A LOSS to North and a close victory over South have made for a tough opening to the season for Western Border netball reigning premier East Gambier.
As the Bulldogs continue to work with their new-look combination, they will look to put a four-quarter performance together against Casterton Sandford in tomorrow’s third round.
East is yet to court a full-strength team and the Cats have faced a similar problem, as player availability has shaken up the roster in the first two rounds.
Casterton Sandford’s Charlotte Rice, Caeleigh Humphries, Claire Foster and Ebany Jarrad are the rising talent of the team and they will continue to improve as the season progresses.
Humphries, Foster and Jarrad bring tenacity and a willingness to contest every ball to the defensive end, while Rice looms as a strong target for the Cats in the shooting circle.
Scarlett Jarrad has been Casterton Sandford’s best in the opening two rounds.
Her running through the middle and influence at both ends of the court has been the glue which has held the Cats’ performance together in the early going of 2022.
Her battle in the mid court with Emily Hunter will be physical with neither taking a backwards step.
The hard running of Tarsh McCallum and strong positioning and finishing of Amryn Bosko will be critical and will certainly test the young Cats defensive line.
At the other end, Bo Creek – who played her first game for the year in Round 2 – showed her full bag of tricks in the chaotic final quarter in the Bulldogs’ narrow win over South last round.
Creek’s combination with Morgan Amy will take some time to gel, despite having played together in previous seasons.
However, their tight checking will ensure the Cats have to be patient and careful in delivery to their shooters.
East should rack up its second win of the season but expect the Cats to fight hard.
