WBNA: Saints rise above Cats

DEBUT: Millicent’s Issy Turner made her A Grade debut with the Western Border netball reigning champions on the weekend when they tackled Casterton Sandford at home. Picture: JAMES MURPHY

MILLICENT claimed a solid win over an undermanned Casterton Sandford at home in the recent round of Western Border netball.

Given the change in personnel for the Cats in recent weeks with player unavailability and injury, taking on the Saints at the weekend was always going to tough.

Millicent – which has been challenged in the past two rounds – stepped up and stamped its authority on the contest this week.

Hayley Dunn was in full flight and hunted interceptions high in the goal third to stop many of the Cats’ forward thrusts before they even reached the shooting circle.

The first 15 minutes saw Millicent’s stifling defence on full display with Dunn, Kimmi Varcoe, Madi Turner and Lisa Duldig not allowing easy access, either to the circle’s edge or to shooters Madalene Cleary and Tori Perry.

On the back of that relentless pressure, the Saints then moved the ball with such speed and precision, led by Duldig and Audine Bryant, the Cats defenders, Abbey Shannon and Scarlett Jarrad, had no hope of denying Donna Denton and Keah Lynch shooting opportunities and by quarter time the lead was already 18.

Things did not improve in the second, this time with Varcoe attacking the feeds into the circle to create a number of turnovers and the speed of ball continued.

Bryant and Denton enjoyed their usual strong connection while Denton ensured the dominance counted on the scoreboard with a 16-from-16 quarter.

Cleary was the focal point at the other end, shooting all 10 of the Cats goals for the term.

At the half, Millicent injected Issy Turner into the contest on the attacking wing for her A Grade debut, replacing Bryant.

Turner brought a shorter, sharper game than the pure speed of Bryant, but it was effective as she worked the give and go to great effect and delivered good ball into the shooting circle.

The Cats also swung the changes.

Coach Steph Drogemuller entered the fray at goal keeper, moving Shannon out to goal defence.

Jarrad moved into the middle and freed up Natalie Rhook to the attacking wing, where she does so much of her damage, and Cleary went back under the post, with Perry coming out to do the work our front.

Dunn and Varcoe gave the new combination no time to settle though and continued to find ball with their ability to read the play.

It ensured the Saints still denied the Cats many shooting opportunities and yet the opportunities continued to flow at the other end, setting up a 50-goal three-quarter-time lead.

In the final quarter, Denton went to the bench and Bryant took the goal shooter bib – a role she has not played for the Saints in a number of seasons – which meant Lynch had to step up and take the lead.

The youngster worked hard and shot all 10 goals for the quarter as the Cats managed to draw the final stanza.

Shannon and Drogemuller pounced on the rebounding opportunities and the Cats seemed to find better space at the attacking end, finishing Cleary and Perry more easily than they had all match.

Jarrad and Duldig had a great battle through the middle with both in their side’s best, while Denton’s shooting performance in the first three quarters was sublime and Cleary was the best of the Cats at the attacking end.