Sport
8 April, 2024
Giants make winning A grade netball start
MARYBOROUGH GIANTS (66) def B.A ROAD SERVICES TALBOT HAWKS (29) A dominant second half has given the Maryborough Giants a dream start to their first netball campaign, securing a 37-goal victory over the B.A Road Services Talbot Hawks. It was...
MARYBOROUGH GIANTS (66) def B.A ROAD SERVICES TALBOT HAWKS (29)
A dominant second half has given the Maryborough Giants a dream start to their first netball campaign, securing a 37-goal victory over the B.A Road Services Talbot Hawks.
It was a fast-paced Giants who took to the court, as they looked to run and gun at every opportunity, particularly through the mid-court, and their style of play saw them enjoy 40 second half goals as they wore down a brave Hawks outfit.
In many ways, the Giants were going to be a fascinating watch, but they did have an advantage in that a large majority of their midcourt connection also spent a lot of time together at Rovers last season, with Charlotte Cain wasting no time in reconnecting with Ebony Raven at wing attack, while Abbey Raven also added another option inside the goal circle alongside new playing-coach Annalyse Carroll.
The Giants started strongly early, as their run in the midcourt helped them set the pace early on.
Carroll did the rest, scoring 10 goals for the quarter, while Abbey added seven, while the Hawks could only add five, with new playing-coach Eleisha Phelps adding three goals.
But, to the Hawks credit, they were able to play some excellent netball in the second quarter as they took the game up to the Giants, forcing some errant passes in the front third and hitting the scoreboard.
With the new rules allowing immediate substitutions to take place, the Hawks benefitted by throwing Tia Skelton into the goal circle, and she was able to score seven of the Hawks’ eight goals for the quarter.
The Giants were still able to take the ascendancy for the quarter, however, with Carroll scoring four goals and Abbey adding five to ensure they led by 13 goals at the main break.
The third quarter was all the Giants, as they were able to make their move to ensure they would start their season with a win.
Moving the ball with more purpose, the Giants were able to take advantage throughout the term to enjoy their best quarter of scoring, finishing with 21 goals, with Carroll adding 14 and Abbey seven.
Despite that, the Hawks continued to fight hard, and were also able to add a further eight goals for the quarter, with Skelton scoring three goals and Phelps five.
The Giants finished the game strongly, adding another 19 goals to eight in the last term.
Carroll added 14 more goals to take her tally to 42 for the day, with Abbey scoring five more to take her tally to 24.
The Hawks continued to give their all, and showed they weren’t afraid to throw the magnets around, with Isabelle Rustman thrown into the goal circle from defence, adding six goals for the term, while Phelps added two.
It was the Giants’ day, however, and Carroll was thrilled with their application after half time.
“I’m really happy with how the girls played. Everything that we’ve been working on in pre-season, we’ve been able to put together, which was really nice. We had a few lulls but we kept pushing on to get the result,” she said.
“We needed to change things up and be a bit more dynamic after the second quarter, and I think we were able to do that. It was about being a bit more settled, and we started to force a lot of passes in the second quarter when there were options there. The girls responded to that at half time.”
Carroll praised the Hawks for their efforts in the second term, saying she had to readjust the dynamic matter of their front third.
“It’s always nice when you have good girls around you to make that happen, working on our space around the ring and not force those long passes,” she said.
“I think that’s where, in the second quarter, it fell down a little bit, but once we adjusted to that, it made the circle a little bit more dynamic and it worked better.
“It came down to making sure we got that front position and I think we have the speed to be able to do that going in to the ring.”
Carroll says she has enjoyed her initial sojourn with the Giants, and adds that there might be more to come from the new club as they adjust to playing with one another.
“I was feeling a bit of pressure throughout the first five minutes, but I’ve really enjoyed the pre-season and everyone has made me feel welcome. I’ve enjoyed working with the girls and it couldn’t have gone better as a coach,” she said.
“For girls that have been rivals on the court, for them to come together and play on the same team is great to see, and that experience is definitely a great thing to have around the club.
“There’s certainly a lot of hard work that goes into a new club, with clearances and things like that. To bring it together has been great to see.
“We hope we have the speed and added time and positioning on the court and making sure we are in the right positions. I think it was really good for a first hitout, and I think it will only get better.”
Carroll adds that there are plenty of options to call upon if she needs to change things up, which she believes is a “good problem”.
“We have a lot of depth, which is nice, but it’s also a bit of a headache for me. It’s a good problem to have. It will be a dynamic team, which means if things aren’t working in A and B grade, we have the ability to change things up and try something different,” she said.
That includes the use of the new dynamic substitution rule — something that Carroll will try when the team gels a bit more.
“We didn’t use the dynamic substitutions much, but it’s good to have that option there,” she said.
“I think it will take a little bit to get used to, particularly if it’s not a straight swap you want to make, just being the first game, I wanted the girls to settle in first, and as we get a little bit settled, I’ll start to add that in a little bit more.
“But it’s a great option to have, instead of having to call injury time to make those changes, it will make the game a lot faster.”
The Giants will now focus on scoring a second victory in succession when they travel to Trentham in two weeks’ time, now that the nerves seem to be settled, according to Carroll.
“I think our nerves will be a lot more settled, and that should give us a bit more confidence and belief in ourselves if a club comes back at us, and if we stick to our game plan, steady the ball and not rush things, I think we’ll be fine,” she said.
