Sport
1 August, 2026
Normoyle key in turnaround
SIX GOALS down early in the first quarter against Maiden Gully, Bridgewater was struggling on the court.
SIX GOALS down early in the first quarter against Maiden Gully, Bridgewater was struggling on the court.
By the end of the quarter the Mean Machine had steadied the ship and led by a goal, but things needed to change, especially with a clash with unbeaten Mitiamo on the horizon.
Wing defence Piper Normoyle was withdrawn to the bench to hear some feedback from coaches Lou Dupuy and Carly Wild, and to see the game unfold from a different perspective.
When Normoyle returned to the court after half-time “she helped turn it around”, in the words of Dupuy, as Bridgewater dramatically switched gears.
The Mean Machine, with shooter Nat Flood in sublime form, scored 22 goals to 10 in the second quarter, but then went on an astonishing 24-3 third term run, eventually powering to a 41-goal win.
Goal defence Keira Lane was in imperious form, with 12 intercepts, and captain Sidney Niemann was a strong voice on the court who linked beautifully with Flood, whose soft hands and body positioning were exceptional.
Dupuy said the third quarter gave her players confidence and self-belief, critical with the game against Mitiamo looming next Saturday.
“We’re confident that if we play our best netball, that can win us the game,” she said.
Bridgewater couldn’t afford to make mistakes against the relentless Superoos.
“We’ll focus on playing our game – and we know from when we played them last time what works and what doesn’t work.”
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