Shepparton 35
A dramatic and heart-stopping draw played out between Echuca's and Shepparton's 17-and-under netballers as Goulburn Valley League action returned at the weekend.
It was an opening round match for the ages, as the two teams fought out a nail-biting 35-35 draw at Victoria Park.
Under clear skies, the match was a frantic affair right from the first pass.
Turnovers and errors were prevalent across the four quarters, which was to be expected after such a long and interrupted year due to COVID-19.
Shepparton's tall attackers Isabel Whitelaw and Elly Jeffery were standouts, while Echuca's Claire Byrne, Alice Davidson and Charlotte Groves starred for the home side.
After three see-sawing quarters, Shepparton scored 11 goals to nine and overturned a two-goal deficit to seal the competition's first draw of the season.
Echuca coach Gina Pearson believed a draw was the right result, saying the round one contest against the Bears lived up to pre-match hype.
“We expected a tough, close contest and that was exactly what we got in the end,” she said.
“I think it was the right result, neither side really grabbed control and it was back-and-forth throughout.
“No-one got more than three goals ahead.
“And I'm really happy the girls were able to hang on and share the points.
“To see the smiles on the faces of all the players was just really special.
“You could tell they all loved being back out there and that's the most important thing.”
● In the other matches, Shepparton United got its premiership defence off to a brilliant start against a cross-town rival.
The reigning premier was too strong for last year's grand finalists, Shepparton Swans, saluting by 24 goals in the 50-34 win at Princess Park.
Kyabram was able to breeze past Euroa on its home deck, triumphing by 14 goals over the Magpies (34-20).
Lastly, Rochester and Mooroopna kick-started their season with emphatic victories over Tatura and Mansfield respectively.
The Tigers clinched a 68-22 victory against the Bulldogs, while the Cats thumped the Eagles 70-11.
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