ROUND 9 of the Victorian Netball League brought plenty of excitement and close tussles with the Blaze and Cougars unable to be separated. On the other hand the Falcons continued their dominant start to the season.

Melbourne University Lightning (52) defeated by Southern Saints (54)

The Melbourne University Lightning held the lead for the majority of the game but were unable to hang on in the dying minutes when it counted allowing the Saints to run away with a two goal win. The Lightning looked much more settled and composed with ball in hand finding their targets and applying good pressure on the ball carrier. But it was an inspired effort by goalers Sinead Lumsden and Samantha Silvester that got the Saints over the line in the final quarter. They only missed one goal in the fourth quarter with Lumsden converting all of her six opportunities under the post. Stephanie McNay and Kirsty Clark lifted their intensity in defence in the latter part of the game to provide that spark for the Saints. In the goal circle for the Lightning Taylin Gourley and Mikaela Vaughan were the main contributors with Vaughan top scoring for her side with 26 goals from 32 attempts.

Hawks Netball (53) defeated by Boroondara Express (54)

It was a real arm wrestle throughout the course of the game with the lead chopping and changing throughout. Both sides came out hard with the Hawks hoping to get back into the winners books after a disappointing loss while Express were searching for their second win this season. The midcourt battle between Tayla Kearns and Casey Adamson provided plenty of excitement for onlookers with their electric passes and quick footwork. Kearns found good space for the Hawks to feed into Daisy Hill who did not miss a shot until the second quarter. Hill finished the game with 33 from 37 at 90 per cent while goal attack Tayla Shannon proved that she can be an impact player converting 10 from 10. In the last quarter Clare Vearing took control of the goal circle demanding the ball and putting up her fair share of shots with 10 from 13. Her ability to hold and use her clever footwork into scoring positions made her a real asset for Express recording 39 goals from 46 attempts for the match. The defensive efforts of Caitlyn Degaris and Jade Forbes-Wattley also intensified in the final term.

City West Falcons (66) defeated Ariels (40)

The City West Falcons were clinical in both attack and defence with their quick transition down the court and ability to convert on turnover opportunities. A huge second quarter saw the Falcons really flex their muscles piling on 22 goals to three, credit to their strong attacking prowess with Kristina Brice absolutely dominating at the post with 21 goals for the term. Brice finished with 42 from 47 attempts at 90 per cent, her partner in crime Tharjini Sivalingam was also important in the goal circle with 23 goals. Maggie Lind and Molly Jovic were once again solid through the midcourt finding good space and using their clever footwork to feed into the goal circle. Falcons defender Sarah Szczykulski was impressive and worked exceptionally well in tandem with Zoe Davies with the two of them applying good pressure over the shot and working in over time to stop the ball from going into the Ariels attack limiting Beth Wilson to seven goals for the game. Goal attack Stacey Gannon top scored for the Ariels with 17 goals from 22 attempts while Alex Maher converted 16 from 20 attempts at 80 per cent.

Casey Demons (41) defeated by Peninsula Waves (62)

The Peninsula Waves applied immense defensive pressure to keep the Demons to 14 goals going into half time. Their timing in attack was impressive while their ability to capitalise on any loose ball was a real feature of their game. The Waves took full control of the game and did not allow Casey to work themselves back into the match. Madeline Morrison and Gabrielle Dwyer were impressive in the goal circle working well to feed the ball off to one another and create clever screens. While the Demons shooting percentage was higher at 79 per cent compared to 72, Casey were starved of opportunity only registering 52 shots on goal compared to 87. The constant changes in attack did not disturb the Waves with Morrison nailing 26 goals while Brierly Parker was the most accurate with nine from 10. Former Australian Diamond, Erin Bell made her presence felt on the court with her clever drives into the circle and lovely high looping shot scoring 26 goals from 31 attempts at 84 per cent. She worked well with goal shooter Emily Wilson who managed 13 goals from 16 attempts but it was not enough to get the Demons over the line.

Geelong Cougars (55) drew with North East Blaze (55)

In a second versus third clash, neither side could be separated resulting in the first draw of the VNL season. The North-East Blaze skipped out to an early three goal lead and maintained that advantage for the majority of the game. But the Cougars had other plans coming out hard in the final term to draw level credit to some sharp shooting from Julia Woolley. Woolley stood up in the last quarter to pile on 10 goals straight to finish with 35 from 38 thanks to her composure under pressure and ability to turn and shoot. Her connection with Bridgette Furphy was important in creating a draw with Furphy posting 20 from 28 for the match with a goal in the dying seconds to level things up. For North-East Blaze, Elizabeth Nicol was the clear standout with the star goal shooter not missing a goal for the entire game with 38 from 38. Her sheer ability to position well in the goal circle, read the space and back herself was a real feature of her game. The midcourt work to feed the ball into her was just as impressive with Ella Bayliss and Kali Dolphin doing a wealth of work in transition to bring the ball down into an attacking position.