The NFNL 13&U representative netball teams had their chance to showcase their skills at the Netball Victoria Association Championships on Sunday 24th May.
The teams took to the courts at Nillumbik hoping to follow in the path of the 15&U and 17&U squads from the week prior, bringing enthusiasm and determination to the day.
Photos from the day can be viewed on the Field Of View Photography website here.
13&U Championship Team Results
The championship team got their day off to the perfect start with a narrow but impressive 1-goal win over Northern Pride NA. A Round 2 bye was followed by a five-goal loss to Bellarine FNL in Round 3.
The team bounced back to draw with Sunbury NA (13-all), before facing strong Altona NA and Banyule District NA teams, going down 6-14 and 7-11 respectively. The last three rounds were mixed in terms of results, with a two-goal win over Colac District FNL in Round 7, before defeats against Geelong Central NA (7-13) and Parkville Netball (7-13).
Finishing the day with two wins, five losses and one draw, the Championship team sat middle of the table, missing out on progressing into finals contention.
13&U Reserve Team Results
The reserve team was up against a strong pool for their matches at the Association Championships. Starting the day with a narrow loss to cross-town rivals Darebin NA (11-12), the team faced tough opposition which was reflected in the results.
Further games saw defeats against St Albans/Caroline Springs NA (18-3), Banyule District NA (16-6), Nillumbik Force (9-7), Geelong Central NA (15-6), Sunbury NA (10-7) and Hoppers Crossing NA (19-3).
The team’s highlight of the day was a Round 8 win over Essendon Districts by two goals (12-10) in some great reward for effort. Whilst the final game of the day didn’t result in a win, the reserve team showcased their growth, matching it with sixth placed Bellarine FNL but were edged out by three goals.
The final standings of sixth and ninth respectively for the 13&U teams sees their Association Championships journey come to an end for this year. The squad showed great development across the program and represented the NFNL proudly at this key development tournaments.
