Netball
17 September, 2025
Rams, Demons, Kees claim junior HDFNL premierships
The HDFNL grand finals kicked off with excitement as Natimuk United, Laharum and Kalkee emerged victorious in the under 13, 15 and 17 junior premiership contests.
The under 13s opened the day with a thrilling match that required extra time to decide the winner between the two competing teams.
In the end it was Natimuk United that claimed the first premiership of the day, defeating Kalkee 51-50.
The young Kees started the game strongly with a 13-8 lead at the first break, with Ella Schultz and Maeja Ruwoldt leading the way.
Kalkee maintained a five-goal advantage into the second quarter before the Rams reduced the deficit to three.
Natimuk United upped the ante in the second half and pulled the margin back to one goal before Kalkee showed why they were the defending premiers, taking a 31-26 lead into the final break.
In the final quarter the Rams turned an eight-goal deficit into just one, scoring seven consecutive goals in a spirited comeback led by Zarnie Sudholz.
In the final two minutes the sides traded goals before Sudholz scored two goals to send the game into overtime.
Natimuk United, buoyed by the home crowd, established a three-goal advantage; however, Schultz and Ruwoldt then combined for four of the last five goals, levelling the scores.
The sides traded goals again in the final minutes before Sudholz hit the winning goal in the final seconds to give the Rams victory by the slimmest margin.
Sudholz finished the game on 45 goals while teammate Lola Bales added six; Schultz, who was named best on court, top-scored for Kalkee with 27 goals while Ruwoldt added 21.
Laharum was clinical in its under 15s premiership victory against Pimpinio, winning 41-29.
The Tigers, who finished minor premiers, were looking for revenge following a semi-final defeat.
However, the Demons played like a side with all of the momentum and held the lead for more than 44 minutes.
Laharum established an early edge in the first quarter, finishing 12-9 thanks to precise shooting from Chloe Butsch and Maya Przibilla.
By half-time they had extended their advantage to 22-14.
Despite the Tigers' valiant efforts to claw their way back, Laharum's defence, led by the likes of Georgia Foster and Lilly Peucker, remained steadfast, making it difficult for Pimpinio to build any momentum.
With one hand on the premiership cup, the Demons pushed the lead out to 14 goals, eventually winning by 12 goals.
Butsch, who was named best on court, finished with 24 goals, while Przibilla added 17.
For Pimpinio, Mya Waterworth scored 16, Mia Ladlow added 10 and Imani Baker and Harriet Emmett scored two and one goal, respectively.
In the last junior game of the day, Kalkee secured the under 17s premiership with a narrow 41-40 victory over a fast-finishing Natimuk United.
The Kees, runners-up in 2023 and 2024, entered the game with a 15-0 record, including a win against the Rams in the semi-final.
However, the home side started strongly, taking an 8-4 lead, but the Kees fought back to level the scores at 9-9 by the end of the quarter.
Kalkee scored nine consecutive goals, and 12 of the next 13, on the back of sharp shooting from Milla Carter and Chloe Reinheimer.
Down by 11, Natimuk United began a comeback, led by Emma Uebergang, to cut the deficit in half but Kalkee still led at the main break, up 23-18.
The second half featured small runs by both sides; at one stage, Kalkee led by nine goals before Natimuk United cut the margin to four.
Entering the final break with a 32-27 lead, the Kees extended their advantage to eight goals.
However, Uebergang spearheaded a remarkable comeback as Natimuk United scored eight of the last nine goals.
Despite this impressive effort, the deficit proved too large to overcome, and Kalkee secured a one-goal victory.
Carter, named best on court, led Kalkee's scoring with 24 goals, supported by Reinheimer's 17.
For the Rams, Uebergang was the top scorer with 34 goals while Chloe Hateley contributed six.
