Bold in bronze: Shepparton’s O’Dwyer secures podium with Victoria at National Netball Championship

By Marcus Beeck

Apr 15, 2024

Hover “Macca”: Shepparton’s Mackenzie O’Dwyer playing for Victoria’s under-17 side at the National Netball Championships. Photo: Grant Treeby/Netball Victoria Photo by Grant Treeby

Two of Greater Shepparton’s up-and-coming netball stars have impressed during the recent National Netball Championships in Frankston.

The championships ran from April 9 to 14, with Shepparton’s Mackenzie O’Dwyer (under-17) and Shepparton Swans’ Harriet Gall (under-19) representing Victoria.

O’Dwyer was given the responsibility of co-captain of the under-17 team alongside Mia Aitkin.

The duo led its side well during the round-robin stage of the tournament, with O’Dwyer playing predominantly in centre and wing attack.

Victoria qualified for the gold medal match semi-final after finishing in third place with four wins, two losses and a draw.

Unfortunately for O’Dwyer, after Victoria led by a goal at half-time, their opponent, Western Australia, stormed home in the second half to win the game 31-26 and secure a spot in the gold medal match.

For O’Dwyer’s side, it had to shake off the semi-final loss and prepare for NSW in the bronze medal match.

The final was tightly contested, with O’Dwyer playing in centre throughout the match.

The two sides couldn’t be separated at the end of the four quarters, with the scores tied at 37 apiece, before Victoria claimed victory in overtime, 47-44.

Shepparton A-grade coach Stacey Thompson said the Bears can’t wait to have O’Dwyer rejoin the side once her load management from the championships is complete.

“We’re really looking forward to having ‘Macca’ back with us,” she said.

“It’s absolutely amazing and she’s co-captain this year as well, so she’s really stood up and is taking on that responsibility in that space, which is fantastic to see.

“She’s had a great tournament and so she’ll only be better for it when she gets home, which is awesome.

“We haven’t seen her on the court yet — she didn’t play last week because of load management or today, but we’ll have her back with us next week, so that’ll be the start for her.

“She’s had a bit of a taster last year and is definitely up to the standard, but it’ll be good for her to be able to play at that level consistently, week in week out.”

Eyes on the prize: Shepparton Swans’ Harriet Gall playing in the GVL last season. Photo by Max Stainkamph

For Gall’s under-19 side, the results were similar to its under-17 counterpart as it finished second on the round-robin ladder before losing the gold medal semi-final to Queensland 40-32.

The bronze medal match was a tight and fierce contest against Western Australia, with the scores for each quarter tied, except for the decisive third, where Western Australia outscored Gall’s Victoria by five goals to claim the bronze medal.

Gall can hold her head high after her efforts throughout the tournament, where she played all nine games across centre and wing attack.

The young star will join O’Dwyer as they return to compete for their respective clubs in Goulburn Valley League.