General News
19 July, 2024
Gleeson defence switch works
WEDDERBURN goes into its second bye for the season sitting comfortably in top spot on the North Central netball ladder after a strong win over Boort last Saturday. The 49-32 victory puts the Redbacks six points ahead of their rivals in Senior...
WEDDERBURN goes into its second bye for the season sitting comfortably in top spot on the North Central netball ladder after a strong win over Boort last Saturday.
The 49-32 victory puts the Redbacks six points ahead of their rivals in Senior A Grade, although third-placed Nullawil can close to within two points if it can overcome Sea Lake Nandaly this week.
Redbacks coach Emma Lockhart described the win as “a good one in the end” but acknowledged that the Magpies were missing some key players “and will come out stronger next time”.
Lockhart said it was always hard to know how a team would return after a bye.
“We will have the week off training, and hope a few injuries that people have will come good. We have some big games coming up, so hopefully everyone will come back fresh and ready to go,” she said.
A positional switch by Courtney Gleeson from goal keeper to wing defence was crucial to Wedderburn’s win, but Lockhart was unsure whether the change would become permanent.
Like many clubs, the Redbacks are struggling for numbers at this stage of the season, with some regular B Grade players becoming ineligible to play finals in that competition after playing too many A Grade matches.
Boort has a chance to make up ground on Wedderburn this week with a clash against strugglers Wycheproof Narraport, which sits in eighth spot on the ladder with just two wins for the season.
The Magpies, now fourth after their loss to the Redbacks, could even rise to second place if other results go their way.
Boort coach Georgia Haw said the loss of goal shooter Amy Driden, who remains on holiday in Europe and will miss another week, was crucial in the defeat to Wedderburn.
“We just didn’t play that well, and a few rotations we tried really didn’t go our way,” she said.
Replacing Driden’s height with shorter players had not worked out. “We didn’t have that target in the forward line, and we are so used to having a tall goaler,” Haw said.
Boort comfortably defeated Wycheproof Narraport when they met earlier in the season but Haw expected a tough battle against physical opponents.