KEY MOMENTS
Championship
- Bendigo Strikers had a dominant 15-goal win over the Southern Saints to keep in touch with the top four. Charlotte Sexton and Zoe Davies caused headaches for the Saints attackers throughout the whole game, preventing the Saints scoring more than ten goals for the first three quarters. Gabe Richards (40 goals, 95% accuracy) and Teal Hocking (13 goals, 92%) were outstanding at the post for the Strikers, with only three misses between them.
- Hawks Netball came away with a confident win over the Geelong Cougars to make it four wins in-a-row. A lapse in the third quarter from the Cougars opened a door for Hawks to take charge of the game, winning that quarter 19-9. Jess Tetley’s (16 goals, 80%) court craft and vision into the goal circle were critical for the Hawks to get the ball into Ashlea Mawer who scored 39 goals (86%). Cougars’ Alahria Smith kept the ball rolling with pinpoint feeds into the circle.
- A strong outing for the Western Warriors against the Gippsland Stars gave the Warriors their second win of the season. The Stars experimented with a different shooting lineup, giving the Warriors defenders a chance to take advantage of an unfamiliar combination. The injection of Elly Randall for the Warriors proved worthy as Randall’s angles on the body and footwork confused the space, forcing the ball away from the Stars shooters.
23&Under
- North East Blaze remains undefeated, handing Melbourne University Lightning their first loss of the season. An 18-9 first quarter was all Blaze needed to get the upper hand on Lightning who were unable to claw back the deficit. Lightning used a lot of rotations acting more reactive than proactive whereas Blaze were consistent in their lineup throughout the game. The goal keepers in Blaze’s Eliza Molino and Lightning’s Tilly Shephard dominated their circles to keep heads turning.
- Geelong Cougars got the chocolates over Hawks Netball thanks to a disciplined 16-9 fourth quarter. Allie Davidson (27 goals, 81%) had a strong start for the Hawks as their main goal scorer in goal attack. Hawks led by six goals at the last break, but 15 goals from Eliza Dunell (26 goals, 86%) in the fourth quarter got the Cougars over the line.
- City West Falcons started the game off hot scoring 9-3 early until Boroondara Express made changes in their shooting circle to get them back in the contest. Leila Simpson won ball in crucial moments for Express while Ally Black (23 goals, 76%) ramped up the work rate in and outside of the circle. It wasn’t until the shift of Amalani Fauonuku into goal defence and the injection of Imogen Sexton into goal attack (19 goals, 95%) when the scoreline increased into Falcons’ favour.
- The Peninsula Waves put the foot on the gas for an almighty win in front of a home crowd against the Casey Demons. It was the Waves’ game to lose with the home side not taking a step back from the contest, extending their lead at each break. The Waves’ Madison Mullen and Kelsie Wilson smothered any ball in their vicinity and any shooting combination the Demons tried.
RESULTS
Championship
Hawks Netball (61) vs (44) Geelong Cougars
Wilson Storage Southern Saints (41) vs (56) Bendigo Strikers
Gippsland Stars (41) vs (51) Western Warriors
City West Falcons (72) vs (56) Boroondara Express
North East Blaze (71) vs (48) Melbourne University Lightning
Peninsula Waves (48) vs (70) Casey Demons
23&Under
Hawks Netball (49) vs (51) Geelong Cougars
Wilson Storage Southern Saints (56) vs (61) Bendigo Strikers
Gippsland Stars (39) vs (56) Western Warriors
City West Falcons (58) vs (46) Boroondara Express
North East Blaze (52) vs (40) Melbourne University Lightning
Peninsula Waves (62) vs (38) Casey Demons
HOT SHOT LEADERBOARDS
Championship
- 362 – Jane Cook (Falcons)
- 256 – Ashlea Mawer (Hawks)
- 237 – Isabelle Hodgson (Express)
23&Under
- 285 – Olivia Cawthray (Blaze)
- 184 - Charlize Gabel Joseph (Waves)
- 165 – Dakota Blade (Hawks)
NEXT UP – ROUND 7
Monday 28 April
Boroondara Express vs Western Warriors (Balwyn North)
Wednesday 30 April
Gippsland Stars vs Wilson Storage Southern Saints
Bendigo Strikers vs Geelong Cougars
Melbourne University Lightning vs Casey Demons
Peninsula Waves vs Hawks Netball
North East Blaze vs City West Falcons
