THE long awaited return of the Victorian Netball League (VNL) kicks off tonight with Round 7 set to bring plenty of excitement. It has been almost a month since the last game given the COVID-19 enforced lockdown and regulations surrounding sport making for an enthralling battle this week.

Casey Demons vs. Southern Saints

Casey Demons are shaping up to be real finals contenders with their ability to grind out games and post hefty totals, something they will be hoping to do against the Southern Saints. It has been a tricky season for the Saints so far, sitting second last with no wins next to their name and they will be eager to rectify their slow start with a more convincing performance.

There is no denying that goal shooter Emma Ryde is a key cog in the attack end with her ability to hold strong and score quickly. Her partnership with Sacha McDonald is the main area of concern for the Saints given both Ryde and McDonald can score with great ease. the Saints will be looking to Lyshae Barry, Stephanie McNay and Kirsty Clark to shut down Ryde and McDonald and apply some strong hands over pressure. Through the midcourt the Demons also have plenty of options and excitement machines with Tayla Honey one of those options. Honey can play both wing attack and centre while Sharni Lambden has also impressed with her ability to swing between the midcourt and circle defence credit to her netball smarts. The Saints have a number of viable options under the post with Sinead Lumsden, Samantha Silvester and Ella Quinlan all able to ply their trade and do so at a high accuracy shooting at a combined 91 per cent back in Round 6. Casey will be hoping that Lambden, along with Karli Foster and Julia Smith, are able to get hands to ball in order to disrupt the Saints’ shooting end.

Melbourne University Lightning vs. Boroondara Express

Melbourne University Lightning will be hoping to keep their unbeaten record intact when they come up against Boroondara Express. Prior to the break the Lightning were cruising along nicely while Express had struggled to really hit their straps racking up just the three wins for the season. But the break could have worked wonders for Express when it comes to ironing out the kinks in their line-up.

Defensively the Lightning are littered with stars with Fiona Themann and Gabby Coffey headlining the defensive unit. The two are real ball winners that are also renowned for their hands over pressure meaning the likes of Uneeq Palavi and Stephanie Gorrie will have to be on their a-game inside the circle for Express. It does not stop there for the Lightning though, with Shae Brown a lynchpin in centre with her ability to link up the attacking and defensive thirds with great ease. Her partnership with Jordan Cransberg and Kelsie Rainbow is also exciting to watch. Expect Tegan Stephenson and Michelle Massarany to work in tandem to try and stop the ball floating into both Mikaela Vaughan and Claudia Mawson who are in hot form by using their long arms and quick footwork to dance around the bodies of the two goalers.

Peninsula vs. North East Blaze

North East Blaze were travelling along nicely prior to the COVID enforced break and will be hoping to get back to their winning ways in their match against Peninsula. The Blaze sit a game inside the top four and will see this as an opportunity to really solidify their standings if they are able to topple the winless Waves.

The Blaze are lucky to have Nyah Allen at their disposal with the talented goaler able to play both goal shooter and goal attack effectively. She is a real crafty player able to create attacking forays and edge her way closer to the post while both Georgia Moody and Abigail Gedge are steady heads for the Blaze inside the circle. keep an eye out for Tara Cecil with the Waves defender incredibly dynamic and a real ball winner that backs herself in the contest and can swing between goal keeper or goal defence in a heartbeat. The midcourt is also filled with playmakers in Kali Dolphin and Chloe Lambert making for an enticing battle with Stacie Gardiner and Adrienne Harris. Defensively Georgia Bowkett and Tayissa Coppinger are real excitement machines for the Blaze with the latter able to play all three defensive positions credit to her netball smarts and tenacity to go out hunting. Clare Vearing has been crucial in attack for the Waves with her strong holds and willingness to turn and shoot.

Hawks Netball vs. Geelong Cougars

The battle between Hawks Netball and Geelong Cougars is set to be an exciting one with both sides yet to fully hit their stride. The Cougars have shown glimpses of magic with three wins to their name but sit outside the top four while the Hawks have two wins and are on the hunt for their third.

All eyes will turn to the tussle between Brooke Allan and Nat Billings inside the circle with the two players both lynchpins for their respective sides. Allan is a real athlete able to compete in a one-on-one or go out hunting and capitalise on her chances while Billings is a commanding force under the post with her strong holds and volume to post. It is going to come down to the support Billings receives from the likes of Tayla Shannon or Daisy Hill if the Hawks are to topple the Cougars. Geelong boasts a highly impressive midcourt with Madi Browne, Vanessa Augustini, Emily Post and Kaitlyn Sheringham all livewires through the centre and attacking thirds. They will be hoping to use their depth and versatility to exploit the Hawks who rely heavily on the likes of Jasmine Ferguson and Enya Broadley to do the grunt work through the midcourt. The Cougars boast somewhat of an unconventional shooting circle given they have two moving goalers in Julia Woolley and Zanna Woods meaning the likes of Clare Johnson and Chloe Sinclair will have to be on their toes for their entire game to shut down the space and stop Geelong from scoring.

Ariels vs. City West Falcons

The Falcons currently hold second spot on the ladder and will be eager to keep it that way with a win over Ariels who are a step off the pace. The Ariels are coming off a heavy loss and will be hoping that the break has done them well and are able to come out and put pressure on the Falcons. But City West have proven that they have an uncanny ability to grind out games and find ways to win even when they look down and out.

The Falcons boast a strong attacking unit with Jane Cook at the helm in goal shooter. She is incredibly accurate to post and is able to dictate the speed of the game with her positioning inside the circle. It is not going to be an easy battle under the post for the Ariels as Brodie Smith and Jayde Aron will have to contend with the high ball continuously coming into Cook. Maggie Lind and Montana Holmes are building a steady connection through the midcourt for the Falcons with the duo able to find the ball and circle edge with ease but will have their work cut out for them against Beth Chiucharelli who is a real workhorse in wing defence. Defensively Sarah Szczkulski and Melissa Oloamanu are incredibly ball hungry and are renowned for their ability to hunt the cross court ball but will need to bring their a-game against the Ariels. Stacey Gannon is one of the more senior players for the Ariels and is able to up the ante when required with her smooth drives and cool head under the post often teaming up with Olivia Morris inside the circle.

Photo credit: Netball Vic