NETBALL – RVNL
Round two of the Regional Victorian Netball League did not disappoint with Mid Gippsland taking on a young Sale Netball team in the open division’s early game.
Mid scored the first four goals and looked in control early on but it didn’t take long for Sale to find its feet with its shooters settling on a steady 81 per cent conversion rate.
Mid Gippsland was its own worst enemy, making some unforced errors to give Sale the lead at the quarter-time break, 13-12.
After receiving a rev-up from coach Hayley McColl, Mid Gippsland came out firing in the second.
It scored the first nine goals, winning the second quarter and doubling its opponent’s score, 16-8.
Sale was not going down without a fight and still looked strong in the third quarter, but a devastating injury to its wing attack, Emily Morrison, who fed the majority of the ball into the goal circle, rattled Sale and allowed Mid Gippsland to capitalise and finish the game 50-39 victors.
At the later time slot of 9pm North Gippsland took on the steel wall that is Gippsland.
The first quarter could not separate the two teams until the last few minutes with North finishing two goals up.
Gippsland’s coach Kate French instructed goal shooter Taylin Gourley to set up in a more side on position, with the other attacking players told to look for the long bomb into Gourley.
Going into the second quarter North Gippsland’s miscommunication in its attacking line-up turned into too many unforced errors and its two-goal lead turned into a six-goal deficit at three-quarter-time.
North Gippsland coach, Shirley Fromberg, made some big changes going into the third quarter, moving goal keeper to goal attack, goal attack to goal shooter and swapping the wing attack and centre around.
The changes worked and North clawed back two goals going into the fourth quarter.
The determination of North Gippsland was on show in the fourth quarter as it threw everything it had at last year’s champs.
With the scores even North ran out of puff in the last five minutes, going down by nine goals, the largest margin of the game.
RESULTS
Open
Mid Gippsland 50 d Sale 39
Gippsland 59 d North Gippsland 50
Under 17s
East Gippsland 59 d Mid Gippsland 27
Gippsland 47 d Pakenham 46
North Gippsland 49 d Sale 39
