KEY MOMENTS
The stands were packed at the State Netball Centre on Wednesday night for night one of the 2025 season, and the pulse of the Victorian Netball League was alive.
Championship
- New year, same Jane Cook. The City West Falcons goaler managed a whopping 76 goals (100% accuracy) in the first match of the season. Coming off a record 1122 goals in 2024, Cook led the reigning premiers to a 44-goal win in a battle of the west, over the Western Warriors.
- For the first match of the season, you wouldn’t expect grand final-like cheers from a crowd, but that certainly was the case in a nail-biting end to the Gippsland Stars’ inaugural Championship division match against North East Blaze. It was an intense match from the first whistle, back and forth with defensive pressure high and score accuracy on point. Kali Dolphin was fantastic in the midcourt for Blaze, feeding into Sam Silvester and shifting the game late in the match. Stacie Gardiner and Daisy Hill effortlessly gelled for Gippsland.
- Hawks Netball were dominant for the entire game against Casey Demons, resulting in a 15-goal win, but that didn’t stop Casey from putting up a fight and coming back in patches across the match. At opposite ends of the court were a veteran and a newbie who played their role for their sides – Emma Ryde proved her worth in her 7th VNL season with Casey, scoring 40 goals (91% accuracy), while new Hawks recruit, Ashlea Mawer impressed under the post, scoring 55 (98%) of the Hawks 68 goals.
23&Under
- Melbourne University Lightning took out their first match against Boroondara Express. The game was goal for goal until a few changes positionally and tactically from Lightning in the second quarter changed the game. Express were forced to adapt to the changes, but not able to do so quickly enough as Lightning - with their defensive pressure - managed to pull away and force Express into playing catch up for most of the game. The connection between Lightning goaler Kate O’Dwyer and midcourter Montaya Sardi proved pivotal in the win.
- Wilson Storage Southern Saints and Geelong Cougars are two sides that have kept their core group together coming into the 2025 season – and it showed with a relatively even competition out on court. The final 10 minutes were pivotal in the Cougars’ win, converting off turnovers and securing a five-goal victory. Young gun defenders, Mia Aitken (Cougars) and Lucinda Gatt (Saints) impressed for their respective sides and look in fine form for an impressive season to come.
FUN FACT
Both Wilson Storage Southern Saints (43) and Hawks Netball (68) finished with the exact same score in each division. With North East Blaze and Gippsland Stars in the Championships division also tying on 43 goals each, there were four final scores of 43 across the night.
UMPIRE DEBUTS
Congratulations to Jake Novak, Tiff O’Connell and Chelsea Myers for making their VNL Umpiring debut in Round 1.
RESULTS
Championship
Boroondara Express (64) – (33) MU Lightning
WS Southern Saints (43) – (57) Geelong Cougars
North East Blaze (43) - (43) Gippsland Stars
Western Warriors (41) – (85) City West Falcons
Hawks Netball (68) – (53) Casey Demons
Still to play:
Bendigo Strikers – Peninsula Waves
23&Under
Boroondara Express (43) – (56) MU Lightning
WS Southern Saints (43) – (48) Geelong Cougars
North East Blaze (80) - (27) Gippsland Stars
Western Warriors (39) – (54) City West Falcons
Hawks Netball (68) – (47) Casey Demons
Still to play:
Bendigo Strikers – Peninsula Waves
HOT SHOT LEADERBOARDS
Championship
1. 76 – Jane Cook (Falcons)
2. 55 – Ashlea Mawer (Hawks)
3. 40 – Emma Ryde (Demons)
23&Under
1. 51 – Olivia Cawthray (Blaze)
2. 34 – Henrietta Donoghue (Express)
2. 34 – Hayley Howard (Saints)
3. 33 – Kate O’Dwyer (Lightning)
NEXT UP – ROUND 2
Wednesday 19 March
Boroondara Express v Hawks Netball
Gippsland Stars v City West Falcons
Peninsula Waves v North East Blaze
Sunday 23 March
Western Warriors v Bendigo Strikers (Cobblebank Stadium, Cobblebank)
Geelong Cougars v Melbourne University Lightning (Wurdi Baierr Stadium, Torquay)
Casey Demons v WS Southern Saints (Casey Stadium, Cranbourne East)
