North shows class to shake off fast-starting East Gambier outfit

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North shows class to shake off fast-starting East Gambier outfit

EAST GAMBIER V NORTH GAMBIER


After an even first quarter, North Gambier stamped its authority on its clash with East Gambier at McDonald Park in the second quarter and held the Bulldogs at bay for a 16-goal victory.

It was 14-all at the first change as both sides played with patience, working their way through tough defence.

Accurate finishing was a highlight of the opening quarter and, in fact, all four goalers on court had a good day on the stat sheet.

Best on court Macey Griffith led the charge from the Tigers, who won the second quarter by eight to start building towards victory.

She netted 10 from 10 in the second, and eight from eight in the third, while her creative passing to shooting partner Kelly Lockwood set up a number of other scoring opportunities and Lockwood was also impressive, converting 17 from 19 across the same two quarters.

At the final change it was a 13-goal margin in favour of the Tigers and they also won the last.

The Tigers mixed up their mid court – one change forced due to the hand injury to Lauran Norman that sees her sidelined for a month – and Kaitlin Egan and Brianna Walters swapped roles after quarter time, with Egan having a rare run through the centre and Walters moving to the attacking wing.

With Mel Renko forced from wing defence to the circle alongside Stella Mobbs, Ava Collins had a four quarter stint at wing defence, where her height and pressure on the feeders was a key factor in the victory.

In the end, East’s shooters Renee Henke and Malinda Foster were almost as accurate as Lockwood and Griffith but just had less attempts with North’s defensive line being disruptive of the connection between the Bulldogs goalers and the mid court of Tegan Nunan and Casey Horrigan.

Bo Creek was again the star of the East defensive line but North just did not make errors with ball in hand and turnovers were tough to come by.

Creek and Henke were named best for East while for the victorious Tigers it was Griffith and Walters.

CASTERTON SANDFORD V WEST GAMBIER


Casterton Sandford had a pre-game blow when Chelsea Hulm was a late withdrawal after suffering an injury in the 17 & under clash but the young goal attack’s absence aside, West Gambier were determined to dominate and did so from the first whistle.

The first quarter set the tone, with West piling on 21 goals to the Cats’ 13 and from that point on, the Roos never took their foot off the pedal.

Cats coach Jodie Humphries was forced to reshuffle her line-up which saw Caeleigh Humphries moving from defence to goals to cover Hulm, Madalene Cleary also had a stint in the shooting circle and tall A Reserve shooter Shelby Nolte was also given a quarter to try and make inroads into West’s lead.

The eight goal quarter time lead became 18 at the half, 28 at three quarter time and a relentless final quarter saw the Roos power to a 43 goal victory.

Amy Cram dominated the defensive third for West Gambier, while sister and coach Lisa McGregor not only fed shooting partner Sarah Ritter to perfection but also shot plenty of her own goals as the Roos duo swapped bibs for the second half in a rare shift in the frontline.

Ritter certainly came to play, netting 17 from 18 in the opening quarter but from that point on, the shooting responsibilities were evenly shared with McGregor finishing the match with 32 from 38 in a best on court performance.

In the end the Cats were able to generate 52 scoring opportunities, thanks in no small part to the hard running of Cleary and youngster Madeline Patton,

but that paled to the Roos’ 95 – it really was a story of possession and West dominated that stat.

Cats goal keeper Ebany Jarrad battled hard all day given how much ball she had to face in the defensive circle, while Cram and McGregor led the way for a line-up that has no apparent weaknesses.

MILLICENT V SOUTH GAMBIER


With Demi Verbena back in the line up Millicent already looks a much better combination and while the Saints’ trademark ball movement was on full display at the weekend in their clash with South Gambier, it was the relentless defensive pressure that should have other sides worrying about a resurgent Millicent.

The damage was well and truly done in the opening 10 minutes where Millicent piled on 16-1 in what amounted to a clinic of full court defence and speed of ball in attack.

By quarter time that scoreline was 24-4 and the tone was set.

Edie Easterby and Portia McRae created turnover ball at will, with plenty of ball also turned over in the mid court as the Saints made the court feel small and kept forcing the Demons into error.

Verbena and Daisy Tunkin then turned on the speed, finding Nikeisha Facey in space and the defender-turned-shooter did not let them down, converting 16 from 18 in a quarter that verged on faultless from the Saints.

South was missing star defender Ellie Bouchier, who was sidelined through illness, and she certainly would have made a difference for the Demons but Millicent was definitely on a mission to really build in the second half of the season and they never relented.

It was a game where the numbers told the story.

Millicent generated 101 scoring opportunities to South’s 45 in what was also going to produce a lop-sided scoreboard.

McRae and Easterby were outstanding in the defensive circle, covering the absence of Lauren Van Eeden.

They intercepted errant passes, got a number of deflections and dominated the rebounding duels and once they had created turnover ball, the speed with which Lisa Duldig, Lillie Paul, Tunkin and Verbena connected and converted those turnovers into goals was frightening.

Facey and Verbena also look to have already started to establish some chemistry as a shooting combination, even though their relationship is only two games in.

For South, Megan Reid battled hard all day and kept presenting strongly as the Demons looked to find a way through the Saints’ smothering defence, while Tully McShane had an impact, especially in the final quarter when she moved to the attacking wing.

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