A Grade Netball Finals - Week 2 Preview
Second Semi Final – Inverleigh v East Geelong
The first round of the 2026 GDFNL A grade netball finals was a thriller and saw East Geelong defeat Bannockburn and Winchelsea knock Thomson out of the premiership race.
This week in the second round of finals, Inverleigh will return from their break to face East Geelong in the second semi final which gives both teams a second chance regardless of the result.
Inverleigh will have utilised this past week to train and prepare for finals, making them a significant threat in the competition since finishing the season as minor premiers.
East Geelong managed to defeat Bannockburn by three goals in the first round of finals, proving that they have what it takes to compete with Inverleigh in what should be an exciting match.
The last time Inverleigh and East Geelong met was in Round 11 which resulted in a draw despite both teams and has been the only time they have played each other this season.
The winner of this matchup will progress straight into the grand final, whilst the loser will face either Winchelsea or Bannockburn in the preliminary final next week.
Player to watch: The player to watch during this game is Zoe Saunders from Inverleigh.
Saunders played for the Belmont Lions during their premiership win last season and has since joined Inverleigh for the 2026 season, hoping to win back-to-back premierships.
If Inverleigh manage to win the premiership, Saunders will become the first player to win consecutive A grade netball premierships since 2016.
Feel good story: Inverleigh also has the chance to make history during this finals series since the club is yet to secure an A grade netball premiership.
If Inverleigh can get the win over East Geelong this round, then they will get one step closer to achieving their premiership dreams and bringing the cup home for the first time.
Final Prediction: Inverleigh by 2 goals.
First Semi Final – Winchelsea v Bannockburn
After knocking Thomson out of finals, Winchelsea will take on Bannockburn in the semi-final game this round which will end the premiership hunt for the loser of this matchup.
Bannockburn were defeated by East Geelong in the first qualifying final by 3 goals, whilst Winchelsea were able to get the win over Thomson by 11 goals in the elimination final.
Bannockburn finished the regular season in third place from 14 wins and 4 losses, whilst Winchelsea finished just below them in fourth place from 13 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws.
Winchelsea haven’t lost a game since Round 13 against the Belmont Lions but drew to Inverleigh in round 16, making them a strong competitor in the premiership race.
Bannockburn were the team to beat early in the season, but lost three out of their five last games to Inverleigh, East Geelong, and the Belmont Lions.
The last time Bannockburn played against Winchelsea was back in round 10 which saw Bannockburn get the win by just 1 goal after leading for each of the four quarters.
With their finals hopes on the line, this matchup between Winchelsea and Bannockburn will determine which team has what it takes to be a strong premiership contender.
Player to watch: The player to watch during this game is Grace Pullen from Winchelsea.
Pullen scored 26 of the 43 goals scored by Winchelsea in their win against Thomson last weekend, proving to be a strong attacker for the Bannockburn defence to look out for.
Pullen is a co-captain for Winchelsea and was originally selected to play in the 2026 Interleague side, but was ruled out last minute due to injury.
Since returning to the netball court in round 14, Pullen has scored 64 goals across 5 games and is showing no signs of slowing down in finals.
Feel good story: After suffering a scary head injury during the first qualifying final, Sharon Ford from Bannockburn is hoping to make her return to the netball court this weekend.
After being was removed from the game in the fourth quarter and sent straight to hospital, Ford has been focusing on her recovering and is waiting for the all clear from her doctor.
As the captain of Bannockburn’s A grade netball side, Ford is a competitive and experienced player who could be the difference of whether Bannockburn get the win against Winchelsea.
Final Prediction: Winchelsea by 5 goals.
