The Geelong Cougars championship dreams ended in tatters in the Victorian Netball League on Wednesday night.
The Cougars travelled the road down the State Netball and Hockey Centre focused on claiming not one, but two of the three titles on offer.
In the championship division, the Cougars lost a thriller to arch rival the City West Falcons, 49-47.
The two teams faced off in the semi finals, with the Falcons winning that match in overtime. Bouncing back from their first loss of the season, the Cougars beat Melbourne University to win through to the decider.
It was a scrappy first quarter in the grand final with both teams turning over the ball.
The Cougars were the first team to settle and led by two goals at quarter time.
It was all the Cougars in the second quarter and they managed to get the lead out to six at half time.
After the Falcons came from behind two weeks ago, the Cougars were wary of what they would do.
The Falcons made changes and they worked, with scores level a third of the way through the quarter.
The Cougars were able to capitlise on some Falcons errors late to push the margin back at to five at the last break.
Early in the last quarter it was all the Falcons as they got the game back on level terms and then hit the front.
The pressure from both teams was strong, with turnovers being created. The Cougars were unable to get back the goal they needed too, with the Falcons holding the ball in the dying minutes to get the win.
Cougars captain Melissa Bragg said it was always a tough match with the Falcons and they had a tough rivalry.
She said her team was unreal and they were shattered that they couldn’t get it done.
“It hurts but it’s fire in the belly for next year,”
The Cougars’ division 1 side started the night against the Hawks. It would be the Hawks that took home the points, 48-43.
The Hawks led 11-10 at quarter time, before the Cougars had the better second quarter to lead 22-20.
The margin was back to one goal at the last break, after the Hawks finished off the third quarter strongly.
The two teams went goal for goal for the first 10 minutes of the quarter. The Hawks would then take control to run away with the win.
Tara Murray
