Broome Netball Association: Bullets fire & head straight into grand final

The Broome Bullets put on a spectacular contest against the Pearlers Old Girls for a spot in the Broome Netball Association grand final, with Cable Beach and Djugun Flames battling it out to make it into the preliminary final. Kicking it off at the Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre on August 27, the divison one Bullets walked in with confidence after their 38-point win in round 15. Sitting just below them on the ladder, the Pearlers started off strong in the first quarter but slowly fell behind as Bullets’ Joanne Johnson effortlessly shot goals after with ease. Pearlers put up a good fight in the second quarter and did everything they could to keep the ball out of the goal circle, but the Bullets’ 10-point lead by the third quarter tested their endurance. As Bullets pushed through, including after a rolled ankle by C Alicia Schiefferle, they eventually emerged victorious with a 23-point win and secured a spot in the 2024 grand final, 65-42. Later that night, the Djugun Flames returned after their forfeit for the elimination round against Cable Beach, looking ready to take on their opponent who suffered a devastating loss in round 15 against the top team. But it was that loss that pushed them to shoot nothing but nets in the first quarter, as GD Sarani Bin Baker utilised her interesting defence techniques to get the ball into the hands of GA Jo Fong’s hands in the goal circle. By half-time, Cable Beach had secured an 11-point lead, while Flames’ Jessica Dsouza had to be taken out of the game after a nasty fall caused her head to hit the ground, resulting in a minor ear injury. The Flames put up a strong contest, closing in on Cable Beach after a brief loss of control, but in the end, Cable Beach’s commanding lead proved too much for Flames to overcome. Cable Beach triumphed over the Djugun Flames with a decisive 46-30 victory. Pearlers Old Girls and Cable Beach will now enter into the next finals round, with the preliminary final taking place on September 3 at BRAC to determine who will go into the grand final with Broome Bullets.