It was a season of streaks for Skipton and when it came to the final rounds, it was in the midst of a losing one, leading to the Emus missing finals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A 2-0 start to the season was followed by three consecutive losses.
From there, Skipton went 3-3 and missed the top eight by 4.55 per cent of games won to Gordon and Dunnstown.
READ MORE SPORT:
Some hard luck fell the Emus' way.
Even with three separate lockdowns and five rounds missed, they still had to play each finalist once.
The only sides that didn't make finals that Skipton played were Creswick, Carngham-Linton and Waubra.
The other team to come close to that was Bungaree, who played seven of the eventual eight finalists.
Three other sides faced six, seven played five and four played four.
In the end, Skipton's finals hopes rested on the round 17 fixture.
It had to beat minor premiers Buninyong or, if it lost to the Bombers, hope that Dunnstown lost to Carngham-Linton.
The Emus went down to Buninyong and Dunnstown was victorious, thus ending Skipton's finals hopes.
Emus coach Lauren Williams acknowledged the tough fixture but praised her group for how they attacked it.
"Missing out on the finals knowing those games (we missed), we felt that pretty hard," she said.
"Overall, the girls did amazing considering what we got thrown and I'm definitely very happy with where we've come for the season, how we've ended up."
The 5-6 record is a big improvement on the Emus' 2019 season, especially considering the tough schedule they faced.
2019 saw them finish 12th on the ladder with a 5-11 record and percentage of 70.62.
This season, Skipton has matched that win total in five less games and has improved its percentage to 84.82.
Williams said the improvement from where the senior sides were in 2019 was a win for the season.
"Considering where the teams were placed a couple of years ago before I came on board, definitely been an improvement from Skipton," she said.
"A bit challenging though with all the lockdowns and can't train, can't play, then you can play again, it's been very challenging, that's for sure."
Williams said captain Shannon Palmer is expected to return next season from a ruptured Achilles suffered in round two.
Williams is also hopeful of returning to the court.
She wants to add a defender or a shooter in the off-season once discussions with the current squad have finished.
Record: 5-6, 45.45 per cent games won, 84.82 traditional percentage
Ladder position: Ninth
Season:
Round one: defeated Gordon 39-38
Round two: defeated Dunnstown 40-32
Round three: defeated by Beaufort 33-39
Round four: defeated by Hepburn 22-66
Round five: defeated by Rokewood-Corindhap 34-48
Round six: defeated Creswick 47-32
Round nine: defeated by Learmonth 48-61
Round 10: bye
Round 11: defeated Carngham-Linton 55-11
Round 12: defeated Waubra 45-28
Round 15: defeated by Springbank 30-56
Round 17: defeated by Buninyong 18-57
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
Ollie Nash
A keen sports follower covering the Central Highlands Football and Netball League's and the wider sports scene in Ballarat. Get in touch at ollie.nash@thecourier.com.au.
A keen sports follower covering the Central Highlands Football and Netball League's and the wider sports scene in Ballarat. Get in touch at ollie.nash@thecourier.com.au.
