Round 9 of the VNL was Pride Round, thanks to RACV. All 10 teams showed their support for the LGBT+ community donning rainbow bibs, colourful hair ties, shoelaces and socks while Melbourne University Lightning pulled on their Pride Round dresses.
19/Under
Wilson Storage Southern Saints 51 defeated North East Blaze 50
City West Falcons 49 defeated Booroondara Express 34
Casey Demons 44 defeated by Melbourne University Lightning 55
Peninsula Waves 58 defeated Hawks Netball 52
Fourth vs sixth is not often a game talked about but the battle between North East Blaze and Wilson Storage Southern Saints was an absolute nail-biter.
There was not much that could separate the two teams throughout the game and it was a midcourt masterclass from the likes of Charlize Buskermolen and Ruby Shannon. Their pressure clogged the middle channel leading to a vast amount of general turnovers and deflections from cross-court passing.
With so much pressure coming from outside the circle, Malia Seumanutafa made finding the post look easy, that is if Buskermolen could get the ball to her through the dynamic defensive duo of Grace Hay and Ally Langdon. The pair utilised a double team defence on Seumanutafa to gain intercepts and cause turnovers and baseline throw-ins. While they were preventing an easy goal, it often left goal attack Bella Templeton to her own devices in the circle allowing her to shoot accurately from range throughout the game.
Down the other end, Saints goal keeper Mia van Wyk continued her strong campaign showing off how a little bit of height and fancy footwork wins you the ball. In the end, van Wyk forced Blaze to bring on training partner turned hotshot shooter, Olivia Cawthray to prevent a lead from ever extending more than three goals.
In the end it was the third-quarter surge, that got the Saints over the line by a mere goal.
Division 1
Wilson Storage Southern Saints 37 defeated by North East Blaze 74
City West Falcons 53 defeated Booroondara Express 47
Casey Demons 45 defeated by Melbourne University Lightning 64
Peninsula Waves 44 defeated by Hawks Netball 68
With Pride Round the focus, Peninsula Waves also celebrated a milestone with Stacie Gardiner notching up her 150th game. Gardiner is a key player with her endurance and fitness front and centre. However, it wasn’t the fairytale match the side was hoping for as the Hawks romped home a 24-goal win after nailing the first five goals.
The effortless shooting was backed up by some stunning midcourt effort with Abigail Inglis or Sasha Witts picking up the crumbs. Pulling on the wing defence bib, Witts confused the space and supported teammate Sarah Deller collecting loose balls from the various tips that occurred in the circle.
Down the other end, Waves pulled out all the tricks to prevent any easy pass into the Hawks’ shooting circle. It was a standout performance from Adrienne Harris (GD) who played off the body, high in the circle to read incoming passages of play. Her smarts and athleticism allowed for her to score some timely intercepts and deflections in the second and third quarters. However, despite her full court effort, it wasn’t enough to reduce the deficit.
Championship Division
Wilson Storage Southern Saints 58 defeated North East Blaze 57
City West Falcons 73 defeated Booroondara Express 55
Casey Demons 58 drew Melbourne University Lightning 58
Peninsula Waves 57 defeated Hawks Netball 56
If you could have watched any round of the Championship division this was the round to watch as Casey and Melbourne University Lightning went toe-to-toe. With the ladder starting to take shape the tussle between the two sides was enthralling right from the get-go.
Each quarter told its own story. Casey Demons came out with a strong start before heading into half-time down by 10 goals thanks to a dominant Lightning outfit. But that momentum was short-lived, the Demons demolishing Melbourne University’s lead seven minutes into the third quarter. Leading the charge and causing these momentum swings were Vixen training partners Jordan Cransberg and Sharni Lambden respectively. Cransberg put on a show in the second term owning the top of the circle, leaving Casey scratching their heads.
However, it was Lambden who everyone was marveling at by the end of the night, finishing her game off with plenty of deflections and well-timed intercepts including one in the dying seconds that led to the game’s eventual draw. Across the court, both players were supported by an array of outstanding Victorian pathway talent including fellow Vixens training partner Gabby Coffey, who moved into wing defence to provide some height and stop the easy cross-court ball into holding shooter Emma Ryde.
