Sport
9 September, 2025
Avoca on verge of three-peat after besting Natte
Avoca is now one win away from completing a historic three-peat, pulling away from old foes Natte Bealiba to once again advance to the grand final.
After a late second quarter run allowed the Swans to reduce their deficit to five goals at half time, the Bulldogs outscored their rivals 36-22 in the second half to secure their place in the season finale.
“It was hard work, it was very hot, but we’re super excited for the grand final,” Avoca player-coach Maddy Egan said.
“We got up by 10 and then we had that five-minute lapse where we were still up, but we needed to bring more energy. The third quarter is usually our best quarter, so we had to bring it.
“It was really important to get that first goal and then we got on a roll from there.”
With their premiership ambitions at stake, both teams were desperate for a fast start on Saturday.
Fortunately for Avoca, defenders Keisha Tonzing and Caitlin Drummond delivered just that for the Bulldogs, stifling Natte’s attack early and allowing their team to earn two early breaks.
The Swans looked threatening midway through the quarter before Faith McKenzie produced an outstanding intercept and pass right to Avoca teammate Egan while falling out of bounds to give her team a massive momentum boost.
The Bulldogs rode that wave to a 14-8 lead at quarter time.
Egan led the quarter with nine early goals, while shooting partner Beavis contributed five.
Natte player-coach Emma Ryan recovered quickly from some early misses to score all eight of her team’s goals, with fellow shooter Shannae Mills played the role of facilitator while navigating an elbow injury.
Knowing how dangerous their opponents can be, the Bulldogs started the second quarter with authority, threatening to put the game out of reach quickly with a double-digit lead early in the term.
However, Natte wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
It started gradually, with their defence led by Bella Westbrook and Ellie Martin generating several stops.
Then, some brilliant hustle plays in the midcourt galvanised the Swans, earning multiple second chances which they took full advantage of.
After seemingly sailing on board the grand final cruise, Avoca were on the back foot with their lead cut to five at half time.
Egan and Beavis played a key role in expanding Avoca’s margin early in the period with a combined 15 goals from 18 attempts.
After coming on for Mills midway through the quarter, Ashlee McClelland made an instant impact with two goals and some great feeds to Ryan, who scored 14 of 15 shots.
Following a commanding Natte run that brought their opponents back into the game, Avoca delivered an emphatic response.
With McKenzie orchestrating the midcourt, some lightning-quick deliveries from Lucy Howell to the shooting circle and clinical shooting from Egan and Beavis, the Bulldogs’ offence was unstoppable in the third quarter, exploding for 21 goals.
Turnovers caused by Tonzing and Drummond, as well as some uncharacteristic mistakes from the Swans under immense pressure, allowed Avoca to build their advantage back up to double digits.
Natte collected themselves late, but the damage was already done, trailing by 15 goals at three-quarter time.
While Egan top-scored with 13 goals, Beavis impressed by draining all eight of her shots in the third term.
Ryan and McClelland tried their best to keep their team in the game with a combined 11 goals with their limited chances.
The Swans attempted to mount an improbable comeback, but with an early break and the Bulldogs expertly converting their centre passes, there was nothing they could do to stop Avoca from entering the grand final with a 65-46 victory.
With eight goals in the last 15 minutes, Egan finished the game with 39 goals with a near 83 percent conversion rate. Beavis gave the Bulldogs a two-pronged attack by adding 26 makes.
Ryan finished with a game-high 41 goals, including nine in the final term, while McClelland ended with five.
Egan praised the efforts of defenders Tonzing and Drummond as the catalyst for Avoca’s victory.
“We knew the defenders were going to have a hard day against Ryan,” she said.
“The defenders knew they had a job to do, and they did it amazingly. I couldn’t fault those girls, they worked so hard all day.”
