Reviews of North Heidelberg 1 vs Fitzroy Stars 1 and St Mary’s 1 vs Heidelberg 2 from the second round of netball grading.
ROUND 2 GRADING: NORTH HEIDELBERG 1 VS FITZROY STARS 1
Fitzroy Stars continued their strong start to the 2019 NFNL netball season with a nine-goal win over North Heidelberg in Round 2 of grading.
A tight match played out through all four quarters, with the Stars able to close it out in a final quarter showdown.
Both teams goal shooters were accurate in the first term, with the Bulldogs’ Mahalia Rank and the Stars’ Natasha Atkinson Brown able to score from long distances from the ring.
North Heidelberg goal keeper Georgia Heyne hopped on her landing while trying to grab an intercept, allowing the Stars to pull out in front by two.
After a quick run down the court, North Heidelberg scored a goal to close within one, but were unable to settle with a late drive forward in the final seconds of the term – leaving the Stars ahead 8-7.
A fumble on the centre by North Heidelberg to start the second quarter gave the Stars an easy first goal.
Scoring again off their centre pass, the Stars built on their lead as they worked well around the circle’s edge.
On the next foray forward, North Heidelberg goal keeper Heyne did her best to stop the ball from landing into Atkinson Brown’s hands, however a perfectly weighted lob found the goal shooter under the ring.
A couple of contacts by the Bulldogs throughout quarter put them at a disadvantage, having to fight each centre to tighten the game.
As the quarter wore on, the Stars defenders struggled to hold their distance and fell into a few shots, awarding North with a few penalties their way.
The Bulldogs fought back well in the back half of the second quarter and by the end of the half had tied the game at 15-15.
The teams went goal for goal in the third quarter, as each centre presented tough competition for teams to break in front.
The clean movement down the court was evenly matched in speed and intensity by both teams.
A long shot by North Heidelberg goal shooter Rank tied the game again.
But with an opportunity to take the lead, the Stars forced an error on North Heidelberg’s possession – before taking the ball swiftly to their attacking end for a goal, which gave them the lead at the final break.
The Stars were able to force multiple turnovers in the early stages of the final term, before capitalising to extend their lead.
Strong rebounds by their defence edged them out in front by five, with the Stars putting North Heidelberg under immense pressure around the circle.
The Stars’ shooters Atkinson Brown and Brigitte Linares worked as a strong partnership in the final term. They read the ball and worked well together to create space in the circle.
The Stars distanced the scores to a seven-goal lead, forcing North Heidelberg to play catch up in the final minutes of the game.
Finishing off strongly, the Stars closed out the game with a nine-goal win.
Final scores: Fitzroy Stars 1 (38) def North Heidelberg 1 (29)
ROUND 2 GRADING: ST MARY’S 1 VS HEIDELBERG 2
Heidelberg 2 continued its strong start to the 2019 campaign, scoring a five-goal win over St Mary’s 1 at RMIT University in Round 2 of grading.
The Tigers started strongly to get a quick jump on the scoreboard and were able to hold their advantage throughout the game.
Heidelberg opened a six-goal lead in the opening half of the first quarter, as their defenders did well to shut down the attacking third of St Mary’s.
St Mary’s was able to eventually force multiple turnovers to work its way back into the contest. Several successions of goals helped the Burra close the deficit to one goal at quarter time.
St Mary’s ran into trouble when the pace of the game sped up, with several passes misdirected or sailing over teammates’ grasp to lose possession of the ball.
Heidelberg’s defence made it very hard for St Mary’s shooters to score early in the second term, but a clever split by Holly Gilbert and Sarah Hepburn allowed them to break free from the tight defence and score a much-needed goal.
But Heidelberg was able to keep its strong play going – with the Tigers’ passing accuracy helping them move the ball quickly into their attacking circle to open an eight-goal half time advantage.
The third term began with a few errors by the Tigers, with St Mary’s defensive pressure lifting in an attempt to work their way back into the game.
While still out in front by a handy margin, Heidelberg rushed play at times, with their forward forays not as clean as the opening half.
The Burra closed the margin to six goals entering the final quarter and seemed to have worked up enough momentum to have a chance at claiming a come-from-behind win.
Eager to post some early goals, St Mary’s rushed a few early passes and were unable to find clear targets due to great defending from the Tigers.
St Mary’s goal attack Holly Gilbert grabbed a clean intercept, but her team was then unable to hold possession from the next chain of play.
St Mary’s goal defence Niamh Pilatti had strong hands in the last quarter and made an impressive rebound, before firing her side down the court.
The Burra managed to bring the deficit back to a manageable three goals, but with the tension rising Heidelberg was able to steady when it mattered most.
A number of steadying goals in the final minutes ensure the Tigers withstood the Burra comeback to hold on for a deserved five-goal win.
Final score: Heidelberg 2 (29) def St Mary’s 1 (24)
