Sport
22 July, 2024
Natte’s defence stifles Dunolly in 53-goal win
NATTE BEALIBA (71) def DUNOLLY (18) Natte Bealiba’s frugal defence came to the fore once again in their win against Dunolly, restricting the Eagles to 18 goals in a 53-goal win at CHS Broadbent Oval. However, it took until the second quarter for...
NATTE BEALIBA (71) def DUNOLLY (18)
Natte Bealiba’s frugal defence came to the fore once again in their win against Dunolly, restricting the Eagles to 18 goals in a 53-goal win at CHS Broadbent Oval.
However, it took until the second quarter for the Swans to really get going, with Dunolly starting well to keep the Swans honest in the first term.
Regardless, the Swans’ offensively was such that they were still able to score 18 goals to eight in the first term to lead by 10 goals. Emma Ryan started well with 15 goals, while Polly Douglas scored three for the Swans, while for the Eagles, Zoe Aldridge scored seven goals and Kate Ashman one.
The Natte midcourt really tightened up the screws in the second term as they denied Dunolly countless opportunities to progress into their goal third, restricting the Eagles to just nine looks at goal for the quarter. In comparison, the Swans had 27 shots at goal, scoring 19 goals to five to lead 37-13 at the main break. Ryan scored 18 goals and Ashlee McClelland one for the Swans, while Aldridge scored three goals, Teagan Hovey one and Ashman one for the Eagles.
The Swans continued to be relentless in the third quarter, and much of the play continued to be in their half of the court, scoring another 19 goals to three to make it 56-16 at the final change. Ryan scored 11 goals and Douglas eight for the Swans, while Ashman scored two goals and Aldridge one for the Eagles.
The Swans were ruthless to finish the game off, scoring 15 goals to two to make it another comfortable victory, keeping the race for the minor premiership honest. Ryan scored 12 more goals to finish with 56 for the day, closing the gap in the race for the most goals in the A grade competition, while Douglas scored three goals to finish with 14. For the Eagles, Matisse Nelson and Ashman scored once apiece.
Both teams have big games in the context of their seasons, with Natte hosting Carisbrook in a game between top four teams, while Dunolly will look to avoid the wooden spoon when they host Campbells Creek.