NORTH-EAST Blaze were dealt their first loss of the season going down to the undefeated City West Falcons who are sitting pretty at the top of the ladder. Round 5 saw Boroondara Express secure their first win of the season with the Lightning also going down to the Geelong Cougars who put on a dominant performance.

Boroondara Express (48) defeated Ariels (44)

It was a close contest with Boroondara Express coming out with a four-goal victory. It was a see-sawing affair with both teams taking the lead at different times throughout the game. It was all tied up at three quarter time with 36 goals apiece before Express pushed ahead to claim their first win of the season and give them a much needed confident boost. Isabelle Hodgson and Anastasia Hamill combined well in the goal circle for the Express with an average of 73 per cent with Hodgson top scoring with 26 goals. Their midcourt was clever with ball in hand piercing through the defence of the Ariels thanks to Eleanor Leydin and Casey Adamson. For the Ariels, Beth Wilson was solid once again under the post but down on her normal accuracy sitting at 71 percent. Samantha Gooden was strong not afraid to turn and shoot finishing with 23 goals for the match.

Geelong Cougars (59) defeated Melbourne University Lightning (39)

The Geelong Cougars thumped the Lightning with a 20-goal win credit to their extreme pressure and hunt for the ball. They put on a full court defence while their transition down the court was impressive showcasing their offensive flair as well. They leapfrogged their way up the ladder moving from fourth to second thanks to the impressive win. In the attack end the likes of Julia Woolley, Ruby Horton and Bridgette Furphy all worked seamlessly proving that accuracy was no issue. Horton was the most accurate of all the shooters sitting at a whopping 93 percent for the game (23/26). The Cougars defensive efforts were just as impressive with Jessica Standfield and Georgette Paastch going hard. Though the Lightning were unable to quell the attacking prowess of the Cougars defenders, Fiona Fowler and Gabrielle Coffey tried tirelessly throughout the match but it was to no avail with Geelong piling on 18 goals in the second term alone.

Southern Saints (62) defeated Casey Demons (53)

The Casey Demons skipped out to a quick lead in the opening term but they were quickly pegged back and eventually overran by the Southern Saints who showed great desperation and composure with ball in hand. They played to their strengths moving the ball around the court with precision and creating strong leads into space. The shooting ends displayed very different set ups with Casey boasting tall timber Emma Ryde who help space and provided an easy outlet pass into the goal circle. She was on song shooting 52 goals from 55 attempts at an impressive 95 per cent. Up the other end, the Southern Saints shooters created havoc with their clever movement and quick hands to get into a better scoring position. Samantha Silvester was deadly under the post finishing with 41 goals while her shooting partner, Chloe Wilson out in goal attack also chipped in with 21 goals.

North East Blaze (53) defeated by City West Falcons (55)

It was arguably game of the round with both teams vying for first position on the ladder with the City West Falcons narrowly edging out North East Blaze by two goals. Blaze had a hot start leading at both quarter time and half-time but they were unable to maintain that consistency dropping off in the second half. Both sides proved that accuracy was no issue with Blaze shooting at 89 per cent while the Falcons finished at 92 percent. Elizabeth Nicol was prolific under the post nailing 45 goals only missing the one shot for the whole game. she was composed under pressure but unfortunately it was not enough to drag her side to victory. Defenders Tayissa Coppinger and Kaitlyn Black were constants for the Blaze trying to reduce the influence of their opponents but they were too strong. Falcons goal shooter Tharjini Sivalingham was impressive with her movement in the goal circle and accuracy to post with 47 goals for her efforts. The work through the midcourt was also important in helping to deliver the ball into the circle with Maggie Lind and Molly Jovic using their speed and ball placement to create scoring opportunities.

Peninsula Waves (41) defeated by Hawks Netball (52)

The Hawks made it two in a row with their connections down the court really starting to gel. They got out to an early lead showcasing their scoring prowess with a 16 to nine opening first quarter with the Waves unable to reign in the lead throughout the game. They gradually pushed the margin out with the Waves having passages of brilliance but unable to capitalise with scoring accuracy a key issue only sitting 65 percent compared to the Hawks 89 per cent. Peninsula tried hard throughout the game alternating combinations in the goal circle bringing on Madeline Morrison, Sacha McDonald, Gabrielle Dwyer and wing attack turn part time shooter Jessica Cox. Morrison led the way with 14 goals but her range was a bit shaky at times. Their defence of Tara Cecil and Mardi Cunningham also struggled to combat the shooting prowess of Hawks goaler Nat Billings who was prolific. She scored 26 goals from 28 attempts at 93 per cent. Tayla Shannon was also handy in the goal circle with her 19 goals while the midcourt worked hard to feed the ball into the circle with Lauren Bennett and Tayla Kearns opening up space.