It’s the first day of competition for the Victorian All Abilities State team in the Marie Little OAM Shield tournament in Brisbane.

Day schedule:

9.45am v NSW

11.00am BYE

12.45 v QLD

Victoria 13 def New South Wales 11

The Victorian state team have come out firing in game one of the Marie Little OAM Shield, after an impressive first half of intense and patient netball against New South Wales. With a competitive NSW side refusing to give up, Victoria kicked into gear and responded with immense pressure and strong hands over the ball, while assisting the attack end with direct drives.

At half time there was only one goal between the two sides, with Victoria hanging on by a goal. Brooke Baker and Emma Daffy were pivotal in the goal circle, taking confidence in their shots and following up the rebounds. Emma also played a key role in transition from defence, assisting Kim Larkin and Renay Hall in bringing the ball into attack.

Claire Nugent and Rachel Potter were outstanding in defence. Rachel was the go-to player bringing the ball down the length of the court and had the ability to take soaring intercepts as NSW looked into the goal circle. Her dynamic movements allowed Claire to have control of the ring, claiming the rebounds and loose balls coming in.

The NSW attack end was kept quiet by Bianca Lauricella, Grace Dean and Sky Grace who were busy holding up the WA’s drives. Their ability to maintain possession of the ball and intercept down the line was a great assistance to the team.

The powerhouses, Kim and Renay showcased their experience, leading the team throughout the middle of the court and into the goal end, timing their leads well and providing plenty of movement and space. Kim and Renay stepped up in the final half, as the game was on the line, with strong body presence against a competitive NSW and were able to work the ball in, no matter how long it took them.

Erin Munckton made a smooth transition into the second half, bringing her poise and patience to the circle. Her patient approach provided a great deal of confidence in the final moments of the game, where Victoria were able to take the lead and win by two goals.

Victoria 23 def Queensland 6

Victoria have settled well into the competition, with another successful win to Queensland to cap off day one of the Marie Little OAM Shield. The first half saw a new line-up step out, but the girls adapted well to the change, taking control of the game leading 10-3 at half time.

Bianca started well in centre, remaining calm and controlled as she worked the ball into attack, with accurate feeds from the goal circle edge. Brooke continued her impressive shooting, paving a clear pathway for Erin and Emma to sweep at the top of the ring, while also taking a shot from a long range. Erin was able to use her height to jump at rebounds and drive along the baseline to receive a bullet pass from Brooke.

Grace utilised her speed in centre in the second half, providing a strong contest and body presence against her opposition. While Victoria were in front for the most part of the game, QLD provided plenty of intensity and kept the pressure on.

In defence, Claire capitalised on her height mismatch against her opponent to take multiple intercepts and high balls when the ball was entering the defence end and provided long drives through the centre third to assist the transition into attack. Alongside Claire, Sky was a great back up in defence, as she continually judged wayward balls and found her player at all times to gain rebounds and intercepts, while being available for a quick pass in attack.

Renay and Kim came out firing in the last quarter, showcasing their strong connection on court after playing together so often. Kim’s drives in wing-attack provided the perfect setup for a smooth transition into the goal circle and her ball skills and delivery was impressive. Captain, Rachel Potter demonstrated strong leadership skills on and off the court and was a great encouragement for her teammates.

While the intensity wasn’t as fierce as the game against NSW, game two certainly displayed some great highlights and power plays.