Lisa said while she thought all eight players used had contributed to the win she gave special mentions to goal keeper Kirby Wilson and wing attack Melissa Tump.

“Kirby worked hard and made it very tough for the Central goalies and ensured they couldn’t get rebounds when there were missed attempts.

“Mel got a lot of the ball and consistently put us into attack.”

Graham said he thought his side had trained well for Saturday’s game.

“But you can’t prepare for the conditions like we had to play in.

“On the day, Willaston handled the conditions better than us. We made too many skill errors.

“I was pleased with the mental approach of the team and the girls kept trying.

“Jade Waddington was outstanding at centre and wing defence continually trying to keep the side competitive.

“I’m just glad everyone got through the day without injury or illness.

“We now have to refocus on this week’s preliminary final to try and earn a rematch in the grand final.”

Lisa Wilson (Willaston)

“They were the worst conditions I’ve every played in and I am proud of the mental strength of the girls to come through with such a great win.

“We placed a lot of emphasis on defensive pressure and the girls created a lot of turnovers which enabled us to win. In those conditions you could not play normal netball, you had to work hard and play safe which we did and got the result.

Graham Fischer (Gawler Central)

“Netball is a winter sport but Saturday took it to another level, it was Antarctic netball.

“After having had two weeks off with a bye and the first semi-final to face up to a quality side in a second semi-final in those conditions was something different. Willaston adapted to the conditions better than us and we made too many skill errors.

“Our goal was to earn a double chance in the finals and now we need to use it. It is important to regroup and get our focus on playing Kapunda.

Already the weather forecast is for rain, but surely it couldn’t be anything like Saturday.”

Sub Junior 3: Angaston 14 def Nuriootpa 10.

On a day that was cold and wet, Angaston and Nuriootpa came out fighting. In the first and second quarters there was only two goals separating the teams. After half-time, Angaston were the first to steady and increased their lead by five. Nuriootpa tried hard to come back but Angaston were able to maintain their lead and win by four.

Sub Junior 2: Tanunda 27 def Gawler Central 12.

Terrible conditions and finals nerves were evident with both sides making errors. Tanunda settled quickest and was able to get a break early but Gawler Central rallied and fought back to only be down by three. The second quarter was much the same with Tanunda increasing their lead. Gawler Central mounted a comeback at the start of the third quarter by applying good pressure and eliminating skill errors but found it hard to sustain and Tanunda still increased their lead. The final quarter was all Tanunda, keeping Gawler Central scoreless while scoring nine goals themselves to advance to the grand final.

Sub Junior 1: Nuriootpa 25 def Willaston 22.

The wet conditions made both teams come out and play safe netball. Nuriootpa got an early break but Willaston came back to be down by only one at quarter time. The second quarter was much the same but Nuriootpa was able to increase their lead by three. The third quarter saw increased pressure and errors from both teams. Nuriootpa got the jump but Willaston came back with Nuriootpa still having a three-goal lead. All girls came out firing in the last quarter but Nuriootpa was able to hold onto their lead to advance to the grand final.

Junior 2: Kapunda 33 def Freeling 27.

Freeling got the jump and this showed on the scoreboard as they held a handy lead by quarter time. Kapunda regrouped and settled to be more competitive. The weather conditions deteriorated in the second half and Freeling suffered whereas Kapunda adapted well and were able to take the lead at three-quarter time. This trend continued and Kapunda was able to build lon their lead.

Junior 1: Freeling 41 def Kapunda 30.

Freeling settled early to take Kapunda by surprise and bolt out to an early lead. Finals nerves showed as Kapunda strived to get into the game. After the first break Kapunda settled and applied good defensive pressure to force turnovers and win the quarter by one goal. The third quarter again saw an even tussle with neither side giving in. This reflected on the scoreboard as the scoring was low. Freeling were the steadier in the final quarter to extend their lead but Kapunda dug deep to come back. The last five minutes saw Freeling finally get ahead and be victorious by 11 goals.

Intermediate 1: Gawler Central 30 def Nuriootpa 20.

A very tight first quarter as both sides strived for supremacy and forced turnovers in a low-scoring affair. Gawler Central regrouped at the first break and came out more determined to dominate the quarter. Both sides made changes at the half time break and Nuriootpa adapted well to make an impact on the deficit. However Central were able to counteract this influence and forge ahead to hold an 11-goal lead by the three quarter break. This continued in the last quarter despite Nuriootpa’s strong attempts to get back into the match, Gawler Central advanced to the grand final.

Intermediate 2: Gawler Central 37 def Nuriootpa 26.

Gawler Central adapted well to finals and wet weather and held a handy lead at quarter time. The wet conditions were becoming a factor as scores remained low and Gawler Central made changes at the half time break and took time to settle. Nuriootpa capitalised on this and were able to win the quarter. The last quarter saw an even tussle as both sides battled each other as well as the conditions but Central were able to edge further ahead.

Senior 6: Willaston 44 def Gawler Central 18.

The very wet weather conditions played havoc in this grade but Willaston was able to adapt to take a handy lead by quarter time. The second quarter saw Willaston consolidate their lead despite Gawler Central trying desperately. Central made changes at half-time but this failed to make an impact as they could not convert. The last quarter was more even but Willaston had the match winning lead even though Central never gave up.

Senior 5: Freeling 37 def Willaston 33.

In a good standard game considering the conditions, both sides worked hard to make for an even first quarter. They continued an even tussle and this showed with the scores being even at half time. Both sides made changes but this did not impact on the score where Freeling led by the narrowest of margins going into the last quarter. Freeling proved to be the steadier under pressure in the final 15 minutes to edge ahead and be victorious by four goals.

Senior 4: Willaston 30 def Gawler Central 27.

With a scrappy start by both teams the first quarter was evenly contested with lots of turnovers and low scoring during the first half. Willaston adapted to the weather better but then Gawler Central came back in the third quarter having more urgency for a win. The last quarter saw both teams go goal-for-goal but Willaston played a more controlled netball and finished with the win.

Senior 3: Willaston 27 def Gawler Central 21.

An even start to the game which was very low scoring as the conditions kept deteriorating. The second quarter saw Willaston steady and convert more easily to gain the lead by half time. The second half saw an even tussle as both sides strived desperately for supremacy. However Willaston were able to maintain their early lead and advance straight into the grand final.

Senior 2: Kapunda 28 def Willaston 24

Kapunda began the more determined to take an early lead. Willaston counteracted this in the second quarter as the northern end proved to be the scoring end. The start of the second quarter saw both teams strive for supremacy in a desperate effort to gain control. The cold conditions were taking their toll as the goalies struggled to convert and this reflected with only 22 goals scored in the second half. Kapunda proved to be the more determined and inflicted Willaston’s first loss of the season.