Goal attack Kendal Dodd took out the Bundaberg Netball Association Warren Family Homes Division 1 Premiership Player of the Grand Final as Waves Gold completed a perfect unbeaten season and back-to-back titles with a dominant 60-28 victory over Brothers Hurricanes.
But in a galaxy of stars, fellow teenage Goal Shooter Jamaya Bentley was also absolutely outstanding, landing a massive 41 shots and rarely missing.
Brothers Hurricanes tried hard throughout but Waves were pure Gold and were in a league of their own.
They came out all guns blazing and were ruthless and clinical across the court throughout, putting their stamp on the game with a 19-3 first quarter, and never relenting, increasing their lead in every term.
They were brilliantly led by Captain and Goalkeeper Bree Simpson, whom long serving club champion coach Sandy Baker said was the oldest player in the side, aged 30.
Eighteen-year-old Kendal, one of the youngest in the side, notched their other 19 goals and Sandy said while she got the Match award, all their eight players stood tall.
“Wing Attack Hazel Mauga had a wonderful game too in her first year with Gold, and Centre Riley Dallas was also great,” Sandy said.
“We only had one on the bench after Goal Attack Taylor Crossley was ruled out injured just before the semis, which made it hard, but it made no difference.”
Sandy was proud that the bulk of the team have come all the way through the club’s junior ranks.
Six players were also part of their premiership side in the previous season of 2019 (2020 was cancelled due to Covid-19), Kendal, Jamaya, Bree, Riley, Goal Defence Brooke Land, and Wing Defence Grace Whaleboat, with 18-year-old Goalkeeper Yvette Land joining her sister Brooke in the team in 2021, along with Hazel.
Sandy, who co-founded the club with Sharyn Batt in 1998 and has been a huge part of their amazing success story throughout its history, including as a player/coach in their six premierships in a row from 2001-07, rates this team “up there with (their) best ever”.
“We’ve basically always been in the final and we’ve won quite a few, but this is certainly the fastest team we have ever had – their speed and control are amazing – they know when to run and are very hard to defend against especially with our centre court of Riley, Hazel and Grace,” she said.
“And they are so skilled – they train hard, and their skill level is high – we also work a lot on defensive skills and play a controlled game with nothing erratic, and they are great to watch.”
Brooke Land took out the BNA Division 1 Defender of the Year award, but Brothers’ Jasmine Gill was the D1 Attacker of the Year.
Kaylah Parker, of Natives, was also rewarded for an outstanding season when she was crowned as the BNA Division Player of the Year, while Hazel Mauga was the Open CPL Representative Player of the Year.
Sharyn Batt has also remained very heavily involved in the Blue and Gold army and she led her Division 2 Red side to another premiership as Player/Coach with a 51-34 victory over the Waves Purple, for which her daughter Taleigha is Player/Coach.
Waves also claimed the Division 6 title in an intra-club grand finale, while Brothers were the most successful club in the grand finals, winning four, in Divisions 3, 4, 8 and 11, Fusion picked up the Division 9-10 double, and Natives and Alloway got their hands on one each, in Divisions 5 and 7 respectively.
Netball honours list
Grand final awards:
- Division 1: Winner – Waves Gold, Runner up: Brothers Hurricanes, Player of the Final – Kendal Dodd.
- Division 2: Winner – Waves Red, Runner Up – Waves Purple, Player of the Final – Megan Warren.
- Division 3: Winner – Brothers Thunder, Runner Up – Waves Royals, Player of the Final – Keiarna Seymour.
- Division 4: Winner – Brothers Twisters, Runner Up – Natives Parrots, Player of the Final – Georgie Stephenson.
- Division 5: Winner – Natives Firebirds, Runner Up – Natives Kookaburras, Player of the Final – Lily Prada Tiger (Firebirds).
- Division 6: Winner – Waves Sapphires, Runner Up – Waves Silver, Player of the Final – Carlie Tweedie.
- Division 7: Winner – Alloway Aqua, Runner Up – Brothers Wildfire, Player of the Final – Chloe Howden.
- Division 8: Winner – Brothers Typhoons, Runner Up – Alloway Emeralds, Player of the Final – Felicity Avery.
- Division 9: Winner – Fusion Sandhills, Runner Up – Natives Kingfishers, Player of the Final – Tenae Baigrie.
- Division 10: Winner – Fusion Force, Runner Up – Waves Teal, Player of the Final – Zoey Kelly.
- Division 11: Winner – Brothers Avalanches, Runner up – Alloway Lavender, Player of the Final – Luca Palmer.
Sportsperson Players of the Year: School Girls – Ashlee McLean (Waves), Junior – Georgie Stephenson (Brothers), Intermediate – Baily Grigg (Alloway), Senior – Kaylah Parker (Natives), Association – Emily Atkinson (Waves).
Goal Shooting Awards: Junior Individual – Tanika Harfiel 80%(Alloway), Senior Individual – Rebecca Hill 80% (Waves), Junior Team – Alloway Maroon 69%, Senior Team – Waves Gold 72%
School Girls Team Goaling Aggregate – Fusion Force 407 goals
Rep Players of the Year: 11 Years – Matilda Olsen (Brothers), 12 Years – Lily Prada-Tiger (Natives), 13 Years – Sienna Davis (Brothers), 14 Years – Georgie Aslett (Waves), 15 Years – Amber Meech (Waves), 17 CPL – Macey Egan (Waves), Open CPL – Hazel Mauga (Waves).
Encouragement & Most Improved: Div 11 – Most Improved – Sophie Vaniren (Alloway), Div 11 – Encouragement – Kyja Taylor (Natives). Div 10 – Most Improved – Ella O'Brien (Brothers), Div 10 – Encouragement – Azarli Tulk (Fusion).
Players of the Season: Div 11 – Michaela Toby (Natives), Div 10 – Rakaia Kaye (Fusion), Div 9 – Talia Roberts (Natives), Div 8 – Mia Porter (Fusion), Div 7 – Olivia Klowss (Brothers), Div 6 – Emily Atkinson (Waves), Div 5 – Isabelle Macgillivray (Natives), Div 4 – Georgie Stephenson (Brothers), Div 3 – Lara Karsikas (Natives), Div 2 – Bailey Grigg (Alloway), Div 1 – Kaylah Parker (Natives).
Defender of the Year: Div 11 – Scarlett Crawford (Alloway), Div 10 – Khloe Kaufusi (Waves), Div 9 – Charlie Gear (Fusion), Div 8 – Erin Kitchen (Alloway), Div 7 – Bronte Brooke Meyers (Natives), Div 6 – Tammy Garland (Fusion), Div 5 – Nikita Clarey (Natives), Div 4 – Kendall Ace (Brothers), Div 3 – Georgie Aslett (Waves), Div 2 – Casey Steemson (Natives), Div 1 – Brooke Land (Waves).
Attacker of the Year: Div 11 – Stevey Mae Harney (Brothers), Div 10 – Zoey Kelly (Fusion), Div 9 – Tenne Baigrie (Natives), Div 8 – Indianna Rumsey (Waves), Div 7 – Lily Allen (Brothers), Div 6 – Lauren Williams (Natives), Div 5 – Ella Johnson (Waves), Div 4 – Avah McNamara (Brothers), Div 3 – Rylee Lavaring (Brothers), Div 2 – Isabella Gill (Brothers), Div 1 – Jasmine Gill (Brothers).
Special Awards: Service to Netball Award: Mel Stack – Natives. Wan Man Trophy: Lily Crossett – Alloway. Rookie of the Year: Sophie Moore – Natives. Norris Junior Umpiring Award: Shahni Hassell – Brothers.
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