METRO FINAL

WESTERN JETS 4.5 (29)
EASTERN RANGES 2.4 (16)

THE Western Jets stretched their winning run to nine and moved into their first NAB League Girls Grand Final with a tough 13-point win over Eastern Ranges in a low-scoring struggle at La Trobe University on Friday night.

The Jets had beaten the Ranges in the final round to take top spot in the Metro Division and backed it up with an all-the-way win that will give them great confidence ahead of the decider in the same timeslot against Dandenong Stingrays at Avalon Airport Oval this Friday night.

Western held Eastern scoreless in the first and third quarters, making their move in the third with two goals to open a 21-point lead at the last change, a margin that was far too big despite failing to score in the last term themselves.

Montana Ham was best-on-ground for the Jets, dominating the midfield with 29 disposals, four marks, nine tackles and seven inside-50s, while Charlotte Baskaran filled the sidekick role this time with 21 and seven tackles and Paige Ryan (18 disposals, six tackles), Lou-Lou Field (18, five tackles), leading goalkicker Caitlin Sargent (two goals), Laura Elliott (six marks) and Stephanie Asciak (11 tackles) were also important.

The Ranges sorely missed their best player Bridget Deed on Hawthorn duties in the second half of the season and weren’t able to cover the young star’s absence despite excellent performances from Izzy Khoury (24 disposals, 10 tackles) and Mia Busch (19, five marks, eight tackles) and the best efforts of Matilda Hardy (five marks) and Ava Campbell (six rebound-50s).

COUNTRY FINAL

DANDENONG STINGRAYS 7.7 (49)
GEELONG FALCONS 3.14 (32)

DANDENONG will meet the Jets in the Grand Final after Geelong kicked itself out of an upset in losing the Country Division Final by 17 points at Skybus Stadium on Saturday.

The Stingrays, who will be chasing an undefeated season on Friday night, were always in control as the Falcons failed to take their chances.

Trailing by 13 at quarter-time, the Falcons kicked 1.6 to 2.0 in the second quarter and found themselves having to chase down a 31-point gap in the last term after failing to score in the third, and while they gave it a good crack, they could only manage 1.8 to 0.0, missing their last seven shots.

But Dandenong has been the best team all year and built their lead on the back of best-on-ground Amber Clarke, who had 19 disposals and a goal, while Mackenzie Eardley made life near impossible for the Geelong forwards with 19, six tackles and nine rebound-50s, Jaide Anthony laid five tackles and kicked two goals, Felicity Crank stuck 10 tackles and Olivia Robinson eight and Bianca Lyne (19 hitouts) controlled the taps.

The Falcons had plenty of winners too, with ruck Keeley Hardingham (25 disposals, 12 hitouts) doing her best work around the ground, Sara Howley (20, five marks), Lizzie Dowling (19, seven tackles) and Kara Stacey (21) earning plenty of touches and Mekah Morrissy (18, five marks, five inside-50s) having her best game of the year, but Charlotte Simpson was the best of them all with 22 possessions, six marks, eight tackles and five inside-50s.

REPECHAGE MATCHES

GIPPSLAND POWER 4.6 (30)
MURRAY BUSHRANGERS 2.7 (19)

GIPPSLAND finally broke through for its first win of the season after charging over the top of Murray by 11 points at La Trobe University on Saturday.

The Power threatened to claim a win a couple of times when they built big leads only to be run down but found chasing to the tonic as they kicked 3.1 to 0.3 in the last quarter to overturn a five-point deficit.

Ella Stoddart positioned herself as one to watch with a stunning 35-disposal game that also produced six marks, five tackles, six inside-50s and 10 rebounds, only blotting a perfect copybook by kicking 0.4.

Alisha Molesworth (28 possessions, six marks, eight tackles, one goal), Sunday Brisbane (27), Alexei Guy-Toogood (24, seven rebounds) and Molesworth’s twin sister Elise (19) all had their best games of the season in the win.

Keeley Skepper was dominant for Murray in the absence of stars Zarlie Goldsworthy and Zara Hamilton, winning 31 disposals, laying 11 tackles and having 11 inside-50s and seven rebounds, while Ellie Hall (21, 11 tackles) and Destiny Dodd (20, nine tackles, five inside-50s) stepped into the breach and Kloe McElhinney (six rebounds) and Isabelle Klein (seven tackles) also did well.

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 8.10 (58)
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 3.5 (23)

SANDRINGHAM ran away from Oakleigh after quarter-time, kicking seven goals to two to win by 35 points at RSEA Park on Sunday.

The Dragons answered the Chargers’ opening goal quickly and never looked back as Keely Coyne (34 disposals, four marks) had her own football, Sofia Hurley (28, four marks, six inside-50s, two goals) and Mia Zielinski (26, seven marks, six inside-50s, two goals) had days out and Annabelle Embelton (eight tackles, six rebounds) and Kera Galaminda (two goals) played strong roles.

Oakleigh had an even spread, with nine players winning between 11 and 15 disposals led by Amelie Smith (15), while Grace Osborne (eight tackles), Rianna Thiele (seven) and Jamie Piperkos (nine rebounds) also did well.

CALDER CANNONS 7.7 (49)
NORTHERN KNIGHTS 6.2 (38)

CALDER only missed the Metro Final on percentage but had to fight off a late challenge from division bottom team Northern Knights to win by 11 points at Highgate on Thursday night.

The Cannons led by 29 points midway through the last quarter before the Knights kicked the last three goals to walk off with their heads held high.

Amy Gaylor was excellent for Calder with 33 disposals, five marks and a goal, with support coming from Heidi Woodley (25, six tackles, five inside-50s, one goal), Reese Sutton (24, eight tackles), Kayley Kavanagh (22), Kyla Forbes (20), Chloe Baker-West (11 tackles) and Mikaela Crewes (eight tackles), while Lara Churchill kicked three goals in a remarkable debut.

Suwindi Buckley completed a fine season for Northern with 20 touches and 12 tackles and gun mid Ava Jordan returned to the team with 19, five tackles and a goal, while Brooke Plummer (18, five rebounds), Lauren Jatczak (15, 27 hitouts) and Isabella Parnell (two goals) also stood out.

BENDIGO PIONEERS 1.6 (12)
GWV REBELS 6.11 (47)

GWV backed up last week’s upset win over Sandringham by brushing Bendigo aside by 35 points at Queen Elizabeth Oval on Saturday.

After the Pioneers kicked the only goal of the opening term, it was all one-way traffic for the Rebels as they conceded only four more behinds for the game, with Molly Walton (27, four marks, eight tackles, six inside-50s) putting together a best-on-ground effort and Lilli Condon (24, six tackles, five inside-50s), Paige Scott (23, five marks), Laila Lappin (21, 10 hitouts, eight inside-50s) and Madeleine Seebeck (14, nine tackles, seven rebounds) not far behind.

Drew Ryan was Bendigo’s best in defence with 23 possessions, seven marks, five tackles and seven rebounds, while Nadia Peebles (17, four marks, six inside-50s, one goal), Scarlett Orritt (17, nine tackles) and Octavia Di Donato (17, four marks, seven tackles) were strong further up the ground and Arkie Donnelly (10 tackles), Shaleah Cooper (eight), Ava Zadow (seven) and Alexis Gregor (six rebounds) tried hard.

TASMANIA DEVILS bye

THIS WEEK

GRAND FINAL: Friday, April 1: Dandenong Stingrays v Western Jets (Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee, 7.10pm).

(All games are streamed live on the NAB League app except for the Herald Sun game, which is on that website).

LEADING GOALKICKERS

19: Caitlin Sargent (Western Jets) 2
17: Mindy Quade (Murray Bushrangers) 0
16: Amber Clarke (Dandenong Stingrays) 1
15: Bellah Parker (Tasmania Devils) 0
14: Lizzie Dowling (Geelong Falcons) 0
14: Zarlie Goldsworthy (Murray Bushrangers) 0
13: Georgia Clark (Tasmania Devils) 0
13: Analea McKee (Geelong Falcons) 1
13: Mia Zielinski (Sandringham Dragons) 2
10: Alyssia Pisano (Eastern Ranges) 0
10: Kristen Smith (Oakleigh Chargers) 1
10: Georgia Wilson (Eastern Ranges) 0

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL