The Northern Rivers NET League Finals went down on Saturday, and it delivered some genuinely good tennis, nervous moments, an old school BBQ, and a lot of people who really care about their community sport.
The marquee clash was A grade – Byron Bay versus Mullumbimby, as nature intended.
It went the distance, with Mullum ultimately getting the job done in the final singles match. Onyx Cheong was the hero, pipping Che Ward in the deciding set to hand Mullumbimby the A grade title.
Byron had their revenge in B grade, taking out that division and ensuring the rivalry remains very much alive and unresolved.
Though Mullum’s Simon Haslam made sure nobody left thinking Byron had it easy – his singles match was the tightest of the day, grinding all the way to a super tiebreak before Haslam closed it out 11 to 9 against David Gargiulo. At that point, a cold drink was well deserved.
The C grade competition rounded out the day, and a warm nod to Ballina for making the trip and finishing as runners-up to Mullum. Coming from out of town to play in someone else’s backyard and losing graciously is an underrated skill – and so is asking us to check the net height (haha!).
The NET League is the Northern Rivers’ first adult regional competition designed around the radical idea that adults (and some emerging young superstars) should also be allowed to have fun playing tennis in a club and community run format. No prize money, just clubs from across the region showing up, competing, and arguing over a line call.
Good tennis. Good day. A big thank you to Jesse Taylor for organising it all.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
