ONLY one side still sits undefeated after Round 2 of Mixed Premier Division, with Parkville Panthers narrowly defeating Geelong Cougars (50-54) to retain top spot and three of the four matches finishing in close margins. Eastside Sonics mounted a massive comeback against the Valley Wolves after trailing at every break, missing a shot on the siren to go down by one goal (47-48). In other games, Melbourne City Blackhawks went down to DDNA by six goals, sitting neck and neck for majority of the match except for a disappointing third quarter that saw DDNA shoot 19 goals to Blackhawks’ six, while Pasifika Sharks dominated against NNE Vipers (63-37).

It was a see-sawing affair between Parkville Panthers and Geelong Cougars, with both sides finding some good form early before the Panthers built to an 11-goal lead by half-time. Despite losing the third term, Geelong was unwilling to give up, shooting 17 goals to eight in the final quarter to only go down by four goals. Both sides had a smattering of Victorian Netball League (VNL) players making for a tight contest, with Elle McDonald leading the charge in wing attack for Parkville, feeding seamlessly into teammate Uneeq Palavi who paired well with a combination of Corey Nexhip and Brodie Roberts. Defensively, Parkville applied phenomenal pressure both inside and outside the circle, with Riley Richardson putting on a deflections clinic on the circle edge. For Geelong, Julia Woolley once again proved her ability to create play in the circle, both putting goals up and threading bullet passes to Brayden Pastore in goal shooter, whose footwork, vision and timing proved crucial in the final quarter. Meanwhile Gerard Murphy, Luke Marko Rawlings and Sarah Szczykulski combined well defensively, collecting plenty of turnovers and blocking vision in the second half to deny easy ball into the goal circle.

Pasifika Sharks (63) defeated NNE Vipers (37)
Geelong Cougars (50) defeated by Parkville Panthers (54)
Melbourne City Blackhawks (55) defeated by DDNA (61)
Eastside Saints (47) defeated by Valley Wolves (48)
Bye: St Therese