SINCE 2008, just one club has managed to find a way to defeat Millicent in the Western Border Netball Association A Grade competition and on Saturday the Roos did it again, West Gambier securing an 11-goal victory in the upset of the season.
It was built on some slick work at the offensive end and some tight checking defending and on the accurate finishing of both Lisa McGregor and Tahlia Earl, who arguably had her best shooting game in history.
West Gambier 66 d Millicent 55
Missing Donna Denton and Hayley Dunn, it was always going to be a tough ask for the Saints and with the Roos bringing their “A game” to the contest, the scoreboard was always in West’s favour.
The start was critical and history tells us that is when Millicent usually blows teams out of the water, but it was West – with Carlee Davey and Jess Bell finding great position on the circle and great connection with Earl and McGregor – that had the upper hand.
The Roos won the first quarter by five and maintained that buffer for the rest of the contest, extending it in the third and also posting the proud statistic of not losing any of the four quarters.
It was West using speed of ball to cut its way through the usually tough Saints defence, but they were able to open up holes and find good space.
Madi Haggett and Kimmi Varcoe had the job in the circle, with Hannah Nitschke on the defensive wing and Madi Turner in the middle, while Lisa Duldig took the offensive wing and coach Demi Verbena in goals alongside Paige Nitschke.
The reigning premiers just struggled to find any chemistry.
At the defensive end, it was a combination that has never played together before, against a forward line that is quick when required and patient when needed, and turnovers were hard to come by.
At the offensive end, Millicent was unable to get their fast paced game going with any consistency and Bell and Maggie Kipping worked hard on the outside to make feeding difficult, often getting their hands to balls and leaving Amy Cram and Maddy Teakle to pick up the loose balls.
Earl was also a massive difference, clearly relishing not having to contend with Dunn.
She not only had all her skills on display with strong holding, well timed drives and some wonderful screen setting, she was accurate with her finishing – netting 11-from-11 in the second quarter in her best effort – and proving to be the dominant goaler on court.
Millicent tweaked its mid court, moving Hannah Nitschke to centre and Turner to the defensive wing and then moving Duldig to the middle and Hannah Nitschke to the attacking wing and while Duldig and Hannah Nitschke were the Saints’ best, it was due to their hard work and willingness to continually present, in transition, and on the circle’s edge as West refused to allow Millicent any easy ball.
The margin was six at the main break and then West again put the foot down to set up the eventual 11-goal lead, after the last quarter sat at 15 apiece.
West was good for three quarters in Round 13 and put together a four quarter performance at the weekend and certainly look to be better timing its run into the finals, while the Saints will certainly not panic and it shows the value of Denton’s leadership and smarts at the offensive end, and arguably, even more so, the need to Dunn as the lynchpin of the defence.
