Sport
29 August, 2022
Forty-five up for Avoca in qualifying final win
AVOCA (53) def HARCOURT (50) Avoca held off a fast-finishing Harcourt to progress to the A grade netball first preliminary final, where they await the winner of the game between Natte Bealiba and Maldon. The Bulldogs were able to utilise a second...
AVOCA (53) def HARCOURT (50)
Avoca held off a fast-finishing Harcourt to progress to the A grade netball first preliminary final, where they await the winner of the game between Natte Bealiba and Maldon.
The Bulldogs were able to utilise a second and third quarter burst which saw them score 30 goals to the Lions’ 21, as their long winning streak now sits at 45.
In a tight first quarter, both teams were able to hit the scoreboard early, with both scoring 15 goals. Kate Blake — a late inclusion following the pre-game withdrawal of Megan McKay, was able to adjust well, scoring seven goals in the opening period, while Maddy Egan was able to make her mark inside the goal circle early with 12 goals.
Avoca was able to break away in the second quarter, scoring 15 goals to 11. Harcourt was able to utilise Tayla Gale as a scoring option, scoring nine goals for the quarter, but it was the defensive pressure from the Bulldogs that was making the difference, with their mid-court able to feed the ball effectively to both Egan and Gina Beavis.
The Bulldogs were able to build upon their lead in the third quarter, continuing their great form defensively and scoring on the counter-attack, leading 45-36 at the final change.
Harcourt were desperate to get back into the game, and their final quarter was able to give them great confidence regardless of the result. They were able to score 14 goals, while restricting Avoca to eight, but by then, it was too late — the Bulldogs had held on to record a three-goal victory, winning 53-50.
Egan was thrilled with the result, while acknowledging her team still needed to work harder to defend their 2019 title.
“We need to be made to earn it. I don’t think we’ve worked hard enough ourselves. We’ve probably gone in too confident, so a good run is what we needed, and it was what we needed. It was a great game all the way through,” she said.
“We knew we’d go into a different Harcourt team, that was the hard part, not knowing who would come in. Their team has changed throughout the season and so has ours.”
Egan said that although the Bulldogs A grade team now has a week off, they will utilise the opportunity for some match fitness with their B grade team facing a do-or-die semi final against Maldon on Sunday.
“We’ll now go in to training the same as normal. With our B grade team playing next week, we’ll still be looking to get game time at training and just do everything right, as well as managing any injuries we have,” she said.
Egan was thrilled with the defensive impact of Caitlin Drummond and Olivia Carlin in their win.
“Hats off to our defenders, they do well every week, Caitlin and Liv, they’ve just worked so well together this season. They didn’t get to play a lot together last year. They made every rebound theirs,” she said.
The Bulldogs will now enjoy their week’s break, while Harcourt will now have to navigate a juicy semi final match-up with an in-form Lexton outfit if they are to continue on in season 2022.
