DESPITE a narrow defeat, Merbein goalkeeper Johannah Gray says the weekend’s match with Imperials was one to “relish” and believes the young Magpies can finish the year stronger than they started.
Merbein began the 2022 SFNL season with a victory, but have lost their past five, including Saturday’s one-point defeat. But Gray was not disappointed by the loss, saying the encounter was what netballers played for.
“I honestly don’t know why this game had that kind of atmosphere,” Gray said.
“But when it does, you really relish it as a player because it keeps you motivated, and it keeps you going.”
The Magpies veteran said the match had several lead changes, but also benefited from a lively spectator base, which swelled as junior netball finished on surrounding courts.
Gray said the “defender’s game” didn’t disappoint as spectators got to see an entertaining affair: a match with fast shifts in play as defenders cut passing lanes to execute intercepts.
“It was definitely a high intercept game – everybody loves good intercepts,” Gray said. “Imps really wanted to win, we really wanted to win, so we had a match on our hands.”
Merbein went into the match without their coach and goal defender Breigh Hammet.
Gray said juniors Lucy Martin and Olivia Bowden, who shared goal defence duties, deserved praise for keeping the match tight.
“Coming on to A grade, there’s a lot of demand and it’s quite intense,” Gray said. “They played really well, definitely had a lot of energy on the court.”
But Hammet’s absence also put more pressure onto Gray’s shoulders and the experienced defender excelled as she vocally marshalled the young side.
“Any pass, anything was crucial at that point,” Gray said of the tightly contested match. “I was more focused on defensive pressure, getting them motivated to really push through.”
Her vocal presence helped younger players time their leads, but Gray also urged the team to not relent and hold possession as the game went down to the wire.
Merbein featured three Gray sisters on the court on Saturday, and Johannah said playing with Emily (goal attack) and Sophie (centre), in just her second season of A Grade netball, gave her the “privilege” of anticipating her sisters’ movements.
“You have a sense of knowing a bit more of what they’re thinking in the moment or where they’re going to go. There’s that connection.”
The Magpies have had the highs of a win and two losses by four points or fewer and the lows of a blowout to Wentworth in round four.
Johannah said all clubs went through phases of rebuilding and she was concentrating on the Magpies’ ability to develop “cohesion” and finish the season strongly.
“If we finish the whole year, better than where we started off, that’s a really good win.”
As the SFNL netballer of the round, Johannah receives $100 courtesy of Mildura Golf Resort and Sunraysia Daily.
