THE top two teams on the MFNL A Grade netball ladder clash today with Bambill out to confirm their league supremacy and Cardross keen to show they are no flash in the pan.
The Saints, who finished minor premiers last season before exiting the finals in straight sets, have been on a mission this year and are 5-0 thanks to a suffocating defence which has only conceded 149 goals, or less than 30 per game on average.
The Lions, who finished fourth in ’24 and a good way behind the top three, enter the second round of competition with a 4-1 record and that solitary loss came against Bambill in round one down by the Lake.
At their home Cardross Oval courts, they get the opportunity to show they are a legitimate pennant chance. Tamara Hamence and Georgia Leutner have been deadly near the net and Bronte Burgess has also been in fine fettle, but this is the league’s real test.
The Saints, under the guidance of coach Lateesha Hester, haven’t missed a beat this season and the recruitment of veteran defender Breigh Hammet has provided a great boost to an already solid core which also boasts dangerous shooter Tessa Houkamau, industrious mid-courter Roanna Gathercole and Tayla Davison-Armao.
The day’s other game of a split round, which will be completed on June 7, sees Gol Gol host Nangiloc in a battle of the bottom sides.
Between them they have one win after the first completed round of the comp and that was when the Hawks accounted for the defending champs on opening day.
It’s been a torrid start to the season for winless Nangiloc and the clock is now ticking on their hopes of climbing into the top four.
The Demons have shown improvement over the past few weeks, but not enough to get off the bottom of the table.
Coach Ginine Sluiter is continually among the team’s best performers along with Amber King but too few are required to do too much as Nangy try to gain some traction this year.
Gol Gol have done little to excite their fans since round one and despite the efforts of Ally Stanborough, Jarae Johnson and Abbey Curran in recent weeks are drifting out of contention.
PREDICTIONS: Saints by 12 goals, Demons by two
