For Mel McNamara, netball is about much more than 60 minutes spent on the court.
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It's about building bonds that will stand the test of time.
"Half of us are mums, most of us are working full time and all different backgrounds and genres. But we all come together to play the one game," she said of her Hawks SMP Tiling team.
"We lift each other, we back each other up and it all just happens. Come the day, it just falls into place.
![Mel McNamara was in disbelief after her Hawks SMP Tiling pulled off the upset in the Orange Netball Association division two grand final. Picture by Riley Krause Mel McNamara was in disbelief after her Hawks SMP Tiling pulled off the upset in the Orange Netball Association division two grand final. Picture by Riley Krause](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/3f9764e4-fb6c-4f15-9dfc-e43cc8e722bb.JPG/r880_1480_3947_3547_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It was the highlight of the week to come to netball."
With such a love for the social side of community sport, it seemed only fitting they came up against clubmates Hawks Forefront Services in Saturday's Orange Netball Association division two grand final.
And what a game it was.
Although SMP Tiling bore the underdog tag coming into the encounter - having lost 48-38 to their fellow Hawks clubmates just two weeks prior - it was McNamara and her teammates who came out firing as they went into the quarter time break 12-7 up.
"In a way, it's probably better. There's no expectation," she said of Forefront being the favourites.
"We had nothing to lose so we put everything out there."
Forefront - who went through the regular season as undefeated minor premiers - weren't about to back down though.
They started the second quarter with a 7-0 to bring the crowd to life.
![Hawks SMP Tiling share a laugh after their grand final victory. Picture by Riley Krause Hawks SMP Tiling share a laugh after their grand final victory. Picture by Riley Krause](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/0c2fc0aa-35c8-475f-b7ea-07ce79d2735b.JPG/r1160_1320_5387_3787_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The back and forth continued throughout the rest of the game and in the end, only four points separated the two Hawks sides as SMP Tiling came out on top 32-28.
McNamara was in "disbelief" after the win.
"We hadn't had the chance to have a full team on the deck to utilise (this season) and today was our full team," she said.
![Leasa Konza was all smiles after the grand final win. Picture by Riley Krause Leasa Konza was all smiles after the grand final win. Picture by Riley Krause](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/0bf4bd77-3ea9-47a7-aa9a-bfdc5f365eac.JPG/r787_1027_6000_3694_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It was definitely a team effort."
And while she was grateful to come out on the winning end, she couldn't help but feel for Forefront.
"We were looking forward to this game against these girls because they always bring it hard," McNamara added.
![The winning Hawks SMP Tiling team. Picture by Riley Krause The winning Hawks SMP Tiling team. Picture by Riley Krause](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/d429fa4a-73a5-4177-9f6e-1864a79415d0.JPG/r467_747_4867_3560_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"They've led the comp the whole way, done all the hard work and today we were the better side, which is unfortunate for them.
"But it's Hawks and Hawks and we are so humbled and grateful that we've got a good group of girls to play with and against."
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