Sport
Pinpoint shooting Goulburn Valley League’s undoing in 17-and-under interleague contest
The 17-and-under standouts of the Goulburn Valley and Ovens and Murray leagues went at it in Saturday’s second interleague netball contest.
As conditions gradually warmed through the early afternoon at Deakin Reserve, the action started off hot with a flurry of early chances each way.
The game hardly seemed to resemble its 15-and-under predecessor, bearing more of a focus on incisive passes out from the back.
One thing both games shared was passion from the locals; more specifically, the rallying cries of “1, 2, 3, GV!” between quarters that could have been heard from last year’s interleague venue in Albury.
The focus immediately became clear anytime the ball entered the O&M’s shot circle, though, with goalers Lily McKimmie and Molly Moylan running roughshod and shooting in blinding lethality.
The GVL trailed by four at the first change, but the theme continued to develop rapidly as every chance that fell through the locals’ defence was taken.
The second term featured a positional switch involving two of the Goulburn Valley’s top young multi-sport standouts as Goulburn Murray Cricket stars Amani Issell and Maisy Byrne rotated through wing defence.
Things turned pear-shaped in the third term as the O&M started to work the margin towards 20 and the visiting side continued on its merry way in the last stanza.
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The GVL’s Maisy Byrne looks to transition into the midcourt. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 10
The GVL’s Gabby Moore tries to get a hand in on a shot attempt. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 10
The GVL’s Bridie Kelly stands in defence during an O&M move. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 10
The GVL’s Rhani Hendy presents a block. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 10
The GVL’s Montanna Bourke moves through the centre. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 10
The O&M’s Mackenzie Thompson gets after a loose ball. Photo by Megan FisherImage 7 of 10
The GVL’s Claudia Platfuss places her shot attempt. Photo by Megan FisherImage 8 of 10
The O&M’s Zali Macklan defends her player. Photo by Megan FisherImage 9 of 10
The GVL's Makayla Finn takes possession during an attacking move. Photo by Megan FisherImage 10 of 10
The GVL’s Makayla Finn steadies for a shot. Photo by Megan FisherIn an eventual 20-goal win, the O&M went two-for-two on the individual front with Molly Moylan rightfully awarded the best-on-court award for her staggering goal accuracy.
Ultimately, while the scoreboard read 64-44 to the O&M at the final whistle, GVL coach Kim Borger felt the margin wasn’t a concrete indication of the gap in quality.
“I don’t think the scoreline showed how hard we worked. Their goalers were very clinical and they did well with turnovers,” Borger said.
“I think where we struggled was converting ours.
“It was my first time seeing the girls play together, so to get some combos out there and prepare ourselves for a tournament (in Wodonga) tomorrow was really good.
“I thought Ava Pell and Rhani Hendy were really good for us. We had some amazing individual efforts, just sticking to our game plan and our feeds.
“It was my first experience coaching GV interleague, so I was nervous but excited for the challenge.”
Much like the younger cohort, the 17-and-under side had its own tournament business to handle 24 hours after the frenetic contest at Deakin Reserve.
In the meantime, though, Borger lamented some ill-fated switches, but was pleased to be involved with the spectacle.
“I think there were a few changes we made where the match-ups didn’t necessarily work well,” Borger said.
“When we had possession of the ball, we just had to score; as a shooter, I know that well.
“I’m pleased with how things went as it could have blown out more. It was good to get out there, be part of it all and see the girls have fun.
“Interleague is a unique thing and having the chance to work with the league’s best is an honour.”