General News
12 July, 2024
Battlelines are set in top of table clash
A LODDON Valley derby that doubles as a critical top-of-the-ladder clash, this Saturday’s netball battle between Wedderburn and Boort will go a long way to shaping the North Central season. Wedderburn sit atop the table, with Birchip Watchem...
A LODDON Valley derby that doubles as a critical top-of-the-ladder clash, this Saturday’s netball battle between Wedderburn and Boort will go a long way to shaping the North Central season.
Wedderburn sit atop the table, with Birchip Watchem leapfrogging Boort into second spot after the Magpies’ bye last weekend.
Boort’s shock loss to Charlton the week before saw the side lose first place, but a win against the Redbacks at Wedderburn could see the Magpies at the summit again in a fiercely contested battle for the premiership.
Wedderburn coach Emma Lockhart viewed the game as a chance to help shore up a finals berth.
“It will be important to really confirm our position, but there are still plenty of games to go and you can move from top-four to out of the four pretty quickly,” she said.
The Redbacks suffered two major injuries last week, with star centre Meg Lowry suffering what is feared to be an ACL tear, and wing defence Anna Meade also going down, and player absences are starting to take their toll.
“We just have to soldier on,” Lockhart said. “We’re no certainties going in to Saturday. And we will have to play at our best and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
Boort coach Georgia Haw believed her team’s strong defence, which has given up the fewest goals in the competition, would be a key to victory.
“Emma Darker, our goal defence, is back, and I think the players will have a really big crack after the loss,” she said.
Goal shooter Amy Driden will miss again as she holidays overseas, with Haw stepping up herself in attack as she juggles A and B Grade duties, with player numbers low.
Haw gave the team a full week off during the bye, cancelling training to help players freshen up and get over niggles. “I think we needed it,” she said.
Haw admitted playing at Wedderburn was a disadvantage for the Magpies: “It’s become a bit of a fortress, so I’d rather play them at home.”
Wedderburn’s hard-fought 46-34 win over Charlton was in large part due to the efforts of coach Emma Lockhart, who backed up in A Grade after playing a quarter in B Grade and was named the Redbacks’ best.
Nikki Lockhart also impressed, while players’ choice awards went to Holly Lockhart and Maddison Postle.