The South Coast Blaze will miss the finals after their run in Premier League netball competition was brought to a halt by the Manly Waringah Sapphires.
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Officials said it was a make or break occasion for both the Opens and under 23s rosters for the Blaze.
It showed from the outset as the Blaze set up a tight defence and synced up attacking opportunities on the net.
However, it was going to be a tough challenge from the outset with the Sapphires holding down second on the leaderboard.
The challenge was too much to overcome with the Sapphires clinching wins in both divisions to see the Blaze season coming to a close.
Coach Marji Parr says while the season is over, there's big things for the future of Blaze.
"It's been wonderful to see new faces and new players come in [and] in different combinations and entry into the Open's environment in particular," Ms Parr said.
"There's been some really strong performances from existing players as well so I'm looking forward to the depth that Blaze will be able to grow.
"It's only been four years in the competition and I can't wait to see what year five looks like for the club."
In the under 23s showdown, the Blaze showed patches of clinical brilliance amid its youthful enthusiasm.
The Blaze certainly took the fight to their more fancied opponents in Manly Waringah, and while the results brings the season to a close, coach Heather Smith says there are positives in spades.
"The commitment and the connection and culture of this team is just amazing and you would not know week to week what the score line was because they turn up motivated and ready to work, and that's all you can ask for as a coach," she said.
There was a frenetic pace from the outset, with a few turnovers aiding Manly in getting a narrow lead in the first quarter.
In the second the Blaze made some positional changes, which helped secure some attacking opportunities, but also opened the door for Manly who jumped out to a 16-goal lead.
The Blaze steadied in the third and closed the margin, but unforced errors crept in late in the piece for Manly to hold an advantage.
New combinations were on show in the final quarter as the Blaze lit up the court for their final 15 minutes of the season.
Shot accuracy hindered some otherwise solid attacking moves with the Sapphires clinching the win 54-35.
In the Opens, coach Parr sent Abbey McFadden forward and she proved herself dominant through early passages to give the Blaze a good score, while goal defence Kara Styles has having a blinder with some stellar intercepts limiting the Sapphires.
The Sapphires came out to play in the second quarter and rallied some quick goals before the Blaze found their footing again to keep play tight with Blaze holding a 32-27 lead.
The third quarter was a bit more frantic and some missed passes hindered the Blaze, but a late rally kept them within one goal heading into the final period.
With a change in Goal Attack, the Blaze players were a little apprehensive early before settling into the new rhythm, but it was enough for Manly to extend its lead. The Blaze found the rhythm late in play and began reeling the Sapphires back, but the clock ran down with Manly ahead 52-49.
