THE Wimmera Netball Association under-17s representative side has fallen just shy of a grand final berth in a regional state league champion challenge.
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The team won the Central Highlands Regional State League premiership against Riddell District last month to go through to the challenge.
It travelled to Melbourne’s State Netball Hockey Centre on Sunday, pitting itself against other regional winners in an attempt to be the state’s best.
The Wimmera side took on Albury, Hampden and Gippsland as part of the challenge.
The side conceded the first seven goals in its match against Albury, but fought valiantly in the eventual 19-13 loss.
It turned things around against Hampden, beating the highly fancied south-west team 15-13.
The Wimmera team’s final match against Gippsland determined who would make a grand final appearance.
Locked at 10-apiece, the result was in the balance, but the Wimmera side eventually fell short by four goals.
Coach Gayle Leith said the girls exceeded their own expectations.
‘‘I don’t think we realised the level we were playing at. The intensity was really high but they did very well,’’ she said.
‘‘On the day, with all the pressure, we weren’t quite good enough.’’
Leith said the future of netball in the Wimmera was bright.
The under-17s side featured five 15-year-olds and three 14-year-olds.
‘‘A lot of the teams we played had top-age girls so for us to play the way we did was really good,’’ Leith said.
‘‘We had 11 girls so we made sure they all got on the court. It was good to go down and play at that level.
‘‘They surprised themselves.’’
Albury won the challenge premiership, beating Gippsland in the grand final.