Shepparton Bears v Echuca
Only two teams remain unbeaten after four rounds of the GVL A Grade netball season, and it won’t be for another two months until they meet to potentially break the deadlock.
Ellie Warnock’s Euroa and Kim Borger’s Shepparton Bears share top spot on the ladder, while Seymour and Tatura sit one game behind.
Borger played an unusual second fiddle in her team’s 11-goal win, with Ruby Higgins coming onto the court in the second term and scoring 20 goals for the game. Sophie Harmer started in goals before ending the game in the centre.
The Bears led Mooroopna at every change, although the last term was an 11-all scoreline. Bears defenders Hannah Crawley and Molly Kennedy faced off against quality opposition but restricted Ash Lancaster and her feeder partners to 10 third-term goals.
They will face off against Rose Byrne on the weekend after she shot 12 first-quarter goals and finished with 30 for the game. Ashlea Hare and Lillie Taylor will match up against Borger and her co-goalers this weekend, while Echuca looks set on a mix of Kylie Walker, Emma J Head, Maisy Byrne, and Isabella Spring to partner veteran Steph Vick in the mid-court.
My prediction is for Shepparton to take the win by 13 goals.
Seymour v Shepp United
Seymour has dropped to third after losing its first game of the season, while United has squared the ledger and sits inside the top six—as one of four teams with two wins and two losses.
The Lions rolled out the big guns in attack for the game against Euroa, but were comfortably outscored for three quarters before only losing the final term by two.
Ellie Fuhrmeister and Ruby Martin played together in goals, while Georgia Engel started with the job on Olivia Morris before that job was passed onto Toni Bootland.
Morris finished with 54 goals in the 21-goal win, while Fuhrmeister shot 26 of her team’s 48 goals.
Seymour used Lucy Zotti exclusively in the mid-court, alongside Casey Adamson, and Olivia Barry had three quarters in the mid-court.
United shook a determined Kyabram by scoring 29 goals to 15 after half-time, with Abby Gilmore (16 second-half goals) and Hannah Onley (31 for the game) in control.
Holly Kirby interchanged with Montanna Burke in the centre, but United changed little else in the 25-goal win (59–34).
My prediction is for Seymour to take the win by 18 goals.
Shepp Swans v Rochester
After a disappointing loss to Mooroopna a week earlier, the Swans were up for the Anzac Day bout with fourth-ranked Tatura and led by two goals at half-time.
Chelsea McDonald, Natasha Atkinson, and Sienna Burke interchanged in goals, while Klarindah Hudson was again the backbone of the defence, pitted against Charlette Gray.
The Swans were still in front at three-quarter time but lost the last quarter 8–12 to remain with just one win for the season. Jaylah Meda came on for a short stint at goal attack, but it was Atkinson who was the major goal scorer.
Rochester had another player make her debut, with Payton Tiller facing off against a determined Mansfield. Bridgette McCarty was best on court for the winners, supported by Ava Cottam and goaler Ava Nihill.
It was a terrific come-from-behind win for the Tigerettes, who trailed Mansfield by six goals at quarter-time before a 14–7 third term gave them a half-time lead. The teams were tied at three-quarter time before the Tigers registered a second win for the season.
My prediction is for Rochester to take the win by four goals.
Mooroopna v Euroa
No surprises that reigning premier Euroa sits on top of the ladder after four rounds, having accounted for previously undefeated Seymour by 21 goals on Saturday.
The dynamic defensive duo of captain Kellie Davidson and coach Ellie Warnock had the better of Seymour’s quality duo, and the Magpies welcomed back Hollie Reid and Eliza Hoare from injury. Euroa used Bree Sudomirski after half-time, while Sophie Owen worked in tandem with Reid.
The Cats used 11 of their squad in the loss to Shepp Bears, with only shooter Ash Lancaster and winger Ash Gray spending the entire game on court. Lancaster will face quality defence this week on the back of 34 goals last weekend.
Bree Hanslow spent more time in the mid-court this week, working with Rhani Hendy and Shelby Britten. Chloe Melenmeesters was the 11th player used at goal keeper, after Dayne Williams moved to defence.
My prediction is for Euroa to take the win by 26 goals.
Kyabram v Mansfield
Mansfield has the chance to move off the bottom rung of the ladder if it can record a third straight win against Kyabram on Saturday.
The Eagles beat the Bombers by three goals and by 14 goals last season, but Kyabram sits above Mansfield on the ladder four weeks into the season.
Tash Dodos shot all of Kyabram’s eight opening-quarter goals in its loss to United on Saturday, but she and Tim Skinner (with Isla Carver occasionally in the goaling circle) struggled from that point, and Kyabram managed only 34 goals. Jemma Hall and Monique Williams will be key to the game in defence, and if they can control Alexandra Ball, the Bombers will be on their way to victory. Ball shot 23 goals in the narrow loss to Rochester on Saturday, with Amy Dixon-Rielly in support.
My prediction is for Mansfield to take the win by six goals.
Tatura v Benalla
After facing a 13-goal half-time deficit against last season’s grand finalist, Echuca, the 11th-ranked Benalla team could have been forgiven for packing it in for the remaining half.
They were only outscored by three in the second half, standing tall in the 100th game of coach Chloe Hill. Hill and Chloe Elliott combined to keep the Echuca goalers to just 20 second-half goals, while Bridget Hill shot 15 second-half goals for Benalla, with Nikita Hanson and Milly Evans in support.
The 16-goal loss means they are one of just two teams yet to win a game this year, and breaking that duck will be difficult against a Tatura team which dug deep after being challenged by Shepparton Swans on Friday night.
Captain Molly Boyle’s final-term defensive work, alongside Jasmine Fraser, allowed the Bulldogs to scrap through by two goals in a low-scoring match. Charlette Gray was the go-to goaler, supported by Julia Clarke and with constant supply from Zoe Hayes, Elsie Boyer, and Taylor Rokahr.
My prediction is for Tatura to take the win by 20 goals.
