FIXTURE
Wednesday 10 July
State Netball Centre, Parkville
Gippsland Stars vs Geelong Cougars (23&U only – Championship BYE)
Peninsula Waves vs Bendigo Strikers
North East Blaze vs Melbourne University Lightning
Waverley Netball Centre, Glen Waverley
Wilson Storage Southern Saints vs Boroondara Express
Stonnington Sports Centre, Malvern East
Hawks Netball vs Casey Demons
Altona Sports Centre, Altona
City West Falcons vs Western Warriors
BROADCAST
Wednesday, 19 June
Netball Victoria Facebook
Peninsula Waves vs Bendigo Strikers
7.00pm - 23&U
8.30pm - Championship
KommunityTV
Gippsland Stars vs Geelong Cougars
7.00pm - 23&U
WS Southern Saints vs Boroondara Express
8.30pm - Championship
Subscription required (access is free for existing Herald Sun subscribers).
ROUND HIGHLIGHTS
Championship
- A bye for Geelong Cougars has opened a huge opportunity for Hawks Netball to secure a finals spot this week. The two sides sit on equal points and will play off in the final round, but first, Hawks are to face ninth-placed Casey Demons, who they defeated by 14 goals earlier in the season. Expect a shootout at the newly opened Stonnington Sports Centre between the Demons’ Emma Ryde and Hawks’ Kaylia Stanton who’ve both been shooting up the hot shots leaderboard this year.
- Wilson Storage Southern Saints will be returning fresh from their bye to shake up the finals for Boroondara Express. The second placed side has had a fall from grace towards the backend of the season and need to lock in some confidence-boosting wins before finals. Express goal shooter Bella Hodgdon was a standout last week with 35 goals at 92% accuracy – a mighty task for Saints defenders Jessie Grenvold and Mia Van Wyk.
23&Under
- North East Blaze will feature in their third top-four clash in four weeks when they take on second-placed Melbourne University Lightning. Blaze sits third on the ladder but look to be the in-form team of the competition, knocking the top sides off their perch in an 11-match winning streak. Goal shooter Olivia Cawthray starred in her last game with 52 goals at 92% accuracy, but faces a huge challenge in Lightning defenders Charlee Kemp and Dayna Williams who were key to their team’s come-from-behind victory last week.
- Finals chances may be dashed for WS Southern Saints and Boroondara Express, but they’ll be playing for pride after coming off a string of wins. Both sides utilized all four shooters last week and played their entire bench, so expect a chess match between Saints coaches Matt Cooke and Jacqui Carroll and Express’ Stacey Gannon.
ONE TO WATCH
Ava Gaul – Gippsland Stars
As a key member of Drouin’s A Grade team in the Gippsland League, Ava Gaul earned the league’s team of the year honours at wing attack in 2023. At VNL level, the formidable 23&U Stars midcourter played for the Casey Demons last season, at Boroondara Express in 2022, and is known for her quick thinking and speedy footwork. Look out for her connection with fellow midcourter Paris Dunkley, cousin of the Queensland Firebirds’ Lara Dunkley.
