Goulburn Valley League’s open netball battalion, brilliant in its striking purple and gold garb, put on a performance befitting of a grand final in last year’s interleague showstopper against Ovens and Murray League.
The 45-40 victory to get the wood over its north-eastern opposition was full of vim, vigour and vindication, so what’s stopping the GVL from doing it again?
Nothing.
After all, you don’t change a winning recipe.
Of the eight players selected in the 2025 squad, six strapped up for business in the aforementioned win over the O&M.
Dominant Euroa goaler Olivia Morris and tactful Shepparton United bastion Grace McInneny have been brought into a side coach Bree Hanslow can’t wait to see hit the court together.
“We’ve got a nice line-up to head over there, a lot of them have played together, be it at club level or previously at interleague level,” Hanslow said.
“In terms of new faces we’ve got in the team, there’s Liv Morris who’s played a lot of high-level netball before, so it’ll be exciting to see her running around in the purple colours.
“Grace McInenny is the other new face who we haven’t seen at interleague level before, so it’ll be good to see both of those two play their first games.”
Saturday’s open netball match at Wangaratta’s WJ Findlay Oval has been brought forward to the 12.30pm time slot, so as not to clash with the senior football fixture.
It’s hoped this will drag more eyes to the asphalt when the whistle blows.
Hanslow is anticipating a well-drilled, revenge hungry O&M side in waiting and, though, the GVL hasn’t had as much time to prepare, she is relying on past chemistry to carry the girls through to consecutive wins.
“We tend to come into this game having not had the girls get together and do too much work because they are busy with other commitments,” she said.
“But my messaging to them will be around getting out there and enjoying and playing that standard of netball against Ovens and Murray. It’s always a great match.
“As a team, they’ve played plenty of netball together — there’s not too many changes from the side they had last year between interleague and association champs, so they will be quite familiar with each other’s game.
“It’ll just be to hit the court and go our hardest for 60 minutes.”
Cohesion through the thirds will be crucial for Hanslow and co.
Morris is expected to share the shooting circle alongside Euroa goaler Mia Sudomirski with feeds into the arc from fellow Magpie Hollie Reid.
In defence, Dayna Williams will work closely with Mooroopna colleague Asha Gray, while the glue holding everything together is shutdown defender Sarah Szczykulski.
The Seymour star retains the captain’s armband for another year, her leadership proving pivotal in last year’s triumph.
“We’ve had a pretty consistent group, especially with Sarah from Seymour captaining the side for a little while now,” Hanslow said.
“She’s definitely one who the girls look up to and an excellent player who’s played at Seymour for a long time and represented the league there for a number of years.
“We’ll be looking to her to lead the group, but even within the group, you’ve got a lot of talented players there who’ll be looking to step up all over the court, which will be great.”
