By Lance Jenkinson
Point Cook executed close to a perfect grand final performance in a 47-13 win over Braybrook in the inaugural WRFL Netball season.
The Bulldogs hardly had a weak link as they dismantled the Bombers in a one-sided season decider at the VU Community Sports Stadium on Friday night to secure the premiership.
Elated Bulldogs netball co-ordinator and team manager Sam Pruscino said her charges had enjoyed “a pearler” of a game.
“We had everything working at both ends and our mid-court has been a strength all year,” she said.
Everything went so smoothly for Point Cook that coach Nicole Case and her assistant, Karlie Simons, did not call for reinforcement off the bench. The Bulldogs had 10 players named, but only seven saw any action. Pruscino was pleased with the reaction of the unused players.
“They were all players that helped get the girls to the grand final,” Pruscino said. “The three that didn’t get court time took it really well and were really supportive. They cheered, they supported.”
Best-on-court honours went to Point Cook goal shooter Jenna Goricanec.
Goricanec was the leading goal shooter in the grand final – and the most potent in the competition all season.
“She’s really tall, quite agile and pops them in from anywhere,” Pruscino said.
Goricanec has nice synergy with her goal attack, Holly Ellul. Ellul is constantly moving in the front third and putting Goricanec in good positions to score.
“She feeds the ball in, does a lot of hard work on the outside of the circle to get it to Jenna for a good shot,” Pruscino said.
The mid-court players were inspired by centre Jacqui McClurg, who wore the brunt of Braybrook’s physicality and was not fazed.
“She was against one of Braybrook’s more physical players,” Pruscino said.
“She held her own against her and was a good option throughout the mid-court.”
Also busy in the Point Cook mid-court were wing attack Bec Gass and wing defence Caitlin Brennan.
The Bulldogs were led defensively by goal keeper Jo Crozier and goal defence Jane Goodier.
Point Cook celebrated its premiership long and hard on Friday night.
“It was a well-deserved celebration because it was a good season and the girls trained really hard and brought it home in the end,” Pruscino said.
Pruscino praised the WRFL for its running of the inaugural netball competition and said she expected it to grow.
“I think it’s been absolutely amazing,” she said. “At the start of the season, we were really unsure of what to expect.
“We didn’t know if we’d be wasting our time, wasting our players’ time, but after the first couple of games we played, we knew this was the real deal.
“This is what we wanted and it’s only going to get bigger and better going forward.”
