Montmorency 1 produced a statement making win in the opening round of the 2023 NFNL Senior Winter Netball competition, getting the better of Heidelberg West 1 by 34 goals at La Trobe Sports Stadium.
The Magpies were on song from the first centre pass, with a 17-goal to four opening quarter setting up the 47-13 win, giving them the perfect start to the 2023 season.
Morgan Jones led the scoring with 25 goals and was a consistent contributor for her side. Tarryn Thom (16 goals) and Aleigha Walters (six) also had an impact inside the shooting circle.
Renee Hulls produced seven of the Hawks’ 13 goals for the night while defender Hayley Philips continued to work hard throughout the match despite the ball entering the defensive third on many occasions.
The Magpies shot out of the blocks by scoring the first three goals of the game and it was quickly apparent that the connection made by the Montmorency attackers would put the Hawks under pressure throughout the match.
Laura Misale and Jesse Thomas-Connor also combined well to help set up their shooters with opportunities, and with a strong cohesion across the court, Montmorency piled on 17 goals to establish a healthy margin at quarter time.
Heidelberg West did what they could to keep up with their opponents through the second term, but the Magpies didn’t slow down the pace, with eight further majors from Jones extending her side’s lead to 20 goals at half time.
After starting the first half in goal defence, Hayley Phillips moved to goal keeper and was able to slightly scoring from Montmorency a slightly more difficult task throughout the third quarter.
However, it wasn’t enough for the Magpies to put through a further 13 goals in the term and as a result of the Hawks being unable to score a goal of their own, the margin was pushed out to 33 goals at three quarter time.
Heidelberg West continued to make it a battle in the final quarter despite the hefty deficit. They had their highest scoring quarter with five goals, while only keeping the Magpies to six majors.
But with a strong first up performance, Montmorency 1 will be a side to watch out for throughout the 2023 season.
