NETBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
Rosedale remain the only unbeaten A grade side in the North Gippsland league after a one-point win against Churchill at the weekend.
While a number of players have pulled up sore according to coach Stacey Scott, the side will be aided by the return of Lorrell Lowe who was injured in round two.
The star shooter and goal attack is expected to take to the court on Saturday to assist the Blues when they take on eighth-placed Heyfield.
Lowe injured her calf in round two and has since been restricted to the sidelines but Scott said her return came at a welcome time.
“Hopefully we can continue on with the current form that we’ve been playing at, we’ve had a few girls pull up sore from the weekend but I think we can still draw on the players we have,” she said.
“Amy Harrison has pulled up injured so we’ll see how she goes, she plays a lot of footy for the Casey Demons so she probably needs to make sure she’s not injured for that role either.”
“Heyfield have had a few changes from last season so I think they’ve had a bit of an exodus but in saying this they’re a nice tightknit community and they’ll always be competitive.”
The Roos have won just two of their five games so far this season and will be keen to flex their muscle and secure the win.
Glengarry v Yarram
Yarram A grade coach Stacey Staley believes her side has one of the best attitudes in the competition following a 10-goal win against Traralgon Tyers United in round five.
The Demons are two games behind top-placed Rosedale, winning three of their five games so far this season in stunning fashion.
“My girls’ attitude on the court was much better than TTU’s attitude which really helped with the flow of the game – we were able to adapt to our own style,” Staley said.
“We’ve only lost two games so far and they were to the top sides so I’m highly confident we’ll make finals this year if we keep going the way we’re going.”
But opponent Glengarry has been flagged as a “danger” for Yarram as the Magpies sit a few spots below with two wins this season.
The Demons will rely on Hazel Karrison-Male who joins the senior side from the under 17s – the third player to join the A grade side from the under 17s.
“The young girls are going really well together, Chloe Finn played all season last year and has developed into a strong goal attack which is pleasing to see,” Staley said.
“While Glengarry are always pretty tough for us, I think we’ll have to have a good crack at it on Saturday.”
Sale City v Cowwarr
Cowwarr could sneak into the top five this weekend when it travels to Sale to take on the Bulldogs.
The Saints sit sixth with two wins and a draw following a seven-goal loss to Glengarry in round five.
Cowwarr A grade coach Ebony Galea said it was hard to predict what to expect this weekend.
“Coming off the loss on the weekend we’ve worked on a few things at training that we think we can better ourselves with,” Galea said.
“There’s some things that we can improve on that will hopefully get us over the line on Saturday, just some court work in regards to feeding it down the court, and just some different match ups.
“Our A-grade side is such a good side. We’ve got the potential, we lost it a bit on the weekend so we need to stay focused and play our game.”
Galea said her side would look for a more “laid-back, controlled” approach this weekend after they were “run off their feet” by Glengarry at the weekend.
“We rushed it too much on the weekend, Glengarry played fast and I think we ended up playing like them rather than how we like to play,” she said.
TTU v Gormandale
Gormandale A grade coach Bronwyn Joyce is optimistic despite her side’s failure to register a win this season following a six-goal loss to Heyfield on Saturday.
Joyce said despite the team’s poor start to the season, the Tigers had lost four of their five games played by six goals or less.
“We’re going to be coming in strong on Saturday and hopefully definitely get a win against the Bombers,” Joyce said.
“So far the actual determination and physicality of the teams in A grade has been momentous to watch but we need to eliminate turnovers and be able to get the ball flowing through the midcourt.
“The transition out from defence and getting it down successfully to our shooters and using the corridors of the court is essential for us to register a win this weekend.”
Traralgon Tyers United are in reasonable form, sitting inside the top five with two wins and a draw but come off a 10-goal loss to Yarram in round five.
“Gormandale have had a tough time over the last few years but our spirit and determination to get a win on the board is there, it’s all about self-belief,” Joyce said.
“We’re confident we’ll come away with a win this weekend, all we need to do is believe in ourselves and the rest will fall in place.”
Woodside v Churchill
THE Wildcats are beginning to show some class on the court and could be a contender for a top five finish after a 17-goal win against Sale City at the weekend.
Woodside A grade coach Kristy Lucas said Churchill could pose some challenges this weekend but she was positive ahead of the round six clash.
“We’ve had a good, consistent couple of games and we’re starting to work through getting to know each other on the court,” Lucas said.
“We’re looking forward to taking Churchill on who appear to have had a great start to the season.
“We know they’re a fast side and I feel like they’re going to be certainly a top three team that we need to take into consideration.”
But the second-placed Cougars could be a challenge for the Wildcats who sit seventh on the ladder.
