Violet Town started well, putting the pressure on and converting intercepts into goals, before letting Merrigum into the game and losing the lead.
The Towners had a much better second quarter, shooting well and working tirelessly in defence to create as many opportunities as possible for their attackers.
With Merrigum leading by 12 goals at half-time, Violet Town were determined not to let the opposition run away with the game, as the Towners have previously let other sides do.
With a stringent defence, the Towners made the most of their opportunities and with some slight positional changes won the third quarter.
And while the last quarter saw tired legs out on the court, the Towners ran out the match the best they could, though Merrigum were ultimately victorious by 14 goals.
Final score: Violet Town 27 def by Merrigum 41
Best: Hannah Sharp, Kirsty Eastwood.
B-grade
Violet Town came out firing in the first quarter with Jenna Brunner and Chloe Gunn combining strongly in goals, and Kellie McGill feeding the ball in well and keeping intensity up.
Trailing after half-time, the Towners came back strongly with Thalia Ellis and Nadia Stovell working tirelessly in tandem in defence.
And while the Towners kept the intensity up until the final minute, it wasn’t enough to quell a stronger Merrigum side.
Final score: Violet Town 33 def by Merrigum 50
Best: Thalia Ellis, Chloe Gunn
C-grade
It was a slow first quarter with both sides vying to find momentum, with Merrigum taking a two-goal lead at the first break. Merrigum’s defence proved tight on the centre pass, with the Towners working extremely hard to get the ball forward.
Although the Towners had a stronger third quarter, outscoring Merrigum, it wasn’t enough in the end, as the Towners tired to fall short by 15 goals.
Nicole Butterworth shot brilliantly from all around the ring, Kirsten Bowels and Mikaela Dunn provided great leads and soothed the play down the court, while Brianna Cotchin played a strong game in defence, and was hot on her feet with a number of tips and rebounds.
Final score: Violet Town 30 def by Merrigum 45
Best: Brianna Cotchin, Nicole Butterworth
Under-15
Playing against the top side, Violet Town showed great resilience and team spirit.
The team fought all the way to the final whistle, ending with their heads held high. A number of positives were taken out of the game, while there are still areas to work on.
Final score: Violet Town 8 def by Merrigum 72
Best: Olivia Kloot, Ella Ives