Hawks rise to challenge
A Grade: Drouin 74 def Wonthaggi 40. A somewhat undermanned A grade team went into this game, but still came away with a victory. Jessie Hedley stepped back into the ring for the first time in a while – luckily she hadn’t forgotten how to rebound and intercept. She was backed up by Kym Diston and by Linda Rasmussen for a quarter. In the midcourt, WD April Bethune took many intercepts. Karina Proctor and Stacie Gardiner goaled beautifully, setting up a good percentage for the second half of the season. Perhaps Stacie’s injury scared away the defenders! This was a good game to consolidate tactics and plays. Award: Stacie Gardiner B Grade: Drouin 40 def Wonthaggi 35. It rained at the start of the B grade game then cleared, making the wet courts glary! Drouin came out strongly. Injuries and illness allowed the juniors to show what they are made of. Jemyma Leishout in GA worked hard in the goal ring moving the ball closer to the post; Kelly Hedley moved out into WA to help feed the ball, also creating drive through the midcourt. Another junior, Natalie Sloan, came on in defence and, with her rebounding power and height, teamed well with Linda Rasmussen, forcing many turnovers. Ella Henderson’s one-on-one defence was awesome, allowing the Drouin defenders to pick off passes.
Awards: Ella Henderson, Kelly Hedley and Natalie Sloan C Grade: Drouin 28 lost to Wonthaggi 61. A disappointing match, with some excellent passages of play. The C grade girls can match these good teams but without consistency throughout the four quarters, it doesn’t manufacture a win. The Hawks were under pressure from the start, facing some well practised and reliable goalers. Needing to adjust, Bianca Tucker had removed her sparkly new Seahorse Boutique engagement ring and stepped up (or back) into the role of GD. Jess Murray got the surprise news, after already playing a hard first three quarters, that she was going to finish the game in centre – just in case she wasn’t tired enough. To her credit, she fed the ball brilliantly into the goalers and Lorin Scanlan converted on the scoreboard. Other players also stretched their netball wings in some new positions – maybe producing some new ideas for the rest of the season.
Awards: Bianca Tucker, Lorin Scanlan and Jess Murray 17U: Drouin 50 defeated Wonthaggi 28. Yet another fantastic win, demonstrating that working together for a few years (with some good quality new blood) makes a ripper of a netball team. Everyone played their role beautifully. Full-court defensive pressure kept Wonthaggi to a low score and the girls scored consistently from the turnovers despite the windy conditions. Lateisha Edwards was relentless in WD, both physically and using her loud voice to encourage teammates, and Cassie Shaddock shot beautifully. Congratulations to coach Jodie Proctor on the arrival of her first child, a baby girl Nora, a future Hawk!
Awards: Lateisha Edwards and Cassie Shaddock 15U: Drouin 25 lost to Wonthaggi 47. Drouin had a good first quarter but couldn’t stay with a strong Wonthaggi side. Kiarna Craig at WD put some great defensive pressure on a much taller side. Ruby Simpson worked hard and applied great defensive pressure. The girls had some good plays in the attack end and are improving every week. Awards: Kiarna Craig and Ruby Simpson 13U: Drouin 17 lost to Wonthaggi 22. What a fresh and cold morning the baby hawkers had in their game against a competitive Wonthaggi. Some fantastic team play kept the girls in the game right up until the final quarter – Drouin actually won the second and third quarters. A couple of little mistakes allowed Wonthaggi to get over the line. But this team is improving, both on Saturdays and at training.
Awards: Ella Gown and Sophie White