ANA 2023: Season on the line for Narrikup and Kangas as exciting finals begins in A1 competition

Last year’s grand finalist Narrikup 1 will put their season on the line when they face in-form side Kangas 1 in the Albany Netball Association A1 elimination final on Saturday. Narrikup fell agonisingly short of premiership success in 2022, going down by a single goal in the final 30 seconds of the grand final to Royals Saints 1. Now Narrikup must come the long way to reach another grand final, having finished the regular season in third spot. Narrikup and Kangas will face off in an elimination final, the winner keeping their season alive and moving to a preliminary final. The two sides will square off for the second straight week, having played in the final round of the normal season last week. The Kangas were 11-goal winners of that contest and Narrikup have mixed their recent form, winning one of their last four games. That last win was a two-goal triumph over the Magpies 1, who missed out on a finals berth. Narrikup were winners in round seven against the Kangas, emerging with a 63-52 result. The Kangas will come into the finals series in good form after winning their past three games which includes upsetting reigning premiers Royals Saints in round 12. The elimination final is set down for 1pm. Meanwhile Royals Saints and this year’s surprise packet Bullets 1 clash in the qualifying final at 2.30pm. It has been hard to separate the two sides in the regular season, with Royals Saints finishing on top by only percentage with both sharing a 9-3 win-loss record. The Royals Saints have won both their previous encounters this year however, claiming a 10-goal triumph in round nine and emerging 20-goal winners in round two. In their past six games Royals Saints have lost only to the Kangas and come fresh off a 44-goal thumping of Griffins 1 in the last qualifying match. The Bullets re-joined the top division in 2021 and have been impressive this year on their way to finishing second. They enter the finals on the back of four straight wins, including an emphatic 29-goal triumph over Railways 1 last week. The winner of the qualifying final moves directly into the grand final on September 16 while the loser faces a preliminary final.