The 2022 Bendigo Bank Western Border Netball Association gets back on the court this Saturday and some big contests are on the cards.
It does not get much bigger than a grand final rematch between East Gambier and Millicent and the pair will meet at McLaughlin Park to battle it out for premiership points.
It is an important contest for the Bulldogs in particular, who hope the second half of their title defence will be much more successful than the first.
East struggled to get a full-strength squad on court across the first nine rounds and currently sits one win outside the top four.
Although the Bulldogs may still be without the services of Sarah Lock- who remains sidelined with a calf strain – they will come out all guns blazing hoping to send a statement to the serene Saints.
Millicent sits pretty in a familiar position at the top of the ladder with the shooting combination of Tabatha Sanderson and Demi Verbena firing on all cylinders.
The Saints also scored victory in the grand final rematch at McDonald Park earlier in the season, but the pain of last year’s grand final defeat will never disappear and they will be hungry for more success against the Dogs this weekend.
West Gambier has proven to be the only team capable of keeping up with Millicent, with only percentage splitting the pair on the ladder.
The Roos hope to rebuild momentum by collecting a solid win on home turf over South Gambier.
West will be confident of doing so, having collected a comfortable 35-goal triumph in the previous meeting.
One area the Demons could look to attack is the Roos’ absence of some key players such as Sarah and Jade Ritter, who missed the most recent clash against East Gambier.
But perfect shooting from Claire Hunter and a step up defensively helped West overcome any concerns.
North Gambier has been one of the most impressive sides this season with its young group currently sitting in third spot.
It’s a position Tigers’ coach Amanda O’Shaughnessy certainly would have taken with open arms during the build up to round 1 when they struggled to get a full team to training.
North should be able to scoop another win over Casterton Sandford which is yet to win a game in 2022.
