Netball reporter Lauren Bordin was on hand as Bundoora Comets took on Whittlesea in Section 1, as well as for Lakeside’s clash with Mernda in Round 8.
COMETS OVERCOME SLOW START
An impressive opening quarter from Whittlesea couldn’t secure victory as Bundoora Comets won their Round 8 Section 1 game at RMIT by 10 goals.
Whittlesea centre Tash Skeenan was good early, getting plenty of the ball and keeping her opponent quiet.
Although not a fast attacking side, like ladder leader Diamond Creek, Whittlesea’s approach to moving the ball was still effective due to its players’ abilities to constantly find the pockets of space on the court.
A late surge of goals by Bundoora to end the first quarter continued into the second term as the Comets tried to reduce their deficit.
A perfectly placed pass from Bundoora keeper Hollie Wilson to goal defence Liz Edwards was topped off by a goal stemming from a superb stretch by shooter Tayla Hardiman. It was a play that was symbolic of the Comets’ improvement in the second quarter.
This improvement saw Bundoora keep Whittlesea to only one goal in the second quarter as they turned an 11-6 losing score line at quarter time into a three-goal lead at half-time.
The beginnings of the second half showed an even contest between the two sides, until Bundoora again took control in the latter part of the third quarter.
Errors that were aplenty in Bundoora’s game in the first term were nowhere to be seen as the Comets added 13 goals to Whittlesea’s 10 in the highest scoring quarter of the game.
Whilst Bundoora’s shooters combined well in the circle, it wasn’t all easy going, with Whittlesea’s keeper Loren Weekes remaining strong in defence throughout the game and being among the Eagle’s best despite her team’s eventual loss.
Bundoora Comets 1 (38) def Whittlesea 1 (28)
FAST START SPARKS LAKESIDE
Despite a big improvement by Mernda in the second half, it never looked like making a comeback against Lakeside in Section 5 of the NNL on Friday night.
Lakeside’s attackers began their Round 8 match well and were able to make the most of the ball presented to them, chasing any stray balls in their attacking third.
Lakeside’s defenders were also doing their part, particularly goal defender Claire McDonage who often provided herself as an option to help move the ball through the centre third.
The perseverance of Mernda wing attack Maihison Craven couldn’t be faulted as she stretched to gain intercepts and defended every ball.
This helped Mernda increase the time the ball spent in its possession, however missed shots and misplaced passes meant this had little impact on the scoreboard, with Lakeside holding a 10-goal lead at half-time.
Mernda improved its entry into its goal circle in the third term, scoring nine goals for the quarter – three more goals in one quarter than it scored in the entire first half.
However, Lakeside always had a reply down the other end, particularly early in the third quarter with goal shooter Nikita Davis rarely missing her shots.
Mernda continued its better performance into the final quarter and the last term was a more even contest.
However it was Mernda’s poor performance in the opening half that cost them, with the final score line reading 31-21 against them.
Lakeside 3 (31) def Mernda (21)
