Netball: Northern Stars top Northern Mystics to claim spot in ANZ Premiership grand final

Elle Temu celebrates with Gina Crampton after making the ANZ Premiership final. Photosport

After disappointment last season, the Northern Stars are making their return to the ANZ Premiership grand final after beating the Mystics 63-57 in Wednesday night's elimination final.

The Stars had control of the match from the first whistle, continuing the momentum that has carried them through the last few weeks of the competition and helped them to secure the all-important home elimination final.

Wednesday night's match marked the much-anticipated return of Mystics shooter Grace Nweke, coming back after sustaining an ankle injury in round 11; her absence spelling the beginning of a four game losing streak for the Auckland side going into Wednesday's elimination final.

It was a fiery start from the Stars who took advantage of the Mystics' decision to start with Nweke on the bench, making gains that were successfully converted by captain Maia Wilson - who went to the first quarter break without a miss on goal to put her side up by six.

Even the injection of Nweke into the Mystics' attacking end at the beginning of the second quarter couldn't turn the tide for the defending champions, who made a series of unforced errors to extend the deficit to 10 goals at half time.

But a reinvigorated Mystics side were able to claw back five goals in the third quarter; an unstoppable Peta Toeava making it look seamless as she fired feed after feed into her shooters.

Despite the onslaught, the Stars shooters were up for the challenge - getting the better of veteran goal keeper Sulu Fitzpatrick who could do little to stem the tide into both Wilson and Jamie Hume as the Stars shooters missed only two goals combined in the third.

While the stage was set for a battle to the finish, it was the Stars who triumphed throughout the court in the fourth to clinch the win in front of their home crowd, with tireless campaigners Anna Harrison and Elle Temu picking up crucial ball on defence for their side when they needed it most.

It's a win that will mean a lot to the Stars, who have bounced back in better form than ever after a disparaging season last year saw them bow out of the ANZ Premiership without making the final three.

But there's still one final hurdle for the Stars in the form of the Central Pulse, who secured hosting rights for the final last week after finishing top of the table after the regular season.

Despite a clinical performance tonight, facing the Pulse is a challenge that Stars wing attack Gina Crampton is not taking for granted.

"We've had massive battles with the Pulse so far this year and then finals netball is a whole different ball game so it'll be really interesting," she said.

Sunday's grand final kicks off at 4pm, and with both teams in season-best form, it's sure to be the match of the season.