Defending premiers, New Kids Aces, started the 2016 netball season in good touch, when they once again beat their grand final opponent Shooting Stars 43-33 in Saturday’s feature match.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was almost a carbon copy of the 2015 decider, with the result of that game being a 38-30 win to the Aces.
The Aces fielded a side very similar to their premiership team, with the only addition to the squad being Mikaela Cole, who made her top grade debut with the Aces.
Defender Marie Campbell was absent, otherwise the starting seven was a tried and proven one.
By contrast, Shooting Stars had off-season recruits, Olivia Lang and Hayley Stevens, and promoted youngster, Flynn Hogg to bolster their grand final side, and have included the unavailable Stacey Curran in their squad.
The game got off to an even start with the Aces holding a one goal lead at the first break.
That lead was doubled by half-time, with each team duplicating their scores of the first quarter.
Interchanging shooters, Paige Guthrie and Lisa Frow were to the fore for the Aces, despite the stout defence of the Stars’ goalkeeper Ruby Gooden and goal defence Jemima Norbury, whose continuous intercepting prevented the Aces from building a bigger lead.
The two continued to perform well in the second half, but the Stars’ shooters, Olivia Lang and Lily Wild, failed to capitalise on the good work of their defenders.
The Aces outscored their opponents in each of the final two stanzas, slowly building the lead to the eventual ten goal win.
Meanwhile, Turvey Park made a bright start to their season with a comfortable 38-22 win over Kooringal.
The ‘new-look’ Turvey side used four off-season recruits in former player, Amanda Gooden, former New Kids’ pair, Claudia and Lauren Barton and former Uranquinty and junior representative player, Teagan Hallam.
As well, utility player Emma Robertson was back after a year on maternal duty.
Indeed the only remnants from Turvey’s side of last year were Jaimee Smith, Kira Hallam, Grace Carmichael and Taylah Cox.
Kooringal’s team consisted mainly of members of last season’s A Reserve team, bolstered by recruited defenders Shy Raihania and Melanie Kamoto.
After an even first quarter as far as the score was concerned, Turvey improved their conversion rate in the second term, allowing them to go to the long interval with a seven goal advantage.
This was largely due to the improved shooting of Teagan Hallam, despite constant attention from Kooringal’s GD, Melanie Kamoto.
Also strong in Kooringal’s defensive circle was fellow recruit, Shy Raihana.
In the second half, Turvey Park increased the margin, finishing strongly in the last to outpoint Kooringal, in their comeback to the top grade, by eleven goals to four.
Despite some wayward passes, Turvey centre, Amanda Gooden, was constantly driving her team into attack, and the defence of the Barton sisters and the ever reliable Jaimee Smith, limited Kooringal’s opportunities.
