Stability pays off

Edenhope-apsley has had to rely on travelling players to help fill an A Grade side for the past few years but has benefitted from fielding a team of ‘locals’ in 2018.

Netball director and A Grade player Cynthia Watt said she believed extra stability within the side had paid off.

“We haven’t had a team of ‘locals’ for years, we’ve had a lot of travelling players. It’s been great to have them, but it’s also been nice this year to be able to all train together and get to know each other better, focusing on team skills and being united,” she said.

“We are excited to have made finals and to finish fifth, which was a pleasant surprise.

“We’re nervous because we haven’t convincingly won many games this season – apart from the top two teams the competition has been very tight.

“While Laharum and Natimuk have been the standouts, the rest of the competition has been open, with most teams having an opportunity to make finals. I think that’s a very positive thing.”

The Saints won 10 matches to finish on the same points as third-placed Harrowbalmoral and fourth-placed Swifts, but with a significantly lower percentage.

Watt said her side set its sights on making finals ahead of round one.

“We also wanted to ensure we had strong leadership and team work within the A Grade squad,” she said.

“Our coach Mon van Dyk and team leader Kellie Jude have been fantastic leaders. They have been pivotal to our success this year.

“We definitely have some depth in our positions, along with some wisdom thanks to some older heads. That’s been nice, to be able to balance out our young crew with some experience.”

Watt is the last line of defence in keeper and combines well with Alex Lang, who picks off a lot of balls and creates valuable turnovers.

Krystal Schapel is the side’s primary avenue to goal.

A strong attacker on the ball, the accurate goalie moves well in the ring and will need to be on song in finals against some strong defensive combinations.

Goal attack Sarah Domaschenz does a powerhouse of work through the midcourt and in the ring, while Kara Shuttleworth feeds the ball beautifully from wing attack.

Hard-running Ash Ryan returned to her home side this season and is a big asset in the centre. She can move the ball quickly or slow it down depending on what’s required and also applies a lot of defensive pressure down the court.

Wing defence Rachael Elmslie is capable of plenty of speed and pressure.

“We also have two fabulous juniors, Ariana Ralph and Georgia Thompson, who have been great this year,” Watt said.

“Ariana plays in wing attack or goals, while Georgia can slot into centre or wing defence if needed. They are great options to have on our bench. They are qualified and can be used at any time.”

The Saints will have their first taste of finals action in a must-win clash against Swifts at Rupanyup on Sunday. “Swifts are a very fit team so we are going to have to work hard to match them,” Watt said.

“While Laharum and Nati are the top teams, I wouldn’t put it past the top four – hopefully five – sides to come away with the prize.”