North v Millicent
IT is only Round 2 of the Western Border Netball Association A Grade competition, but there is a lot of interest surrounding the clash between North Gambier and Millicent this weekend.
It looms as an early indicator of where the incumbent and the challenger sit in 2018.
Defensively the Saints were as relentless as ever last weekend, while in offence, there is certainly going to be a period of transition.
Audine Bryant has left a large void in the mid court, while coach Demi Verbena – who has returned to the Saints – will also take time to adjust to the competition.
These positional shifts take even a quality side like Millicent some time to adjust.
However, the changes did not stop the Saints from securing a 40-plus goal victory against South Gambier.
Hayley Dunn and Kimmi Varcoe were outstanding at the weekend and their battle with Caroline Davey and Elli Gould will be pivotal in the final wash up.
Varcoe was back to her best in terms of contesting and hunting the intercept, while Dunn’s work over the shot and rebounding saw her create a plethora of turnovers.
At the other end, the battles will be equally intriguing as Lisa Fyfe and Maddie Whaites look to curb the scoring power of Verbena and Donna Denton.
The mid court is where there is some mystery.
North has not only quality, but a wealth of experience, in Kaitlin Egan, Amanda O’Shaughnessy and Ash Kalantarian, while youngsters Jordyn Adams and Emily Close are not available for another couple of rounds.
That trio runs hard, plays strong defensive games as well as smart offensive games and they do hold the experience advantage over the Saints.
Of course, Millicent has Lisa Duldig and no mid courter of the past decade has been as hard working and consistent as the multi-time premiership player and coach.
She was in good form at the weekend and will guide her younger team mates in Hannah Nitschke and Madi Turner – who looked right at home in Round 1 -carrying on from a stellar finals series in 2017.
Both teams will still look to fine-tune game plans and combinations and this game will come down to who limits errors.
If Varcoe and Dunn bring their form from last weekend, the Saints will have the edge.
It will definitely be a tight clash but Millicent will find a way to take the points.
East v Casterton Sandford
EAST Gambier would be disappointed with its 12-goal loss to North Gambier in the opening round and will look to limit those lapses against the always tenacious Cats at McDonald Park on Saturday.
Gaby Tomkins enters the clash under an injury cloud after being forced from the court in Round 1 and that only adds to the unknowns surrounding Casterton Sandford in the early rounds.
The bad news for the Cats is despite losing Brenna McKay for the 2018 season, it was the defensive end of the court where the Bulldogs showed their best form in the opening game as Bo Creek,
Morgan Amy and Tyne Bosko managed to place some strong pressure on the normally unflappable Tigers forward line.
The other bad news, is Tenille Gray looked in stellar form, and when she is on song, East is hard to topple.
Sarah Lock left the court in Round 1 with recurring Achilles issues and if she is still sidelined that will certainly weaken East.
However, Sara Smith showed she has the composure and smarts to fill the void if required.
Abbey Shannon will again need to anchor the Cats defence and could well take the role on Gray, while Scarlett Jarrad looms as a key leader in the mid court.
East had a slow start to 2017 before playing off in the title decider and coaches Creek and Tarsh McCallum will be eager to kick of this season with four-quarter performances.
The Cats are still looking to settle on a combination, including the best position for star recruit Meg Fennell.
East should notch win number one for 2018, but it will not be without a fight.
South v West
SOUTH Gambier has suffered the worst off-season player losses of all six clubs in the Western Border netball competition, but showed some good signs at the weekend when taking on the reigning premiers.
The true test is tomorrow when it takes on West Gambier at home.
The Roos are one of just two teams the Demons have defeated in the past two seasons.
West was in control of its contest with the Cats in Round 1 from half time on, but the two sides are well matched.
South will be keen to show it is looking to challenge for a top four finish, while West wants to be considered in the same breath as East and North, when it comes to title contenders.
There are some critical battles all over the court.
Zoe Duncan has a big job – to limit the influence of Lisa McGregor.
At the other end, Imogen Walker’s match up with Roos defender Amy Cram looms large.
South coach Lauren Duncan also has a huge task as she takes on Mid South East recruit Jess Bell – who was West’s best at the weekend.
A smart, hard working mid courter, Bell worked well in tandem with Carlee Davey as the two used speed of foot and ball to find McGregor and Tahlia Earl in space.
Tackling Bell could also be a task handed to Alyssa Boylan – assuming she does not take on the goal defensive role – which would then see Duncan move to the attacking wing, where she would have to shake off the tenacious Maggie Kipping.
Brandi Bouchier will then take the goal keeper bib and test West’s attack line.
The Roos should take the points, but South must avoid a blowout, hanging tough until it has its preferred line-up at its disposal.
