GVL | Big wins across the board as Seymour remains on top

By Daniel Webb

Jun 5, 2022

Good times: Seymour coach Ellie O’Sullivan was happy with her side’s performance. Photo by Zac Standish

The Goulburn Valley League A-grade netball ladder remains fascinating reading, with another big weekend of action leaving the top six in the balance.

Eyes up: Shepparton’s Bree Robinson looks for a teammate. Photo by Zac Standish

On Saturday, Seymour did what it has done so well this season and took home the four points against Shepparton to remain on top of the ladder.

In the zone: Seymour’s Jess Lallo helped the Lions on the scoreboard. Photo by Zac Standish

It was an impressive victory at Seymour’s Kings Park, with the Lions taking a 17-goal lead into the first break.

From there it was all one-way traffic, with three solid quarters helping produce a dominant 69-32 victory.

Happy days: Mooroopna’s Bree Hanslow helped her side to a big win. Photo by Megan Fisher

Casey Adamson and Nakita Singe performed well for the Lions, while coach Ellie O’Sullivan was named third best on the court.

O’Sullivan said it was good to see the side’s connections building and finding form on the day.

Full focus: Mansfield’s Ellie Kipping takes aim. Photo by Megan Fisher

“Our defensive game is really important to our overall outcome,” O’Sullivan said.

Under pressure: Mooroopna’s Paigan Impey looks to release the ball. Photo by Megan Fisher

“We’ve got big defenders in Szczykulski, Singe and Adamson and they win so much ball for us that I think they provided the attackers with a lot of opportunities.”

Contest: Mansfield’s Alicia Foster and Mooroopna’s Asha Gray try to win the ball. Photo by Megan Fisher

O’Sullivan said the side’s defence helped provide the attackers with confidence to try things in the front third.

In the middle: Mansfield’s Isabelle Riley takes a centre pass. Photo by Megan Fisher

“I think definitely the connection was there. I think in the first quarter we shot 24 goals. I think that’s probably a bit of a record for us, so we’re really proud of how we started the game,” O’Sullivan said.

“We probably didn’t put four quarters together but certainly we had a good start to the game.

In the middle: Mooroopna’s Bree Hanslow looks for a teammate. Photo by Megan Fisher

“We’re trying to not get complacent. We know teams can come out on any given day and put out a really good performance, so we just want to stick to what we’re doing and hopefully keep putting a consistent game of netball together.”

Good release: Mansfield’s Cassie Dolling passes the ball. Photo by Megan Fisher

For the Bears, Ashlee Cann, Caitlin Hill and Abigail Rowe stood out in what was a disappointing result for the sixth-placed side.

In other Saturday results, Euroa was similarly dominant against Benalla, taking out a 60-34 win.

The fast-paced game at Memorial Park was an entertaining one, with Magpies defender Tylah Marchbank producing some great intercepts, while Bree Poole and Karly Wappett both shot well.

Poole was named best-on-court for the winning side, while Kellie Keen put in a good showing for Benalla.

Sisters Bridget Hill (Euroa) and Chloe Hill (Benalla) were also named in their sides’ best, with both working hard in defence for their respective sides.

In the other GVL game held on Saturday, Mooroopna was too strong for Mansfield, taking home a 59-13 win.

Danya Williams, Shelby Britten and Elle Brooks all performed well, with the convincing win keeping the Cats in the top four.

Six teams took to the court in Sunday fixtures, with Echuca hosting Rochester, the Shepparton Swans welcoming Tatura and Shepparton United battling Kyabram.