NETBALL
VNL
By TOM HAYES
GIPPSLAND Stars made the most of their only home game of 2025, claiming six points across both senior divisions.
Victorian Netball League’s Round 5 action took the Stars to the Warragul Leisure Centre to do battle with Peninsula Waves on Wednesday, April 9.
So eager was the Stars’ faithful, that the event was sold out days before, which only meant the atmosphere was top notch for the home side.
23/U: Gippsland Stars 45 drew with Peninsula Waves 45
GETTING the night underway was the 23 and Under side still searching for their first win of 2025, while the Waves had secured two wins already.
An uphill battle might’ve been expected from the outset, but the Stars had proved time and time again that they will play at their best until the final bell, doing so again to claim an emphatic draw.
Consecutive goals to the Waves early into the first term grew a small deficit for the Stars, but despite the turns in momentum, the Waves could only manage to get as far as four goals ahead.
Myah Healy and Grace Van Tilburg kept the Stars in it, tying the game up inside the final minutes of the first quarter, only for the Waves to shoot three in a row to go three goals clear at the break.
Looking back on the first quarter, the Waves were going to be tough to break, not missing a single shot, although the Stars only missed three.
A flurry of chances for the Stars had them back within a goal, however they could have led with a number of shots going wayward. Despite this, they held the momentum toward the end of the quarter, going into halftime just one goal down.
With no room for error in the second half, the Stars were blown off the park in the third quarter, letting the Waves soar out to what looked like an unassailable lead.
Two rounds of five-straight goals to the Waves had them up by 12 goals going into the last quarter.
But as always, the Stars weren’t going to let them run over the top so easily, starting the fourth quarter with the first five goals, almost halving the margin.
With eight goals the difference with 10 minutes left, the Stars equally had the next eight shots of the game, but could only score five of them. Nonetheless, with the margin just three goals to the Waves, all of the pressure was mounted on the visitors.
The Waves missed their next two possessions, meaning the door was wide open for the 23/U Stars, who put up the next two shots, scoring both. Only a goal now separated the two.
The Waves responded, but the next three attempts went the way of the Stars. Only one sunk, as the Waves scored again to keep the margin two goals in their favour.
Healy had plenty of the ball under the ring late, scoring in the final minute to make it a one goal game. The Waves wasted their last chance, meaning if the Stars played their cards right, they could pinch victory.
Healy tied the game up with mere seconds remaining, and with the final shot of the game, she missed the chance to give the Stars the lead, as the game ended all square, 45 goals apiece.
Reigning 23/U best-and-fairest Chloe Radford displayed her class in Warragul, earning herself the Player of the Match award.
Healy scored 27 goals at 79.4 per cent accuracy, while Grace Van Tilburg (nine goals), Charlize Traumanis (five goals), and Anna Mooney (four goals) assisted her to the best of their abilities.
Championship: Gippsland Stars 48 def Peninsula Waves 45
THE Championship Stars picked up their second win of the season, claiming a 48 to 45 victory over Peninsula Waves later that evening.
A sluggish start for the Stars saw the Waves open up a four goal lead from the offset, maintaining it for the first quarter to lead 17-13 at quarter time.
The tide changed in the second term however, as the Stars dominated the last five minutes of the half.
During that period, the Stars went from four goals down to all square, knocking down five goals to one in the final five minutes of the half.
An energised Stars outfit had the Waves on the back foot as the second half got underway, scoring from five of the first six shots of the third quarter. All of a sudden, the Stars held a five-goal lead.
As the Waves tried to chip away at the Stars’ lead, the Gippsland side found ways to prevent the lead from dissipating.
Up by six goals at one stage, the Stars conceded three consecutive goals late, leaving two goals between the two sides going into the final quarter.
The Stars were the first to blink once again, scoring the first five goals of the final quarter. They now had a seven goal buffer.
The Waves could only get as close as within four goals in the last quarter following that flurry, as the Stars held off all advances until the game was tied up.
Heading into the final minute, the Stars had six goals up their sleeve, allowing the Waves to pinch three late goals to seal the 48-45 win for the home side.
Defender Akayla Peterson claimed the Player of the Match for her persistent defensive effort.
Captain Daisy Hill and Stacie Gardiner shared the scoring load with 21 goals (87.5 per cent accuracy) and 19 goals (82.6 per cent) respectively. Alahna Arnason chimed in with eight goals to her name.
