Daring to stand against the tide was the women of Noradjuha-Quantong, whose 2005 and 2008 flags stand out like blips on a radar.

In a row of thrilling encounters, the two sides faced off in four successive grand finals from 2005-2008, with the Bombers and the Kees sharing the honours.

"There was always a lot of passion in those games," recalled Zoe Heard, who played in the 2008 season decider after returning to her childhood club.

Known for her defence, Heard won the league Best & Fairest award in 2008 and 2009 as a goal shooter.

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"It's quite funny - I've played defence all my life and I managed to win the best and fairest when I was shooting," she remarked.

The 2005 premiership was the Bombers' first A-grade win since the merger of Noradjuha and Quantong in 1997, one that was earned the hard way.

A few weeks before the game, the two eventual grand finalists played out a tense clash in the second semi-final, with the Bombers as clear underdogs.

"It was a really tight game and I think everyone was starting to get quite nervous. We were just waiting for the whistle to blow," De-Anne Ferrier, Bomber co-coach in 2005 along with Antoinette Toet, said.

Noradjuha-Quantong came out of that game as unlikely winners, earning a grand final berth and a week off.

"We couldn't believe we'd made it to a grand final!" Ferrier said.

"We kept a lot of defensive pressure on Kalkee the whole game, and we started to notice unforced errors from their attacking lineup.

"Deb Lawson, who's probably the greatest goalscorer who has ever played in the local area, started to miss a couple of goals. We thought 'hello, we're in with a shot here!'."

The grand final two weeks later was equally tense, with Noradjuha-Quantong scraping past the Kees with a 41-39 victory.

"The stars just sort of aligned," Ferrier said.

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"It was a lucky day. Our trump card was Georgia Wilmore. She returned from Darwin and slotted into goal attack, which she hadn't played a lot of during the year.

"I think she got the first goal of the game and just nailed it. And from there on her confidence grew and grew. She led from the front and took it all in her stride.

"It was just something that we never really experienced before.

"Kalkee, for 20 years or more, just had a slick, dynamic team, great natural netball talent. They always recruited well to fill a spot"

Kalkee had won 19 A-grade Horsham District premierships before the turn of the century, including a long, unbroken run of 10 from 1984 to 1993.

"Knocking them off was pretty special, they were just such a great team," Ferrier said.

And as great teams do, Kalkee struck back in 2006 before winning again in 2007, defeating Noradjuha-Quantong in both season deciders.

In 2008, the teams lined up to play one another for the fourth year in a row.

"From memory, we had a really great team that year. They was solid right across the court and Zoe Heard was back in the team." Ferrier said.

There was a confidence-building in the rooms at Quanny.

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"Nerves were obviously there, but we really wanted to get one back," Heard said.

"We knew we had an edge that year. The final was played inside too, we were at [Coughlin Park], which was beneficial for us," said Heard.

"It was the first time a grand final was played indoors in the district league," recalled Ferrier, who didn't play but was an emergency during 2008 final.

According to Heard, playing indoors means players' skills are more on show, leading to a faster game with fewer errors.

"We had a few speedy guys in the team in [current Bombers A-grade coach] Fiona Rowe and Abbie Avery, so it suited us."

"It was a tough, physical match, but really well played. It was a great game," Heard recalled.

Being indoors also had another side effect on the game; the crowd was louder.

The Bombers had won three flags before the A-grade sides had even set foot on the court, taking home the B-grade, C-grade, and Under-17 titles.

"It was spectacular, that was such a great day," Heard recalled.

"All the teams worked really hard and everyone helped each other. In every grade, there was always someone else playing one time slot and coaching another, or umpiring another.

"Everyone really backed each other and stuck around to support each other. It was a fabulous year."

With four sides competing for premierships, support for the Bombers was high, and unlike Kalkee, whose senior football team was battling Laharum just outside, it was all focused on the netball.

"I remember the roar and the chanting...it was so loud and so exciting at the end of the match," Heard said.

"I think it helped us get over the line in the end."

Just like 2005, the game came down to the wire as the Bombers won by just six points, 43-37.

From a merger in 1997 to netball powerhouses, it was a long journey for Noradjuha-Quantong, and the rivalry with Kalkee was only a chapter in that story.

The Bombers' premierships in 2005 and 2008 stand proud in the history of both the club and the league.

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