Bond’s Development Pathways Netball team have signed off on an exceptional season with a dramatic one-goal grand final win over a highly motivated and brilliantly skilful Hinterland District Netball Association side to be crowned 2026 EPL 17U champions.
It caps a stellar undefeated run for the ‘Baby Bull Sharks’ who, after Bond’s Hart Premier League grand final win last year, become the second Bull Sharks netball team to win a premiership.
Chaos often reigned supreme in a game marked by warnings, sin-binnings and multiple advanced penalties.
Both sides were often left scratching their heads at crucial moments as umpire's whistles punctuated what most would have predicted to be a free-flowing season decider between two fine attacking sides.
But what started like that ended up a stuttery grind marked by two contrasting styles - Bond’s well-drilled contest and possession game versus Hinterland’s breathtaking ability to score ridiculously quickly in Super Shot periods.
In the end, it probably came down to who could best hold their nerve, and despite having a player off for much of the final term, Bond did just that to seal a memorable win.
The Bull Sharks shot out of the blocks and raced to an early seven-goal lead off the back of crisp work mid-court by their starting rotation and disciplined circle defence.
Hinterland soon settled, though.
This was in no small part due to unerring accuracy from range that whittled the margin to just three by quarter time.
The second quarter followed a similar rhythm.
Bond started well, Hinterland finished strongly.
At half-time, Bond had it by just one.
On the resumption, things got messy with several Bond players finding their way onto each of the umpires’ radars and tensions rose as confused players tried to make sense of who was doing what to whom to deserve which sanction.
Hinterland, meanwhile, did an excellent job of rising above the mayhem.
By the last change, they’d turned a one-goal quarter-time deficit into a three-goal lead and looked like they might run away with it.
The fourth quarter was a turbo-charged feast of sporting craziness.
Umpire's warnings flew every which way as desperate young players gave their absolute all to crack a seemingly impenetrable run of punch-counterpunch goal-scoring.
When an allegedly repeatedly obstructive Bull Sharks defender was sin-binned for two minutes then – soon after her return to the court - sent off completely, Bond could have been excused for rolling over.
Instead, the opposite happened.
With their team of seven now down to six, Bond - out of necessity - adopted a de facto zone defence and Hinterland struggled to adapt.
And when they had a defender of their own sin-binned late and player numbers were squared, Bond found something extra.
A crucial two pointer dragged the Bull Sharks back into the lead, and a goal from a turnover pushed the buffer out to a critical three with a minute and a half left.
In the dying seconds Hinterland dropped yet another two-pointer to stay in it, and they were in attack again when the final whistle blew.
Bond won by a single goal.
A massive visiting Bull Sharks contingent flew to their feet.
The elated Bond bench spilled onto the court.
No one watching knew quite what to say.
An extraordinary end to an incredible undefeated run.
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EPL 17U GRAND FINAL
Bond University Bull Sharks v Hinterland District Netball Association
60-59 (W)