The bookies would have only given you short odds on minor premiers Brushstop winning the Cobar Netball Association B Grade grand final on Saturday and, as predicted, they clinched the 2018 title after easily beating Golfie Mystics 36-18.
Brushstop got off to a good start and never looked back in Saturday’s game and, despite having a full bench to rotate their players, Brushstop chose to stick with their proven attacking and defending player combinations in both circles for the entire match.
Their shooters Wendy Byrne and Stevie Toomey rotated in the Goal Shooter and Goal Attack positions each half, as did their defenders Sophie Bereyne and Player of the Grand Final, Kira-Lee Tyrell, in their Goal Defence and Goal Keeper roles.
Brushstop did however change up their centre court combinations throughout the match to ensure all of the team got a run in the grand final.
This proved to be a winning formula and was in direct contrast to Golfie Mystics’ game tactics.
They swapped around their player combinations for each quarter which made it hard for them to get on a roll and then maintain it.
Tyrell and Bereyne were well and truly on their game and produced numerous turnovers for Brushstop.
Byrne and Toomey (who both showed no grand final nerves and played a very controlled game) regularly showed their appreciation of the bonus turnovers and converted them into points on the board.
Throughout the match, the Brushstop side did a good job of clearing out and making space to effectively move the ball down the court.
By halftime they had pulled ahead to lead 18-6 but, to their credit, the Golfie Mystics team never gave up and continued to contest every ball.
Allison Pearson and Casey Piggott worked hard in defence up against the Brushstop shooters, but Byrne and Toomey had their eye in all game.
When Lauren Williams joined Mandy Hewlett in the circle to shoot for Golfie Mystics in the second half, they lifted the team and helped to keep them in the game. Brushstop however were on a roll and they closed out the match with a comprehensive 36-18 win.
