EAGLES HIT NEW HIGH

NEWTOWN & Chilwell has officially gone past 100 consecutive wins, beating Bell Park 57-35 on Saturday to continue local netball’s greatest domination.

The club boasts five premierships in as many years, but coach Jason Woolley said the winning streak is not mentioned on game day. Rather, the Eagles’ success lies in studying how to best match up against the opposition.

“We tend not to let that stuff bother us. Key match-ups are really the focus,” he said. “Being around the league for a while, you know the strengths of each team and you can concentrate on the best match-ups come game day.”

Woolley was pleased with the Eagles’ ability to rise to the challenge when missing star players on Saturday in its 101st win in a row.

Kathleen Knott was out for 75 per cent of the match, and the side was also missing dominant midcourt player Dani Stewart.

“Everyone played their role but I was particularly impressed with Amy Wirth, who was outstanding in goal keeper, and Julia Woolley who picked up the slack going forward,” he said.

“Bell Park played a really physical game but I think we absorbed it pretty well.”

Julia Woolley shot her 30 goals at 89 per cent as the Eagles took a six-goal lead into quarter time and extended the margin from there. At the other end, Bell Park had conversion issues of its own, going at only 70 per cent compared to the Eagles’ 87, stalling any chances to put scoreboard pressure on their opposition.

Looking forward, Woolley said his team was focused on continuing to produce its best performance, but never took winning for granted.

Woolley identified St Albans and South Barwon as the toughest opponents in the league, and the Eagles have drawn both sides in the next four rounds.