Sport
18 April, 2026
11-goal term ends sea-saw battle
A CRACKING contest at Bridgewater between the Mean Machine and Newbridge highlighted the first round of A Grade netball in the Loddon Valley.
A CRACKING contest at Bridgewater between the Mean Machine and Newbridge highlighted the first round of A Grade netball in the Loddon Valley.
The Maroons got up by two goals in Hayley Martiniello’s first game as coach in a physical, seesawing match that never saw the margin go beyond two goals.
Bridgewater led by two at the first break and scores were tied at half-time.
Bridgey again had a two-goal margin at the last change, but 11 goals to seven in the last quarter saw Newbridge home.
Goal shooter Cody Clark was strong under the ring for the winners, while at the other end of the court Leah Oxford helped to quell the scoring threat of the Flood sisters, Natalie and Dannielle.
Neither coach, Martiniello and Bridgewater’s Lou Dupuy, played on Saturday, with the Maroons’ coach pregnant and Dupuy stepping down a grade despite her great form last season.
Both clubs favour non-playing coaches, although Dupuy is available should the need arise.
MARONG and Bears Lagoon Serpentine also fought out a tight game, with the Panthers eventually winning by five goals at Malone Park.
A big first quarter saw Marong leading 15-8, and it was a margin that the Bears could not bridge, despite scoring 14 goals to 10 in the second term, with imposing shooter Ava Francis in strong form. Captain Paige Gordon, who was playing her 100th match for the Panthers, led from the front with a strong performance at goal defence.
MITIAMO’S bid for a hat-trick of premierships got off to a strong start with a 43-goal win over Calivil.
The powerful Superoos were never threatened in coach Jen Wilson’s return to the helm after leading the team to the 2024 title, increasing their lead at every change.
The Demons have a lot of talent in their ranks but are in a rebuilding phase under new coach Annie Hockey and were no match for the seasoned Mitiamo outfit.
Plenty of teams will be under the cosh against the Superoos this season, with stars such as Amelia Ludeman, Laura Hicks and Alicia Hay at their disposal.
MACORNA’S debut in the Loddon Valley competition could not match the footballers with a win over Maiden Gully, but the Tigers showed they would be competitive in A Grade.
They trailed throughout against the Eagles in a low-scoring contest that was affected, like all matches, by the blustery winds.
The first half was a struggle for Macorna, which only had nine goals at the main break, but the players lifted thereafter and won the second half 16-13, giving promise of better things to come.
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