The Junee Netball Club has finished their season on a high after the U16 Giants took home the top spot in their Grand Final showdown.
Two of Junee’s other teams, the U14s Blaze team and the U12s Firebirds also performed valiantly in their Grand Final games, unfortunately getting outmatched.
Club Vice-President, Shanan Mitchell, says she was incredibly proud of all of the girls who played, saying she felt emotional just thinking about the hard work they had put in all season to get to where they are now.
“The Under 12s was a very hard game. They obviously continued the fight with the Panthers,” she says, referencing the Firebird’s on again, off again nemesis this year.
“They were neck and neck all game again.
“It was an incredibly tough contest, but they stayed in the fight the entire game. They had quite a few sick players, who fell sick the night before, which was not great, but you wouldn’t know it.
“They walked in, held their heads high and shook it all off.”
Despite their reduced numbers, the Firebirds kept the pressure on the Panthers, finishing the game 28-29.
The U14s were also matched player to player, and kept their game incredibly close, before going down 31-20 in the last quarter.
Regardless of scores, Shanan says they played incredibly.
“I’m so proud of the girls,” she says.
“To even get to the Grand Final is just amazing. We haven’t had three teams in the Grand Final ever.
“It was an incredibly proud day for us all.”
The U16s Giants were also facing a hard match against as they fought neck and neck for the win. With six minutes to go, the girls were seven down but were hardly close to dropping the towel, proving they were in it to win it.
“They held their composure so well,” says Shanan.
“It was so impressive to watch, I was blown away by it.
Seven goals down with six minutes to go, and then they went into extra time because it was 29-29 at full time.”
With 10 more minutes on the clock, it was clear neither team was willing to let the other take the win, and the Giants found themselves down by two by the second half of their extra time.
“They just kept chipping away, and they were pretty much dead even again,” says Shanan.
“Then, in the last – what felt like seconds of the game – they scored the win.
“At one point, I thought, ‘I can’t watch’, [because] it was just one of those games.
“You’re just on the edge of your seat the entire time, it was crazy.”
The Giants took home the 2026 Premiership with a final score of 34 – 33 victory.
Now that the team has taken a step back following the conclusion of their successful season, Shanan says the future is looking bright for Junee’s Netball Club.
“We’ll just go from strength to strength,” she says.
“Obviously with such a strong footy base with the Diesels in town as well, a lot of kids go there because they’ve got older siblings playing, so it has been a struggle to get players.”
At the start of the 2026 season, many of last year’s girls had aged up and out of the teams. Shanan says it was a bit of a miracle they had five strong teams playing this year, many of the girls never visiting a final before.
Although Shanan says they have some concerns about attracting netball players, their reputation stands on two legs (and then some!) as they take home three Grand Final teams, and one Premiers winner.
Shanan says the win not only goes to the incredible Giants team (who played without any subs available), but to everyone who got them there.
“The club doesn’t happen without our volunteers, our committee, our supporters, our families that get them to training every week, and their games every week,” says Shanan.
“A massive thank you to them.
“I think we’ve had an incredible season, and hopefully we can continue it next year.”
The girls will now go on a well deserved rest as the 2026 season closes.
For now, they are awaiting the 2027 season to defend their championship.
Elizabeth Kovacs
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