Netball
7 July, 2025
Saints' statement, Burras win, Ararat snap Roos streak, Thunder ground Eagles
The Horsham Saints have one hand on the minor premiership following a 65-57 win against rival Horsham on Sunday, July 6.
The win gives the ladder leaders a two-game buffer over the Demons with only seven rounds remaining in the season.
The Saints looked like premiership favourites from the opening whistle, establishing a 5-0 lead.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the home side, trailing 13-15 at the end of the first break.
Saints' Coach Vernetta Taylor said the message at quarter time was simple.
"We weren't careful enough with our centre passes, and that showed," she said.
"Once we reigned that in and started converting more centre passes, that's when we were able to get ourselves back into a dominant position."
That simple adjustment saw the Saints claw back the lead, with a 19-14 quarter, to take a three-goal lead at the main break.
The hosts extended their lead in the second half, outscoring the Demons 17-13 in the third quarter to enter the final break ahead 49-42.
A 16-15 final quarter sealed the win for the Saints with Lena Marshman finishing with 37 goals (79 per cent accuracy) and Abby Hallam added 28 (74%).
Taylor praised her players' performance, highlighting their resolve.
"I was impressed with the amount of turnovers that we were able to generate," she said.
"That's a real credit to the whole chain, but our defenders in particular, they created a lot of turnover for us, and then we were able to convert them into goals and our shooters.
"[Marshman and Hallam] performed beautifully for us today, especially considering our starting goal shooter, Jorja Clode, was unavailable."
Imogen Worthy top scored for the Demons with 41 goals (80%), while Georgia Batson was perfect with 16 goals from 16 attempts.
Minyip Murtoa recorded its first win of the season, defeating Stawell 45-43 in a seesawing game on Saturday, July 5.
The game was tight from the first whistle, as the elements tested the players' patience throughout the day.
The Burras were forced to play from behind for most of the game, as several long passes from defence ultimately sailed out of play due to strong winds.
Only one goal separated the sides at the end of the first and second quarters, with the visitors able to double their lead ahead of the main break.
The Warriors pushed the lead out to four goals in the final quarter before accurate shooting from Lucy Brand and Jess Newell saw the hosts bring the scores level.
In the final five minutes of play, the Burras were able to limit the Warriors to just two shots on goal, while converting all five attempts, sealing a two-goal victory.
After the game, coach Christie Davidson said she was rapt with her team's efforts.
"It's nice to get four points on the board," she said.
"They were always in it; they just had to have the belief that they could be in front and stay there."
Davidson highlighted the play of goalkeeper Lauren Dodgshun, whose match-up against Warriors' goal shooting ace Holly Graveson was vital.
“It was a tough battle; they both played extremely well,” she said.
“Lauren had to change the way she plays this week to match up against Holly.”
Goal shooter Jess Newell made the most of her limited opportunities, shooting 26 goals (75%), while Lucy Brand added 14 (64%).
Graveson finished with 32 goals (62%) for the Warriors, while Jemma Clarkson added 11 (74%).
Ararat snapped Dimboola’s four-game win streak with a hard-fought 43-40 win at home.
While two wins separated the teams on the ladder, nothing could separate the sides on the court as they exchanged goals through the opening quarter.
Roo Nicole Polycarpou came out firing with six goals from nine attempts, while Rat Laney McLoughlan converted seven goals from the same number of attempts.
However, Polycarpou would only add two more goals to her tally for the day, forcing Dimboola to play without its top goal scorer for more than half the game.
Meanwhile, Maggie Astbury's seven goals in the second quarter would help Ararat go on a 12-4 streak.
At the main break, the Rats were ahead 26-18.
Wholesale changes from the Roos saw them claw back the deficit
Sharp shooting from Olivia Beugelaar saw the Roos go on a 7-2 run across 10 minutes, bringing the margin back to just five goals at the final break.
With all of the momentum, Dimboola were able to bring the margin to just one goal on several occasions.
Despite outscoring Ararat again in the final quarter, the margin was too significant to overcome, with Ararat ultimately winning by just three goals.
Astbury top scored for Ararat with 23 goals (65%), while Laney McLoughlan added 20 (54%).
Beugelaar top scored for Dimboola with 23 goals (72%), with Polycarpou ending the game with eight (75%) and Maddi Marra seven (54%).
Southern Mallee Thunder comfortably accounted for the Warrack Eagles, winning 57-29.
A strong opening quarter saw the home side establish a clear lead, limiting the visitors to just three goals.
A 16-7 second quarter pushed the margin into double digits, a trend that continued in the second half.
Centre Jodie Hayes was a powerhouse in the middle, helping the Thunder overpower its rivals at both ends of the court.
In the final quarter, the Warrack Eagles were able to produce a 10-goal quarter; however, the margin was too great to overcome, as they went down by 28 goals.
Steph Thomson was clinical for the Thunder, shooting 37 goals (73%), while Emma Mill added 14 (78%).
Amber O’Connor ended the game with 12 (75%), while Lauren Clyne added nine (45%) and Nicola Clyne eight goals (50%).
