ZOE ASKEW
NETBALL
By ZOE ASKEW NETBALL returned to Gippsland courts at the weekend after the Easter break, with the Gippsland League entering Round 2. Traralgon was too good for Maffra in the Gippsland League, the Maroons defeating the Eagles 40-25. Montanna Styles, Milly Murphy and Sophie Lecchino were best on for Traralgon. Natalie Allman, Rebecca Bourke and Sarah Edey were best on for Maffra. Warragul couldn’t stop Moe from taking home the win, the Lions defeating the Gulls 62-50. Olivia Barnett, Ramayer Gourley and Hollie Bugeja were best on for Moe. Kate Emerson and Sienna Green were Warragul’s best. Gippsland League 2022 premier Morwell had a convincing win over Drouin, 52-38. Chloe Radford, Saskia Enjes and Tanya Budge were best on for Morwell. Kym Diston, Ella Henderson and Chloe Papley were Drouin’s best. Leongatha had wins across all grades in the Gippsland League. The Parrots defeated Wonthaggi 56-38 in A Grade, 61-25 in B Grade, 51-22 in C Grade, 34-31 in Under 17s, 45-24 in Under 15s and 48-17 in Under 13s. Taylah Brown, Nicola Marriott and Lauren Redpath were best on for Leongatha. Courtney Brann, Bella Anderson and Cassidy Bowman were best on for Wonthaggi. On Sunday, Bairnsdale overpowered Sale at the Nest, the Redlegs beating the Magpies 35-24. Teagan Harrison, Kasey Dessent and Rachel Ronaldson were best on for Sale. Emily Hall, Annora Virgo and Sally Deller were best on for Bairnsdale. NORTH GIPPSLAND completed Round 2, following a standalone match between Yallourn Yallourn North and Yarram on Good Friday. On Saturday evening, you could almost guarantee that every Sale City netball player had a smile on their face as they drove back from Gormandale, with the Bulldogs dominating the competition in every grade. Sale City A Grade defeated Gormandale 68-17, their new uniforms looking as good as their netball. “We started strong, adapting to the wet weather quickly, gaining an early lead through high intensity and strong defensive pressure from all over the court,” Sale City A Grade coach Jae Evans said. “We were able to continue to build on our lead throughout the game, ensuring that we converted on every turnover. “Best on was Charlotte Ronchi with extremely high shooting accuracy, shooting a massive 53 goals.” The Bulldogs now hold the top spot on the ladder ahead of Round 3. Sale City B Grade defeated Gormandale 64-37, 42-37 in C Grade, 50-11 in D Grade, 62-7 in 17 and Under and 78-2 in 15 and Under. Rosedale almost had a clean sweep in Round 2 against Churchill. The Blues defeated the Cougars 55-50 in A Grade, 38-36 in B Grade, 31-30 in D Grade, 48-10 in the Under 17s and 46-4 in Under 15s. Churchill squandered Rosedale’s chances at winning six from six in C Grade, the Cougars defeating the Blues 42-32. Unsurprisingly, Woodside had a strong win in A Grade, defeating Traralgon Tyers United 64-28. Playing for the first time on their new courts, the Bombers topped the Wildcats 35-34 in C Grade, 42-16 in the Under 17s, and 22-13 in the Under 15s. Woodside defeated TTU 33-28 in D Grade. Glengarry proved a threatening side in 2022, with the preliminary finalists finishing second on the ladder. After a strong win in Round 1 against 2022 grand finalists, Rosedale, the Magpies stamped their dominance and strength in the competition, making for the biggest upset in the NGFNL A Grade so far when 2022 midtable side Heyfield defeated Glengarry 47-29 at the weekend. The Magpies defeated the Kangaroos 60-59 in B Grade, 49-27 in C Grade, and 51-15 in D Grade. The round was played over two weekends, with Yallourn Yallourn North and Yarram playing on Good Friday. The Jets were able to make use of most clubs in the region having a week off, calling on a number of gun players to fill in, helping them to victory. MORWELL East and Foster played a marquee game in Mid Gippsland. The two clubs brought their scheduled Round 8 match forward, playing the week before the league officially begins this Saturday. The Hawks had a commanding win over the Tigers, getting the job done 74-19. Dannie Dunn collected best on court honours for the winners.
