IT was another big round of netball action in the Men’s Premier Division with the top of the table Geelong Cougars claiming another dominant win this time against Melbourne City Blackhawks (71-40). The Cougars went on a scoring rampage in the final term piling on 25 goals to 11 thanks to a shooting masterclass from Luke Marko Rawlings and Brayden Pastore. St Therese is the only other side to remain undefeated running rampant against the Southern Seahawks while Pasifika Sharks dropped their first game for the season forcing them to slump down the ladder to fourth. In other results, Sirens Netball put on an impressive display with the side scoring a whopping 74 goals to the Ariels’ 39.

With the New Zealand Nationals this week, a number of key players were unavailable with the absence of Junior Levi well and truly felt by the Pasifika Sharks who struggled to have the same impact under the post without the seven-foot shooter. It was a relatively even contest but in the end, it was the desperation and grit of DDNA that got them over the line and ultimately helped them secure their first win of the year. Christian White and David Butler came out with a point to prove with the two DDNA goalers making the most of their opportunities under the post. The shooting duo proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the goal circle for Sharks defenders’ Zachary Nathan and Asa Alefaio who simply at times could not stop the clever delivery into the circle. It was a tough grind for both sides with the ball bobbling about but it was DDNA’s ability to gradually build and extend their lead at every break which gave them the edge. Sam Bury did a wealth of work in defence denying easy access into the circle for the Pasifika Sharks with his hands over pressure and elevation. Despite the loss, centre Jarrod Anderson found plenty of space across the court feeding well into the likes of goal attack Brandon D’Monte and Shane Maniapoto credit to his strong positioning around the circle edge.

Southern Seahawks (34) defeated by St Therese (46)
DDNA (56) defeated Pasifika Sharks (49)
Ariels (39) defeated by Sirens Netball (74)
Geelong Cougars (71) defeated Melbourne City Blackhawks (40)