For Waratah, the start of the season couldn't be any sweeter - their five-set victory over Hamilton marks the biggest winning margin the Cobras have ever chalked up against their long-standing arch-rivals. Not even in Waratah's title-winning season did they account for the Stags by such a wide margin. In that campaign the Cobras recorded three-set and two-set victories over the course of the regular season. Now, the 9-4 victory over Hamilton has penned a new chapter in the history books of the club adorned in purple. Despite the wide margin for the derby - the biggest between the two organisations since Hamilton dismantled Waratah 16-4 in just their second ever meeting twelve seasons ago - the Round 1 clash began on relatively equal footing. Waratah opened the scoring against the Stags with a rapid-fire set win, before Hamilton bounced back two net to of their own and put the Cobras onto the back foot - or so it seemed. From a 1-2 deficit, Waratah settled into the rhythm of the match and claimed four points in a row to give themselves breathing room with a 5-2 lead at the break. Although Hamilton has often recovered in the second half against their rivals, Season 12's first meeting went a different way entirely, as Waratah kept firm control of the clash to record another four points in the second half to the Stags' two. With no way back into the match as the Cobras charged ahead, the Season 11 runners-up were forced to open their season with a disappointing loss. The win doesn't put Waratah on top of the table however, as both Shortland and Kotara began their own campaigns with wide margins of their own. In the early time-slot, the Kings welcomed Glendale to the competition with a 13 set to one victory. Shortland went one step further later in the evening as they clocked up 15 unanswered points in their clash with Bar Beach. Finally, Belmont began their title defence in Season 12 with a shaky battle against veteran organisation Raymond Terrace. The Beavers emerged victorious with a 9-8 scoreline, but it took the seventeenth set of the match to decide it. Heading into the final whistle Belmont and the Raccoons were neck-and-neck at eight apiece, a strong sign for Raymond Terrace. Despite that, Belmont joined the winner's circle in their first match as Newcastle's champions, and will look to build on their advantage in coming weeks. STANDINGS: Shortland, Kotara, Waratah, Belmont (3), Raymond Terrace, Hamilton, Glendale, Bar Beach (1) The Newcastle Dodgeball League Season 12 draw was officially released this week, with the season kicking off on Thursday, February 28 at Oakdale Arena. The season will begin, as always, with Hamilton facing Waratah in the Founders Derby. The opening round will also see Season 11 minor premiers Shortland face off against Bar Beach in the first clash of the season, while Kotara will welcome new organisation Glendale to the league in the other early clash. Defending champions Belmont, who claimed their first title to complete their fairytale run after five seasons in the competition, will look to kick-start their title defence against Raymond Terrace. The Newcastle Dodgeball League Season 12 play-offs will begin on June 6, when quarter-final matches will be played. The Season 12 Grand Final is scheduled for Thursday, June 20. The league will also again celebrate its official Women in Dodgeball round in the twelfth season of the competition, with the commemorative fixtures to be held on Round 8, April 18. The competition's Pride Round will be held in Round 10, on May 2. The league will also be hosting a preseason matchday on Thursday, February 21, with fixtures for the trial games to be released closer to the date. All eight NDL teams are expected to attend. KEY FEATURES OF THE NDL SEASON 12 DRAW
Key Rivalries:
BELMONT EDGE OUT DEFENDING CHAMPIONS IN TWO-SET GRAND FINAL EPIC TO CLAIM MAIDEN PREMIERSHIP16/11/2018
After an agonising end to a shining Season 10 campaign, Belmont have recovered and gone beyond their best ever finish, knocking off long-reigning champions Hamilton to lift the Newcastle Dodgeball League trophy after an 8-6 victory in the eleventh grand final. For the Beavers, the rough road to championship glory wasn't an easy one, but the marked improvement of the team from their first days in the competition to their crowning glory has been a story for the league's history books. When Belmont first joined the league in the seventh season, there were little expectations on the organisation - forced to contend with a Hamilton outfit that had just secured its first trophy since the league's foundation, as well as perennial powerhouses Waratah and Cooks Hill at the top of the tabled, the Beavers struggled to find their footing in their first outing. After a wooden spoon finish for the team, and just a single victory to their name, their opening season was passed off as a learning experience for the new side, and things were expected to improve heading into the eight season. Although the team avoided last place, another season sans-finals stun for the team that had proven they were eager for better things, and a return to the cellar in Season 9 proved one disappointment too many for the team in blue and gold. Recruiting in the off-season, and taking advantage of the league's move from the Newcastle venue to Oakdale Arena, Belmont had their best ever season, leap-frogging a plummeting Cooks Hill squad to claim third place, before they knocked Waratah out in the semi-finals to book their ticket to their first ever grand final appearance. Facing off against the juggernaut that was the Stags - a team searching for their five consecutive championship at this point - Belmont fell just short of the final hurdle as a 4-all scoreline at half time stretched out to an 11-6 victory for Hamilton. It may not have been the disappointment of a wooden spoon, or a finals-less season, but the five-set defeat proved to be the turning point in Belmont's rise. Heading into the eleventh season, and the Beavers' fifth in the competition, the organisation changed the way they played. While Hamilton had shown their fast-paced dodgeball was a winning algorithm for success, Belmont adopted a style similar to former champions Warners Bay and Waratah, and the controlled gameplay for the Beavers proved a major success. From there, the rest became history - a fourth place finish sent Belmont to the quarter finals, where they swept aside Raymond Terrace, before a vital 7-6 upset over first placed Shortland put them back into the grand final against Hamilton. Although they had been in a similar position in Season 10, the Belmont outfit that stepped onto the court against the Stags had improved in every way, and their controlled pace shone early as they clocked up a three-set lead heading into the half break against the reigning champions. The Beavers opened with their trademark tempo game to collect three crucial set wins on the bounce early in the clash, before Hamilton were able to grab one back in another timed set, and two more into the pockets of the eventual victors before the break ended up being the catalyst for the Beavers' victory. The second chance saw the pace switch, as Hamilton returned to their counter-attacking formation, but the four sets to three second half - falling in favour of the Stags - just simply wasn't enough as Belmont held off the potential comeback to secure their two-set triumph, 8-6. The thrilling victory also marks the first time since the founding season that the championship was decided by less than five set points - Hamilton were on the wrong end of a 10-8 scoreline that saw Stockton lift the inaugural NDL trophy. Now, for the first time since joining the league in Season 7, Belmont sit atop the throne, and will enter the twelfth season of the competition as reigning champions. |
S13
RD1: Fast-starting Waratah launch new campaign in style (02/08)
PRESEASON: Season 13's draw & key fixtures revealed (26/07/19) S12
Finals: Scotchies clinch first title with rampage over Belmont (21/06)
RD14: Shortland, Hamilton lead top seeds heading into playoffs (07/06) RD13: Glendale stun Belmont 7-3 to climb out of cellar (31/05) RD12: Jesmond bundle up Waratah to set race for top four alight (24/05) RD11: Beavers back on track with win over the Kings (17/05) RD10: Terrace back in the winner's circle with Hamilton upset (10/05) RD9: Belmont and Waratah locked at standstill (03/05) RD8: Stags down 'Tahs in grudge match battle for third (19/04) RD7: Belmont bounce back with spoiler win against Kotara (12/04) RD6: Scotches wave away Belmont bid to stay top (05/04) RD5: Waratah right season with Raccoons win (29/03) RD4: Shortland stay undefeated with fourth win (22/03) RD3: Hamilton claim revenge in grand final rematch (15/03) RD2: Bar Beach hold off Glendale to bag first win (08/03) RD1: Waratah sweep aside arch-rivals with major margin (01/03) PRESEASON: Season 12's draw & key fixtures revealed (08/02/19) PRESEASON: Rego now open for NDL Season 12. (01/02/18) S11
GF: Belmont edge out Hamilton in two-set grand final epic (16/11)
FINALS: Hamilton and Belmont set up grand final rematch (9/11) RD14: Waratah down Belmont in heated one-set thriller (2/11) RD13: Shortland oust Hamilton from first with one to go (26/10) RD12: Belmont upset Hamilton to blow first place race open (19/10) RD11: Shortland take second after thriller against Belmont (12/10/18) RD10: Waratah tumble into fourth place after slow start (5/10/18) RD9: Top four teams hold off finals-hopefuls (28/09/18) RD8: Hamilton claim first as league celebrates Ladies Day (21/09/18) RD7: Shortland and Kotara clash goes down to the wire (14/09/18) RD6: Waratah keep close on Hamilton's heels (07/09/18) RD5: Hamilton prevail in grand final rematch (30/08/18) RD4: Belmont tumble into ladder mix with defeat (24/08/18) RD3: Waratah cuts Shortland's undefeated streak short (17/08/18) RD2: Shortland break Terrace to continue strong start (10/08/18) RD1: Waratah open account against long-standing rivals (03/08/18) PRESEASON: Season 11's draw & key fixtures revealed (19/07/18) PRESEASON: Registrations now open for NDL Season 11. (13/07/18) SEASON 10GF: Hamilton extend dynasty with fifth championship (06/07/18)
SF: Belmont punch ticket to season decider with comeback (29/06/18) QF: Raymond Terrace scores maiden finals victory (22/06/18) RD15: Waratah confirm second place, first week bye (15/06/18) RD14: Waratah steady the ship with key three-set win (08/06/18) RD13: Belmont ensures the Waratah slide continues (01/06/18) RD12: Cooks Hill and Belmont remain level with draw (25/05/18) RD11: Waratah lose sight of first place after defeat (18/05/18) RD10: Raymond Terrace shock Cookers in sudden death (11/05/18) RD9: Cookers drop 'Tahs to second with 6-5 slug-fest (04/05/18) RD8: Hamilton take revenge in Battle of Oakdale (27/04/18) RD7: Bailey best on field as 'Tahs in cruise-control (20/04/18) RD6: Waratah break three-year hoodoo over old rivals (13/04/18) RD5: Hamilton reclaim first place with 13-0 masterclass (06/04/18) RD4: League's closest round sees 'Tahs take top spot (23/03/18) RD3: Cooks Hill record first point with 5-5 draw (16/03/18) RD2: Sudden-death deciders see Hamilton pip Belmont (09/03/18) RD1: Waratah-Hamilton classic ends in 6-all draw (02/03/18) |