Entering the Horsham District league A Grade netball finals, coaches of all five finals sides spoke of the perceived evenness of the 2025 competition.

That perception was borne out at the weekend as Kalkee beat Edenhope-Apsley in a one-goal thriller in Saturday’s qualifying final, while Noradjuha-Quantong ended Laharum’s title reign in a hard-fought elimination final on Sunday.

The Kees are now only one win from a grand final after holding their nerve in a nail-biting final quarter at Dock Lake Reserve, withstanding a fierce Edenhope-Apsley fightback to win 45-44.

Kalkee outplayed the Saints through the first three quarters, building a seven-goal lead at the final change as midcourter Millie McRae worked hard both ways, while Casey Rentsch and Jarrah Martin gave their side multiple avenues to goal.

Rentsch finished the match with 21 goals while Martin netted 24, standing in contrast to the Saints, who relied on Dee Dee Lambert, 35 goals, to provide the bulk of their scoring.

But while Kalkee looked to have built a match-winning lead, the Saints had not abandoned hope.

After a nervy start to the final quarter in which both sides missed shots and turned the ball over multiple times, it was Edenhope-Apsley that scored four of the first five goals.

On several occasions the Saints trimmed the deficit to two goals as defenders Danielle Grindlay and Olivia Spence worked tirelessly to turn the ball over and secure rebounds, but their team-mates were never able to find the killer blow.

With less than a minute remaining in the game, Lambert finally tied the scores, but Kalkee raced forward from the subsequent centre pass and found Martin under the ring. Martin’s initial shot missed, but an obstruction call on Grindlay gave the Kees another opportunity, and Rentsch stepped in for Martin to calmly convert the second attempt with only six seconds left, giving the Saints no time to respond.

Kalkee coach Paula Wiedermann was thrilled with her side’s first three quarters, as well as its ability to stand up to the final-quarter challenge.

“I think we were really disciplined in those first three quarters. We stuck to our structures, moved the ball quickly, and made sure we were patient when we needed to be,” she said.

“Defensively we applied a lot of pressure which created turnovers, and then we were able to capitalise going forward. It probably dropped away a bit in the last, but those first three quarters showed what we’re capable of. I think what got us over the line was our defensive pressure and a couple of crucial interceptions.”

Kalkee will now play minor premier Rupanyup in Saturday’s second semi-final – coincidentally at Kalkee Recreation Reserve – with a spot on the grand final up for grabs.

In the weekend’s other game, Noradjuha-Quantong took care of business against Laharum, downing the Demons 46-39 to end their premiership defence.

While Laharum was understrength, with goalie Maddie Iredell out and coach Rebecce McIntyre limited by an ankle injury, Noradjuha-Quantong co-coach Taylor Shelley was thrilled with the win.

“We don’t let anything get taken away from our win. We all turned up and played a really great team game,” she said.

“We had to adapt to some changes they made at half time and at the start of the third quarter, but after a few minutes we were able to do that and finish the game really strongly.”

Captain Brooke Pay was a welcome inclusion for the Bombers after missing their round 18 clash with Kalkee, helping shore up a sturdy defence, while goalie Taya Quick was on target with a game-high 33 conversions.

Shelley said while the Bombers’ task would not be any easier in Sunday’s must-win first semi-final against Edenhope-Apsley, her side’s performance at the weekend had shown it was capable of matching any team.

“This finals series is probably one of the closest across the top five that it has been in years,” she said.

“We’re all stoked to have another week in the finals. We look forward to playing Edenhope-Apsley. The key this weekend is definitely going to be shutting down their goalies. Between Lavinia and Dee Dee they have one of the strongest duos in the competition, so that will be the biggest task and if we can do that we’ll be ready to match up really well with them.”

The entire August 27, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire August 27, 2025 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!