With spots for finals still up for grabs, don’t miss the final home and away round of VNL! All ten clubs will return to the State Netball Centre to battle it out for a place in next week’s finals.
FIXTURE
Wednesday 19 July
- Geelong Cougars vs Peninsula Waves
- Hawks Netball vs North East Blaze (Livestream – Netball Victoria Facebook Page)
- Wilson Storage Southern Saints vs Melbourne University Lightning
- City West Falcons vs Casey Demons (Livestream – KommunityTV)
- Boroondara Express vs Ariels
BROADCAST GUIDE
Netball Victoria Facebook
Hawks Netball vs North East Blaze
7pm – 19&U | 8.20pm – Division 1 | 9.40pm – Championship
KommunityTV
City West Falcons vs Casey Demons
7pm – 19&U | 8.20pm – Championship | 9.40pm – Division 1
ONES TO WATCH
Championship
Fourth-placed Melbourne University Lightning will be hoping to cement their finals berth with a victory against Wilson Storage Southern Saints. Currently a game clear going into the last round, a win would see Lightning claim the final spot in this division’s finals. Defender Maggie Carris has been impressive all season and will need to continue that form when she takes on Emily Andrew in the circle. Hawks Netball and North East Blaze will be eager to rejoin the winners list when they play this week. Blaze, who sit in fifth, come off a four-goal loss while the sixth-placed Hawks fell just short in Round 17. With a slim chance of making finals if other results fall the winner’s way, it’s 60 minutes that can’t be missed! It’ll be a battle of the shooters when Nyah Allen and Kaylia Stanton go head-to-head on both ends of the court.
Division 1
Round 18 will see a top four clash between Hawks Netball and North East Blaze. The second-placed Hawks will be hoping to bounce back from last week’s loss, while Blaze, who sit in third, will be hoping to continue their winning streak going into finals. Keep an eye out for Kaila Swindell and Maddi Wallmeyer who’ll be battling it out in the midcourt. Ladder leaders Geelong Cougars will be chasing consecutive wins when they take on Peninsula Waves. April Bethune, who’s been a pillar in Waves’ defence, will have her hands full trying to stop an in-form Ellen Doyle.
19/Under
Second-placed City West Falcons will be hoping to make it two in a row with a win against Casey Demons. The Falcons enjoyed a commanding 30-goal victory last week, while the Demons are on a three-game winning streak. Expect to see a fierce battle in the middle between Elisa Butterworth-Gonebale and Lainey Bidwell, who’ve both been strong for their sides in 2023. Boroondara Express and Ariels will be hoping to finish their season on a high when they faceoff this week. Eloise Argoon has been crucial in Ariels’ defensive lineup and will need to continue that form when she comes up against sharpshooter Teah Wilson.
