Sport
19 June, 2026
Finals favourites still on top
THE REASONS why Mitiamo is unbeaten in Loddon Valley netball A Grade this season and has won the premiership for the past two years were crystal clear on Saturday.
THE REASONS why Mitiamo is unbeaten in Loddon Valley netball A Grade this season and has won the premiership for the past two years were crystal clear on Saturday.
In the first quarter against Marong the Superoos were quick and mobile, ball-handling was impeccable, goal shooting was unerring and the defence was rock solid.
The Panthers competed hard, but Miti was just too classy.
Centre Amelia Ludeman and wing attack Amelia Hay showed that they have only got stronger after their respective wins in last year’s Helen Ward Medal and the grand final best player award.
Veteran star Laura Hicks and fellow goaler Carly Storey dominate under the ring and Abbey Battersby and Jayne Norton are outstanding at the other end of the court.
Mitiamo coach Jen Wilson felt the team clicked into gear halfway through the first quarter and then made some tactical adjustments that paid dividends in the last term, when the weather conditions were at their worst. The team’s one-touch play in slippery conditions and superior fitness really showed late in the game.
A potent mix of experience and youth helps to make the Superoos so strong, and they quickly established a winning lead, scoring 21 goals to six in the first quarter, with Hicks shooting 17 herself.
The Panthers were terrific in the middle two quarters, with 23 goals to Mitiamo’s 26 as their mid-courters won more of the ball and defenders Laurel Prowse and Paige Gordon tightened up on the Miti goalers. The Superoos slipped away again in the last quarter, with an 18-8 finish to complete a 28-goal win, but Marong, now sixth on the ladder with a 5-4 record, was not disgraced and remains in the logjam of teams chasing Mitiamo.
Just two wins separate Bridgewater in second place from Calivil in eighth, with four sides holding 6-3 records and split only on percentage as the teams turn for home.
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