North Ballarat City will play-off for a second straight premiership after dispatching Sunbury to set up an A-grade netball grand final rematch with East Point in the Ballarat Football Netball League.
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It took nothing short of the brilliant best from the defending premier to overcome the Lions in the preliminary final at the City Oval on Saturday.
After a disappointing performance in the second semi-final, North Ballarat head coach Annie McCartin said it was an amazing feeling to return to the decider.
"Just to be able to get into a grand final is great and here we are going for back-to-back," she said.
"We didn't play well last week and we were disappointed we had to play here today. But I said to the girls if you can get through today you will be rewarded next week."
A combined effort at both ends of the court was needed against a Lions outfit desperate to avoid elimination heartbreak a second-straight year. Nerves gripped both teams early in the match before North edged ahead to take a narrow lead into the main break.
The intensity lifted in the third as Sunbury looked to mount a comeback. City remained sharp through the midcourt, while the Lions' shooting tandem led by Shelby Holter kept the deficit manageable. A key turnover at the tail end of the third swung the momentum in North's favour, laying the platform for it to take a six-goal lead into the final break.
Desperation ensued in the final term with Sunbury forcing multiple turnovers to cut the lead to two goals. But pressure shooting from Maddy Selmon and Poppy Douglass kept the Lions at bay as time expired.
"It was so nerve wracking, but we were calm and we did a great job to stand up to physical pressure," McCartin said afterwards.
McCartin lauded the third quarter effort from her team which she believed set the stage for the win.
"I reckon the tied turned at the end of the third," she said.
"I felt that the defenders were working hard but we weren't rewarding them with goals. So when we got three goals up, I felt it was a reward to them and the game turned in our favour."
The win sets up a grand final rematch with East Point which fell to North Ballarat by eight goals in 2018.
North Ballarat veteran wing attack Gina McCartin praised the effort of her teammates, six of which are under the age of 21.
