Sport
14 July, 2026
Rousing six-goal win places Eagles on finals precipice
With finals hopefuls Mary-borough and Dunolly heading into three-quarter time dead-locked at 29-29, tensions couldn’t have been higher at the Mary-borough Netball Association.
Both teams knew the severity of the match. A Giants victory would draw them back level with the top eight, while an Eagles triumph would give them a valuable eight-point cushion inside the finals spots.
As finals permutations hung on every pass, it was Dunolly who etched themselves onto the doorsteps of their first finals appearance in three years with a gripping six-goal triumph.
With Maldon, Harcourt and Campbells Creek in their next three matches, the Eagles look to be soaring into finals netball while Maryborough now needs to defeat either Lexton, Carisbrook or Navarre before their potential de facto elimination final against Trentham to have any chance of making the top eight.
Saturday’s encounter began with the visiting Eagles in control as their assertive pursuit on Maryborough advances resulted in the hosts struggling to develop an early offensive groove.
With midcourter Ruby Lang’s fearless attack for interceptions and Ashlee Lierich’s exceptional patrolling of the goal circle, Dunolly quickly mounted noticeable pressure on Maryborough’s decision-making.
Despite some impressive passages from Charlotte Liddicoat, Mel Schodde, Hannah Kenny and Lara Clements, Giants defenders Jorgia Brown, Riahni Egan and Macey Parry did an outstanding job limiting Dunolly’s lead to four goals at quarter time.
After an arduous opening term in possession, Maryborough was a symphony of ball movement when play resumed, with Kayley Walhouse and Jessie Tolson helping orchestrate their lightning movement down the court.
Egan and Parry were equally influential to the Giants’ free-flowing game plan coming to fruition, producing stable support in attack and key takeaways in defence.
However, a combination of miscommunications in the final third and some outstanding interceptions from Lierich meant Maryborough struggled to fully reward their exquisite passing moves with the final product.
Dunolly did enough to preserve a one-goal lead at half time, but they entered the main break with major concerns after leading scorer Clements took a nasty fall late in the second quarter hustling for a loose ball.
Not only was Clements able to continue for the second half, but she was thriving with the help of some excellent passes from Liddicoat and Schodde.
Meanwhile, the Giants were also flourishing in the third quarter with their abundance of attacking depth.
With shooters Laura McStravick and Rebecca Dewhirst, who took the goal shooter bib midway through the second term, surrounded by the platooning midcourt of Bridget Allan, Tolson and Walhouse, Maryborough had five talented passers who could create scoring chances for their experienced shooting tandem.
The quintet brought the Giants back on level terms by the three-quarter time whistle, setting the stage for a fitting end to an enthralling game of netball.
Similarly to the first quarter, Dunolly burst out of the blocks for the fourth quarter, retaking the lead and threatening to create an insurmountable gap.
Unlike the first quarter, the Giants were unable to respond to the high-flying Eagles, who soared away with a 15-goal fourth quarter.
Clements and Kenny were crucial down the stretch, finishing with 26 and 18 goals respectively.
McStravick led Maryborough in scoring with 22 goals, while Allan and Dewhirst added eight goals each.