Dark horses again?
Kaniva-leeor United netballers have made a strong impression since the blue, white and green joined Horsham District league at the start of the 2021 season.
Last season, the Cougars’ A Grade side played its first league finals series after finishing sixth on the ladder and booking itself an elimination final against a top-tier Edenhope-apsley.
The Cougars were gallant against the eventual 2022 premiers, losing by 14 goals.
The netball department has backed its players to match those results in 2023, with leaders reporting a ‘solid’ cohort of returned players this pre-season.
Netball director Melanie Maddern said while the squad had lost a ‘couple’ of players in the off-season, including former playing coach Emma Hawker to Nhill, the club had gained the playing availability of several former Cougars netballers.
“We have had good numbers on court this pre-season and we are just about to launch into our side selections,” she said.
“We have a few players who will return to the club after some time off, but we have our eyes forward on making ground this season.”
The netball department has yet to finalise its full coaching line-up for 2023, however Maddern said the squad’s coaching team would be formally announced ‘soon’.
She said the club remained committed to prioritising players of Kaniva and its surrounding districts, and would field teams in all four of the league’s senior netball grades.
“It will be great to have our local players back on the court this season, in all senior grades,” she said.
Maddern said the composition and leadership of the club’s junior netball sides would also be announced soon.
Although it had significant wins, the Cougars’ A Grade team appeared to fly under the radar in the first half of last season and could be the league’s dark horse, again.
During the latter half of the season, the side established itself as a clear step above the league’s trailing sides and a surprise threat to several of the competition’s topfour squads.
Its two-goal loss to eventual minor premiers Kalkee, in round 12 at Kalkee, was perhaps a season highlight as the Cougars embedded a fast-moving style of play.
However, followers of Horsham District league netball will be aware of the significant player movement this off-season as netballers from neighbouring leagues enter the competition.
Punters might find it harder than ever to predict the Cougars’ final ladder position in 2023 – especially if the team has a latter season burst, again.
The Cougars start their 2023 campaign against their most regionally-distanced opposition, playing Swifts at North Park, Stawell, before hosting a young Pimpinio side at Kaniva in round two.