East Gambier v Casterton Sandford


It was an arm wrestle all day but in the end East Gambier all but shored up their top four finish as well as marked star defender Bo Creek’s 300th milestone with a victory.


The Bulldogs certainly got the better of the start, not for the first time, courtesy of some strong defensive work from Creek, especially in the rebounding battles, as well as the accurate finishing in appalling conditions of Malinda Foster.


It saw them set up a six goal lead and in the end, that was enough for them to hang on for a four goal victory.


The Cats did take it up a notch in the second and clawed back three of those six goals, with Holly Smith denying Foster as much of the ball, while at the other end Madalene Cleary worked her way into the contest, scoring six from nine as she took control of the offensive end for Casterton Sandford.


The Cats continued their march back into contention in the third and by the final change it was a one-goal game, with East hanging on to the narrowest of leads.


In the final quarter it was again Foster, who has so often been at the forefront of the Bulldogs’ performances, who despite the windy conditions was unflappable on the shot, netting eight from nine as East held off the determined Cats for a 32-28 victory.


Casterton Sandford was without star utility Caeleigh Humphries and tight checking defender Ebany Jarrad so did well to stay in the contest with a new look line-up.


Indi Longhurst showed why she is considered a star of the future with her hard running in centre and creativity with ball in hand, while Brydie Carlin, another teenager, showed plenty in her first full game of A Grade.


Smith and Chloe Finnigan had not yet played much netball together in the defensive circle for the Cats but did get their share of touches, while Cleary, as always, was influential.


Creek and Foster were the best for the Bulldogs and it was probably the defensive efforts of East that ensured the victory, as Creek and defensive partners Sharna McKinnon and Morgan Amy made scoring tough for the Cats, while Foster, who was well supported by Renee Henke, made sure the scoring opportunities ended up on the scoreboard.


North Gambier v South Gambier


North Gambier backed up its two victories over fellow top three contenders West Gambier and Millicent with a strong victory over South Gambier, although the Demons certainly put in a more competitive performance.


The Tigers so often jump teams at the start of a match and that was how Saturday’s clash panned out.


Despite the blustery conditions, North still moved the ball with speed and precision and goalers Macey Griffith and Kelly Lockwood rewarded their teammates, converting 18 from 20, with both players only missing one each in less than ideal shooting conditions.


South has so often fallen away after poor starts this season, but on Saturday the Demons regrouped, losing the quarter by only one goal.


The frontline for South certainly started to connect more efficiently and Ash Widdison proved a strong target with Gracie Dalton making the most of her opportunities, netting six from seven as the Demons steadied the ship.


Unfortunately the third quarter was again a little more one-way traffic, with North not only generating significantly more scoring shots but also again finishing with impressive accuracy.


The hard running of Kaitlin Egan and Brianna Walters started to really become a factor as they connected time and time again with Griffith and Lockwood with the Tigers shooting duo replicating their first quarter effort, scoring 18 from 20 as the lead blew out to 19.


That would be the final margin as South again rallied to enjoy a 12-all quarter to finish the contest.


Ellie Bouchier, who was again South’s best, moved back to goal keeper in the final quarter and did limit the output of Lockwood, who had dominated the opening three quarters, while Widdison had a perfect shooting performance and Dalton found more ball.


The Tigers not only took the four points but also saw the return to the court of Lauran Norman, who took the wing defence bib in the second half, as she works her way back from a serious hand injury that has seen her sidelined for weeks.


Millicent v West Gambier


It was a milestone day for Millicent at McLaughlin Park with the Saints finally toppling the Roos in 2024.


Given the conditions, this was a high quality contest that was a glimpse into what looms as a stunning finals battle between these two teams and North Gambier.


West had no Jess Holmes in the mid court for this clash, giving Carlee Ransom the wing attack bib, while Millicent was without utility Edie Easterby and ran with the same seven for the entire contest.


The visitors got the better of the first quarter, with Lisa McGregor not just feeding Sarah Ritter with precision, but also scoring seven straight herself as the Roos enjoyed a four goal quarter time lead.


It was the Saints who fought back, though, as Nikeisha Facey and Demi Verbena started sharing the shooting responsibilities, while Lauren VanEeden worked overtime to start limiting the impact of McGregor.


The third quarter was an arm wrestle as the two sides went goal for goal.


The respective mid courts had to work hard both ways to get the ball through the defensive pressure being applied, as well as taking on the blustery conditions that meant play needed to be short and sharp.


Ritter and McGregor shot a perfect 17 from 17 – in fact the duo did not miss a goal in the second half – and at the final change it was West Gambier with the one goal advantage.


In the final quarter, it was the Saints who got the upper hand, creating some critical defensive turnovers through Portia McRae and VanEeden and Facey and Verbena rewarded the work of their teammates netting 18 goals without a miss to see Millicent turn that one goal deficit into a four goal final whistle triumph.


That shooting performance, as was West’s shooting accuracy, was certainly a factor in the final wash up but it was about limiting supply in that final quarter as the Saints upped the ante on the pressure meter, especially through the mid court to try and force the Roos frontline into error on delivery.


It might have been a second successive loss for West but there is no doubt, the top ranked Roos, along with the Saints and Tigers, are evenly matched and will be looking for ways to find an edge as the finals approach.


West is still clearly the best side statistically – they have scored more than any other team and have the second best defensive profile – so no need for panic stations.


Ritter was named best for West Gambier, while Mikaela Horrigan got some important touches, while for the Saints VanEeden was again impressive and it was arguably Facey’s best game for 2024, netting 37 from 41.