SNA 13-and-under: (Back) Deb Robinson (coach), Avie Hill, Ellie Robinson, Layla Ratcliffe, Maya Jones, Amy Woodman (assistant coach), (front) Bethany Burton, Maya Pearson, Scarlet Byers and Emmi Lewis. Bailey Stovell (absent).
Goulburn Valley representatives have returned from state netball’s day of days, with a mixed bag of results to show from the Netball Victoria Association Championships.
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Defending its open crown, Goulburn Valley League rounded out in fifth place after posting five wins, two draws and two losses at the competition held at the State Netball Centre in Parkville on June 18.
Di Hanslow’s outfit raced out to a fantastic start and failed to lose a game until the seventh match of the day, but due to the high-intensity nature of the event, the wheels came off in the following run.
Consecutive defeats to West Gippsland, Bendigo, Hampden and Ovens and Murray – all by six goals or less – meant the GVL did not make the cut for finals.
Instead, it was left to Banyule and District to steal the crown as it knocked off Ovens and Murray in the final by a goal.
Murray Netball League put in an admirable showing, scalping three wins from its 11 games to end up in ninth.
Liz Mehmet’s side produced the second biggest winning margin of the day, however, as it trounced Mountain District 26-2 in game five.
In the 17-and-under division, GVL managed to grind out two wins and two draws from its 10 matches, also leaving Parkville with a ninth finish.
The GVL’s 15-and-under contingent landed slightly higher up the order when all was said and done, earning seventh spot with a 3-5-3 ledger.
Yet the best performer from the district sides was Shepparton Netball Association.
The SNA’s 13-and-under squad dropped just one of its five matches, winning four on the spin in the group stages before falling to Netball Wodonga 18-9 in the first round of finals.
Leading into the event, SNA picked 27 players from its February trials to form three 13-and-under representative teams to contest the North East Zone Association Championships in May, coached by Deb Robinson as well as assistants Amy Woodman and Charlette Gray.
From the trio of sides, Shepp Gold scored five wins from the championship division rounds to place third and oust Myrtleford 14-3 in the first final.
Shepp Gold lost out 16-10 in the big dance against familiar foe Wodonga, but in doing so booked its place at the weekend’s Netball Victoria Association Championships.
With a mountain of work put in to reach the grand stage, SNA president Tracey Toy paid credit to all involved.
“Whilst our SNA team may not have made it through to the grand final, the SNA is extremely proud of what they went on to achieve,” she said.
“It was a huge effort by the girls to qualify for finals day and they have put in an enormous amount of training and commitment.
“And it was made all the more outstanding by the fact that only eight out of the nine girls in the team were available to attend as one of them went down with bronchitis on the Friday prior and was too ill to take her spot on the day.”
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