Showdowns of speed and talent

DESPITE both the Mallee Tigers teams giving their all on the court, it wasn’t enough for them to overcome the Sunraysia and the Millewa representatives on Saturday.

Kicking off the stellar line-up of Dreamtime at the P netball games, the Under 17s Sunraysia vs Mallee Tigers match was a showdown of speed and talent, featuring some of the region’s youngest netball superstars.

From the first ball, Sunraysia had strong defensive pressure, making it hard for Mallee Tigers to get the ball into their ring.

Defenders Lily Drofellar and Isabelle Collins put the heat on Mallee Tiger shooters Imogen Ezzey and Jayda Johnson McDermott, allowing Sunraysia to get an early lead.

Francis Naquto and Regan Peters were a dynamic duo in the goals for Sunraysia, communicating and feeding into each other well, pushing the lead out further with every turnover.

Montanna Ezzey and Mia Hart were tough defenders for the Tigers, sending the ball back down the shooting end several times with clean intercepts.

The Tigers found great pace in the third quarter, but it was too late and Sunraysia ended up taking the win, 43 to 17.

Sunraysia coach Sally Moore said the game was great on both sides with great shooting and defending.

Moore commended Ashleigh Goss, awarded best on court, for coming in and playing attack, despite being a defence player.

“I am really proud of the girl’s work rate, we came in here and our aim today was to get possession and apply pressure and we definitely did that,” she said.

Mallee Tigers coach Mel Kennedy said it was a tough battle for her girls, but she thought they had performed well.

She said Hart and Montanna Ezzey had been stand-out players to her.

“Mia Hart was probably our best on ground, she plays so well and he takes on everything we tell her so quickly,” she said.

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Millewa v Mallee Tigers

Mallee Tiger’s A Graders brought the same heat and intensity as the juniors when they stepped onto the court against the Millewa representative squad, shortly after the Under 17s.

But just like the previous game, an early lead from the opposition saw them fall behind.

With strong players all over the court on both sides, it definitely wasn’t an easy win for Millewa, but the team’s strength and ball skills saw them score quick goals and maintain a strong margin.

GS Aislinn Campbell was in impressive form for Millewa, hardly missing a goal. She was also well supported by GA Abbey Lovell, whose height helped her defend and attack simultaneously.

Centre Tamara Loveridge, awarded best on court, used her strength and speed to bound up and down the court ahead of her opposition.

Tiger’s GK Corrine Best was essential to slowing down Millewa’s ever-growing lead, but it just wasn’t enough to close the gap between the two teams.

The game concluded 31 to 24.

Millewa Coach Brooke Watson said it was great for her girls to come up against some really talented defenders.

“(Mallee Tiger’s) defence was very strong,” she said.

“As you could see Corrine was an amazing jumper and we don’t usually come across that in Millewa pretty often,” she said.

Watson said Lovell and Maddy McPhee had been powerhouses at their ends of the court.

“(Lovell’s) defence coming back down the court was amazing, she got four or five intercepts and in defence, Maddy McPhee, she just had her hands over everything and her talk and spatial awareness was amazing,” she said.

Mallee Tiger’s coach Dallas Kirby said there was an intensity on the court, where no player could be faulted.

Kirby commended Mia Hart for her ability to take on her older more experienced opponents at only about 16 years-old, as well as Best for her strong defence.

“Hart was a stand-out player for me,” he said.

“She did her job and harassed everywhere, wherever the WA was she was there.”