QUIRINDI shot their way to back-to-back Northern Inland Regional State League Division 1 titles at the Tamworth Sports Dome on Sunday.
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After brushing aside Narrabri 70-34 in their semi-final the defending champions accounted for Armidale in the final 65-46 to cap off an undefeated campaign.
Gunnedah claimed the Division 2 spoils, beating Tamworth 64-42 in their semi-final and then Group 14 56-39.
Group 14 had ended Quirindi's hopes of having both sides reach the final with a 54-46 semi-final win.
The Quirindi 1s were in top form with “everything” working well, captain Renee Dixon said.
“The defence, the attack, it all just flowed,” she said.
The defence particularly was strong.
“We got a lot of touches and a lot of pick-ups,” Dixon said.
She said goalkeeper Sherrie Griffiths played well as did Bromley Nankivell in the centres, but found it hard to single out players with everyone doing a superb job.
They will now go to the State Championships on September 24 and 25 where they will take on the regional winners from across the state and teams from Sydney.
Gunnedah's Division 2 success came after a couple of years absence from the league and was a “fantastic effort", coach Maryanne Perkins said.
She couldn't have been prouder of her young and talented team.
I'm super proud of them. All but two are 15 or 16
- Gunnedah coach Maryanne Perkins
“I'm super proud of them,” Perkins said.
“All but two are 15 or 16.”
Only two of the side too had played in the regional league before.
“They've improved so much over the last six weeks,” she said.
“Defensively they've really stepped up.”
She also noted that one of their shooters in the final shot at over 90 per cent. Perkins admittedly going into round one wasn't sure how they would go after just managing to cobble together a side.
“We started out with five,” Perkins said. “We did a bit of a ring around and got eight.”
They were fortunately able to rope in a couple of players from outside the association to give them enough.
Despite the 15+ point margins in the semi-final and final, both were tough games, she said.
Tamworth were level with them at half-time and Group 14 within three.
“We changed things up for the third quarter and it paid off,” Perkins said.
Knowing they couldn't compete with the experience and physicality of their mostly older opponents they asked them to use their speed and skill, which they did.
She said the competition is invaluable for the girls’ netball development.
“It's a really important competition for country kids,” she said. “It's what the city kids get week in week out.”