By STEVE MENZIES
Almost half of the 11 minor premiers in the KFC Alice Springs Netball Association lost their games on the first week of finals at the Pat Gallagher Netball Centre on Saturday.
But the five will be able to continue their seasons in the coming weeks of the finals.
And there were three teams coming fourth after the minor round that defeated the third placed team.
The upsets began at the beginning of day with the 11-and-under grade and continued all day with the two Rovers teams, Raptors and Fosion, won through from second and fourth respectively.
They started a good day for the Rovers Netball Club with six winning teams, and six losing, on the day.
Rovers Complete Construction defeated Federal Club Eastside 52-49 in the KFC A-Grade to level the ledger at four wins each this season.
Federal did well to get that close after trailing by 11 goals at the final change.
Coach Deb Grey juggled the Federal players around preferring Carly Wilson at goal keeper ahead of regular custodian Katelyn Paterson, who played wing defence, and including youngsters Brooke Wilson and Ellie Herbert in the starting seven with experienced duo Phoebe Wilcox and Crystal Dixon on the bench.
Rovers slotted Chloe Bethel, who had played a full game at goal attack, in the vacant goal shooter position. It was a good call as Bethel finished with 24 goals including 10 in the match-winning second term when Rovers scored 17 goals to nine.
The two sides will have next week off and play each in the grand final on Saturday, September 18.
Club Eastside A-Reserves minor premier Rovers Complete Construction took control of its semi-final against Neata Glass Giants in the second quarter to lead 20-15 at the main break and going on to win 51-27.
Fourth-placed A-Reserves team upset sister side Wests Gillen scoring 19 goals to nine in the first term and going on to 61-35.
Top Yepereye B-Grade team Federal MPH turned on its power with a 16-5 final quarter to defeat Seasons Complete Fencing & Steel Sales 39-31.
The other semi-final went according to minor round form with Seasons CADS defeating Rovers 34-30.
Top B2-Grade Rovers complete Construction, after a string of forfeits to it in the late minor round, celebrated being back on court with a 30-20 win against Wests Ward Keller while third-placed Federal AKC ended Wests Loco Burrito’s season with 55-46 win.
The Trophy Central C-Grade was another competition to go to form in the semi-finals being won by top-side Rovers BnTz, against Federal P&V Flames, 37-23 and third-placed Giants Dreamers progressing to next weekend’s preliminary final at the expense of Federal Swifts with a 44-32 victory.
A 13-7 final term enabled Federal Red to defeat 17-and-under division 1 minor premiers Giant Bark’n’Bath 43-38.
Isabelle Noble shone for Federal shooting 34 goals including 13 in the quarter when Federal narrowed the margin to a goal, after trailing by seven at the long break, and then another 10 in the final stanza.
The division 2 went as expected with Rovers Ravens defeating sister side Rovers Raptors 37-23 and Sundowners Elders Insurance continuing its recent good form winning 36-29 against Neats Glass Giants.
There was an upset in the 15-and-under grade with second-place Federal Fever defeating minor premier Seasons ASYASS 44-31 while the other semi-final went according to minor round form with Wests Jaws Contracting pipping Rovers Thunderstruck 35-32.
Under-13-and-under division 1 minor premier Wests LinkUp had a 31-11 win against runner-up Rovers Raiders while fourth-placed Federal Flames defeated third-place Rovers Rampage 19-17.
Seasons R&R Tax + Bookkeeping and Sundowners Club Eastside continued their rivalry in division 2 with the former winning 7-5.
Sundowners could have contributed to its demise by sticking to club policy and rotated its players resulting in a scoreless second half after leading by two goals at half time.
Giants Hydrokleen had a 39-10 win against fourth-placed Rovers Rebels in the other semi-final.
In the 11-and-unders Rovers Raptors defeated minor premier Seasons Alice Springs Screws Club 23-7 and Rovers Fusion overcame Sundowners Elders Insurance 13-8.