A new-look Echuca got its Goulburn Valley League A-grade season off to the perfect start with a hard-fought win over Rochester.
Echuca overcame a slow first half to power past the Tigerettes, running out 11-goal winners.
Rochester won the first two quarters 14-13 and 11-10, but the Murray Bombers found their tempo to win the final two quarters by six goals each.
Echuca A-grade coach Steph Vick said she knew her squad would be in for a challenge after facing the Tigerettes earlier in the year.
“We knew they were going to be pretty tough,” Vick said.
“We came across them at the Rochester tournament at the beginning of the year and they have got some talented players.
“We only really broke away in the last half of the third quarter.
“They were relentless and had some accurate goalers. There wasn’t a lot of room for error on our end.”
Vick said she was pleased with how her side evolved with the game, eventually running over the top of a tiring Rochester.
“In terms of our defence it took us a little while to find our feet, with our one-on-one defence we were playing a bit far off our player,” Vick said.
“I think when we adjusted, we were able to mix up our pace, slow it down when we needed to slow it down.
“That made a difference for us in attack, because it gave us a bit more time to work in front for our goalers.”
Echuca, finishing second in 2021, is sporting a new-look side this campaign.
GVL B-grade best-and-fairest Greta Pearson is one of those new faces, and she marked her step up to A-grade with a starring performance at wing attack, while in goals Vick credited her accurate goal shooters.
“We have had quite a bit of turnover; we have some new faces in A-grade this year,” Vick said.
“Greta Pearson on wing attack and centre was consistently good all game, and just kept giving and giving, adjusting to the ebbs and flows of the game.
“(Belinda Lees and Bianca Willis) shot accurately most of the time and they were patient.”
It was a clean sweep for Echuca Football Netball Club, who pulled off a clean sweep of results against Rochester after all netball and football grades managed to win their fixtures.
Echuca face Euroa at Victoria Park this Saturday.
GVL Netball round one
Echuca 49 def Rochester 38