The 2026 GDFNL A Grade netball competition will come to an end for seven teams this weekend with Round 18 being the final round of regular games before finals.
Whilst the top five isn’t completely finalised yet, Round 18 will determine whether Thomson or Belmont Lions will feature in finals.
To kick off Round 18, Werribee Centrals will take on East Geelong who currently sit in second place and are hoping to secure their position in the first qualifying final.
Werribee Centrals have displayed some impressive netball this season despite sitting in ninth place, defeating the Belmont Lions in Round 16 by four goals.
“The Belmont win was the proudest moment for me, they’ve proved that they could do that all year, and they get so close every week,” Werribee Centrals 350-game player and A grade netball coach Nicole Weatherley said.
While East Geelong and the Werribee Centrals will have very different endings to their seasons, both sides will be hoping to finish off the regular season with a strong win.
“We would love to get away with a win, but it is going to be a tough game. East Geelong are always a strong opponent,” Werribee Centrals A grade netball player Julia Nash said.
Another intense matchup in Round 18 will be between Bannockburn and Corio, as Bannockburn look to redeem themselves after some losses in recent rounds.
Bannockburn were leading the competition in first place for quite some time before dropping down to third after losing to Inverleigh, East Geelong and Belmont Lions.
On the other hand, Corio will finish the season in eighth place but have had some exciting wins against top sides in the competition recently.
With the help of strong players like Sarah Kasparian, who was leading the MVP leaderboard after Round 15, the Devils managed to secure three consecutive wins and defeated Thomson by 14 goals.
Bannockburn will be eager to get a strong win before heading into finals whilst Corio continue to show improvement and promising signs for next season.
Up next in Round 18, Bell Post Hill will face the reigning premiers in the Belmont Lions who just missed out on making finals after their six-goal loss to Thomson last weekend.
Bell Post Hill will be approaching this game with confidence since securing a thrilling one goal win against the Werribee Centrals in Round 17.
For the Belmont Lions, this round will give them the chance to finish the season with one final win after a disappointing end to their chase for a back-to-back premiership.
The team to end the Belmont Lions’ finals hopes was Thomson who will face Anakie in Round 18 before progressing into yet another finals series.
Thomson just snuck into the top five after Round 17 and will be looking to redeem themselves after their two-goal loss in last year’s grand final as minor premiers.
Anakie has had a challenging season with only three wins and sit in tenth place, though they will be coming off a strong 48-goal win against the Geelong West Giants last round.
To conclude the final round of netball before finals, North Geelong will take on Inverleigh who sit on top of the ladder and will likely progress into the second qualifying final.
The winless Geelong West Giants will face Winchelsea who sit in fourth place on the ladder and are hoping for one final win before heading into the chase for the premiership cup.
