THE Victorian Netball League (VNL) makes its long awaited return after another state wide lockdown put a halt to sport. Coming into the pointy end of the season the top teams will be hoping to pick up where they left off and gain some much needed momentum. The Southern Saints and Peninsula Waves will enjoy an extra week off after being handed the bye this week.

City West Falcons vs. Hawks Netball

The Falcons are sitting pretty atop of the ladder one game clear of their next closest competitor and will be hoping to extend that buffer with a strong performance against the Hawks. The Hawks have enjoyed a longer break than their counterparts and will be hoping that their extra week off will put them in good stead to create another upset.

Tall timber Jane Cook will be the focal point for the Falcons with the goal shooter the one controlling proceedings in attack. She is an easy target under the post and can put up a high volume of goals to post a commanding total for the Falcons. Aside from Cook the Falcons also have the likes of Madelyn Gray and Tahnysha Salanoa at their disposal who are able to find their way onto the scoreboard. Maggie Lind is a real barometer for the Falcons while Soli Ropati is a ball magnet through the midcourt. She complements the work of both Zoe Davies and Sarah Szczykulski down in the defensive circle who will have to be on their toes against the moving circle of Daisy Hill, Tayla Shannon and Natalie Billings. All three have proven to be accurate to post but it is a matter of getting it in there given the strength of the Falcons midcourt up against the likes of gut running centre, Jasmine Ferguson and Alex Salter. Clare Johnson will be likely tasked with the challenge of nullifying Cook but will need support from the likes of Sally Deller and Chloe Sinclair if they are to upset the applecart.

Ariels vs. Boroondara Express

Boroondara are on the hunt for their sixth win of the season to keep them within striking distance of the top four while the Ariels are hoping for a bit of respectability with the potential of a fourth victory. The last time these two sides met it was Express that got the better of the Ariels in what was a convincing performance, however the Ariels have come a long way since Round 6 and will be hoping to put out a more comprehensive performance.

With the return of Rahni Samason the Ariels could prove hard to stop with the goal shooter able to ply in her trade both under the post or out in goal attack. She is a smooth mover and is incredibly accurate to post and is set to make life hard for the likes of Michelle Massarany. Express will be riding high after securing a big win in Round 10 but will be without Ruby Barkmeyer given she is up in Queensland with the Vixens. But that being said they still have goal shooter Uneeq Palavi who is more than capable under the ring with her fancy footwork and accuracy to post. Defensively the Ariels have a plethora of options with Brodie Smith and Alice Paget able to share the goal defence duties while Monique Clark is reliable back in goal keeper. Keep an eye out for the highly versatile Stacey Gannon who is a real litmus test for the Ariels with her precision and smarts inside the attacking third. Zali Anderson is an excitement machine for Boroondara as is Taylah Brown with the two able to combine through the midcourt.

North East Blaze vs. Geelong Cougars

The Blaze are teetering outside the top four while the Cougars have a firm grip on third spot and will be wanting to leave their mark with a big win here. The two teams are renowned for their dogged style of defence and moving shooting circles making for an enthralling clash given how evenly poised the two sides are.

Nyah Allen is a real feature in the Blaze’s frontend with the smooth moving shooter able to effectively and efficiently ply her trade in both goal shooter or goal attack. She will have to contend with the long prying arms of Brooke Allan with the Cougars goal keeper able to cherry pick any high looping passes that come her way. Allan is not the only one the Blaze will have to be weary of with Victoria Honner also a real nuisance down back. The shooting combination of Julia Woolley and Zanna Woods is hard to stop when they are on song meaning Tayissa Coppinger will have to be at her damaging best and with a midcourt littered with stars the Blaze will have to be on their a-game. Madi Browne, Emily Post, Ally O’Connor and Vanessa Augustini are all more than capable of tearing a game apart with their smarts and vision through the midcourt which could give the Cougars the upper hand against North East Blaze. Youngster Olivia Ellis is an exciting prospect for the Blaze while Alex Moody and Ella Bayliss are consistent figures that will need to up the ante against a full throttle Cougars outfit.

Melbourne University Lightning vs. Casey Demons  

It is going to be a battle of the heavyweights when Melbourne University Lightning take on Casey Demons. Currently sitting in second spot on the ladder the Lightning will be hoping to edge closer to the top of the table and claim a win over the Demons after suffering a shock loss in Round 10. They will be eager to make amends and solidify their standings against Casey who have dropped to fourth but have an extra game in hand.

There is no denying that the game will be won and lost in the shooting circle for the Demons with Emma Ryde the lynchpin under the ring. The goal shooter is often the port of call credit to her height and capacity to score quickly and accurately. However she will have her work cut out for her up against the well-oiled defensive machine that is the Lightning headlined by Gabby Coffey and Fiona Themann. Although both Coffey and Themann are not the tallest defenders in the league they both possess impressive athleticism to get up nice and high to compete in the air. With this in mind the Demons will need Sacha McDonald to be firing on all cylinders to alleviate the pressure on Ryde. The combination with Tayla Honey out the front is also imperative as the Lightning have the likes of Shae Brown and the Cransberg sisters Zoe and Jordan able to explode out of the blocks. Inside attack, Melbourne Uni will be hoping that the combination between Claudia Mawson and Mikaela Vaughan is at its damaging best with the two able to rotate the circle with great ease and shoot from anywhere meaning that Georgia Vines and Demi Woodlock will need to be up and about to create hesitation in the circle.

Photo credit: Netball Victoria