Hawks impress against Magpies
A solitary goal halted Drouin’s clean sweep of the senior netball grades against Sale on Saturday.
A grade: Drouin 46 lost to Sale 47 Could have been a draw, should have been, and probably was if you were watching the electronic scoreboard. But it wasn’t to be.
Drouin fielded a different looking A grade to previous games, but it was stunning.
April Bethune in goal attack showed her versatility, leadership and determination to shoot under pressure. Working with end flipping Chelsea DeRiter, they combined beautifully in the ring, nervously shooting and gaining confidence all game.
Their height and general coordination allowed them fluid movement and “grace under pressure” through the whole game. Drouin supports don’t think they’ve seen many goal attacks get as many intercepts as April.
Into the midcourt, Sara Russell, Ruby Pratt and Ella Henderson were relentless in their drives, intercepts and pressure over the ball. The trio’s pressure simply halted Sale in their step.
Into defence, Kym Diston combined with Kelly Mills for the first time, but it is surely a combination that will be seen again. They took turns going out “hunting” for an intercept, put pressure inside and outside of the ring and were generally stunning to watch. Seeing Kelly give an outstanding performance in A grade was brilliant.
Awards: Sara Russel, Ella Henderson and Ruby Pratt.
B grade: Drouin 52 defeated Sale 36 It was a game ready to be won from B grade’s perspective, and that they did.
From the start, the B grade goalers Jodie Proctor and Tess Mapleson were on fire, moving around the ring. In the final quarter, Liv Konstanty moved from wing attack into the ring and also didn’t disappoint, either firing into the goal herself or making an astute and quick flick to Tess to score the goal.
Down the court, Ruby Pritchett wasn’t going to be messed with. Neither was Deb Thomas. Their drives down the court showed that both the young and older of the Hawks have what it takes to take the game on.
In defence, the balls were turned over with alarming occurrence, allowing the team to take stock in a game well played.
Awards: Tess Mapleson and Ruby Pritchett.
C grade: Drouin 28 defeat Sale 26 Nothing like a good pressure cooker game in the middle of the day. Add in two substitutes due to injury, some rapidly dropping temperatures and two very tall Sale defenders, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a good netball match.
Drouin and Sale both came out hard, with Drouin having a lead for most of the game. Pulling away to four goals at times, the team worked hard to push and get the lead they wanted.
Emily Bethune and Georgia Lightowler in goals were supported by their teammates but had a battle to make it count. In defence, Grace Henderson was clean and crisp all day, taking turnover after turnover. She never giving Sale an easy pass.
Lots of changes through the game showed the versatility and depth of the team, but it was a challenging game to watch - nothing seemed to go quite as planned.
Awards: Grace Henderson, Chrissie Walsh and Emily Bethune.
17 and under: Drouin 25 lost to Sale 48
The Hawks went into Sale with a strong mindset from the last time they played them.
The first half of the game it was goalfor-goal, and the Hawks were definitely in it.
Making great space and driving to every ball, the shooters were on target and hardly missed. The Hawks were making any turnover count.
The second half of the game had a lack of intensity, meaning passes and catches dropped off.
Drouin will now work on maintaining their fourth spot into finals and building for when it counts.
Awards: Tess Mapleson and Kelly Mills.
15 and under: Drouin 9 lost to Sale 82
It was a hard task for the Hawks against a very competitive Sale side. The girls aimed to lift the intensity, and that they did.
Working from the attack end to the defence, the girls applied pressure and chased every ball.
There were amazing passages of play all the way down the court.
It started with Mylie Stoll in defence getting some clean deflections and intercepts, as well as chasing up those scrap balls.
Coming down the court, Sienna Arbon and Bella Tangipo worked tirelessly to create space and were aggressive to the ball.
The scoreboard didn’t reflect the effort and intensity the girls showed.
Awards: Sienna Arbon and Mylie Stoll.
13 and under: Drouin 7 lost to Sale 54
It was a tough day for the youngest Hawks.
Despite the loss, the girls kept working hard all game on implementing the skills and plays they’ve been working on.
The defenders worked hard together and rebounded every missed shot.
Evie Piner created a lot of midcourt pressure as wing defence and displayed strong drives down the court.
In the attack end, Sophie Cassidy and Emmerson Kneebone combined well to create great angles in the ring and some strong holds.
Awards: Sophie Cassidy and Evie Piner.
The B grade side won 52-36.