BRIDGEWATER’S A Grade netball coach Caz Wood hopes a successful juggling act will get the team into a grand final against Pyramid Hill.
Bridgey’s hard-fought semi-final win over Newbridge set up a tough clash against Mitiamo in Saturday’s Loddon Valley preliminary final.
The Superoos are coming off their first loss for the season and have two wins over Bridgewater in 2025.
Bridgey’s A Reserves team is also playing for a spot in the grand final, which means some tough selection decisions for Wood.
In the win over Newbridge, reserves goal shooter Natalie Flood was brought into the game for the last quarter despite having already played a full game in the loss to Maiden Gully a day earlier.
Loddon Valley rules limit a player to no more than five quarters in a weekend, and league officials denied Bridgewater’s request to allow Flood an exemption to play six terms.
Carly Wild, who has been shooter since Lou Dupuy’s broken hand in round 16, shifted back to her normal position as goal defence.
“It’s a juggling act for A Reserve and A Grade,” Wood said.
“We’re looking at different combinations, with two reserves players who can step up.”
Dupuy is consulting a specialist this week, with hopes of a return against Mitiamo, or in the grand final if the team progresses.
“We’ve got nothing to lose,” Wood said of the team’s task against the Superoos.
“We’re going to come out and attack everything we can, and try to slow them down.
“We’ve got faith in the whole squad.”
A 16-8 third quarter set up Bridgewater’s win over Newbridge after the sides were separated by only a goal at half-time, with wing attack Olivia Hoiles’ speed and great hands pivotal as she constantly fed Wild and goal attack Danielle Flood.
The Maroons battled hard and outscored Bridgey in the last quarter 12-10 but the five-goal defeat saw Newbridge out of the finals in straight sets after finishing third on the ladder.
IT HAD been a difficult week for Mitiamo.
The tragic loss of Raquel Spence – sister of A Grade netball captain and star goal attack Laura Hicks – at the age of just 33 had rocked the club.
With a second semi-final against perennial rivals Pyramid Hill on Saturday it was difficult to focus, despite being unbeaten in 2025.
As well, the Superoos, by their own admission, don’t handle having a rest, and they faced a Bulldogs side in good form.
“It was a tough week,” said coach Abbey Battersby.
“The week off (for finishing on top) didn’t help, we just don’t seem to like a break.”
In a repeat of last season, Pyramid Hill went straight into the grand final by defeating Mitiamo. 
In 2024 the margin was nine goals but this year it was a proper thumping, with the Bulldogs ahead all game to win by 17 goals, 66-49.
“We just couldn’t execute our defence well,” Battersby said.
“We didn’t gel as much as we would have liked.”
She admitted that the pressure built with each victory during the season but said her players thrived on the momentum of playing every week.
Pyramid Hill coach Chelsea Emmerson is in the familiar position of winning straight through to the decider.
Last year, Mitiamo was able to regroup, win the preliminary final and then take out the premiership on its home court.
“We’ve obviously played them a fair few times, and learned where we went wrong,” Emmerson said.
“It was important that we came out well and didn’t let them get the jump.”
Pyramid Hill will try to arrange a practice match this Saturday, and if that was not possible, the Bulldogs will have an internal hit out.
Emmerson said her goalers Jess Holdstock and Morgan Dingwall were critical in the win, with shooter Holdstock’s accuracy and goal attack Dingwall’s ability to work up the court and back again both keys to the victory.
Mitiamo now must rebound against Bridgewater to earn another crack at Pyramid Hill.
Battersby is confident the Superoos can turn get back on track, with the team having beaten Bridgey by 29 goals in the final home and away round.