at the weekend, notched up a 75 to 24 win over the East Gambier Bulldogs.

“This group of girls is really unique - they’ve beaten every team in the competition at least once, including Millicent and South Gambier, the two teams above them on the ladder,” Layley said.

“They’ve turned up every week, a lot often doubling up playing in A Grade or in A Reserve and in the 17s.

“The result at the weekend was fantastic; there’s many times in the past where, with that score, we would have been on the receiving end of the loss.

“Heading over into the A Grade, that playing experience has given them twice as much confidence, a unique confidence and positivity about their game.”

Layley also commended coach Jodie Humphries, who took on the mammoth dual task of coaching the top senior side and the 17 & Under team, this year.

“With Jodie’s experience and her ability to guide the girls in that move between the 17s and the A Grade side … and taking (daughter, Caeleigh) to representative competitions, watching and being part of it, there was the opportunity for her to be up to date on drills, bring back that knowledge of what other coaches are saying and doing and share that with these girls … she’s just been phenomenal,” Layley said.

And while the young A Grade Cats were unable to notch up a win this season, Saturday’s match against East Gambier proved they’re on track to be a competitive force in 2023.

While the damage was done in the first quarter, with Bulldog Amryn Bosko shooting nine from 11 and pushing East to a 14-goal lead, the Cats recovered well and wrestled back control, winning the second term.

The home side remained strong in the second half, turning the match into a low-scoring, defensive affair.

Though the Cats had only posted 23 goals at the final whistle – the same score recorded against the Dogs in round 13 – they had denied East an additional 15 goals, reducing what had been 38-plus margins throughout the season, to just 24 goals.