THE North East Blaze continued their hot form, winning their third game while the Casey Demons claimed their first win at home in front of a strong crowd in Round 3.

Ariels (53) defeated Wilson Storage Southern Saints (46)

The Ariels kick-started their campaign, claiming their first win of the season over the Wilson Storage Southern Saints in a hard-fought battle. The Ariels turned it around in the second half after a slow start saw them eight goals down, to then level the scores at three quarter time. In the end the Ariels outran and outplayed the Saints who had put in in a solid three-quarter performance but fell short at the end when it counted. Samantha Gooden (29 from 36) and Beth Wilson (21 from 29) starred in attack for the Ariels with their accuracy to post and clever rotations in the goal circle. The centre court of Kourtnee Baird, Emma Thompson and Jamie Clarke used their speed to penetrate the defence of the Saints later in the game to open up more scoring opportunities for the shooters. For the Saints, they struggled to find that balance in the goal circle making three changes throughout the game with Ella Quinlan the only shooter to remain the same. Quinlan finished the game with 22 goals from 26 attempts at 85 percent while Samantha Silvester also chipped in with her 10 goals.

Casey Demons (74) defeated Hawks Netball (53)

It was a tight contest to begin with, with both sides unable to be separated at quarter time sitting at 15 points apiece. But in the second term, the Casey Demons came out firing asserted their dominance in their inaugural home game. With a crowd of roughly 1200 people the Demons made the most of their opportunities across the court showcasing their accuracy under the post and high volume finishing the game with an 89 percent shooting accuracy while the Hawks struggled to move the ball with ease. in the last term the Demons really flexed their muscles slotting an impressive 23 goals to the Hawks 10 credit to their quick transition, defensive pressure and connection in the circle.

City West Falcons (62) defeated Geelong Cougars (56)

The City West Falcons held the lead for the entire game against the Geelong Cougars, gradually extending their margin each quarter to walk away with a six goal victory. The led blew out to a whopping 11 goals during the third but credit to the Cougars they fought hard to work themselves back into the game. Their main avenue to goal was through goal shooter Jane Cook who proved to be unstoppable in the goal circle. Her strong holds and height enabled her to reign in those loose balls finishing the game with 60 from 72 attempts at 84 percent. Her hot hand provided the winning total for the Falcons who otherwise may have struggled. Jacqueline Newton was solid in defence applying strong pressure and going hard at the contest. Geelong on the other hand shared the shooting load around with Julia Woolley nailing 29 from 35 and Ruby Horton doing her role at goal shooter with 27 from 32 at a combined 84 percent but it was not enough to get them over the line.

Boroondarra Express (34) defeated by Melbourne University Lightning (50)


Both teams were out to secure their first points of the season but in the end it was Melbourne University Lightning that edged ahead claiming a 16 goal victory over Boroondarra. Accuracy at the post seemed to be a main issue for both clubs with Express sitting at 57 percent shooting accuracy for the game with the Lightning only just ahead with 58 percent. After half time the Express only managed to shoot 15 goals compared to the Lightning who piled on 30 thanks to Mikaela Vaughan who slotted 14 from 16 in the third term alone. Wing attack Kelsie Rainbow was clinical around the circle edge with her timely feeds and dynamic footwork a real feature of her game. For Boroondarra Rudi Ellis and Caitlyn Degaris worked well in defence in the opening half credit to their fancy footwork, hands over pressure and ability to read the play causing havoc in the attack end for the Lightning.

Peninsula Waves (33) defeated by North East Blaze (50)

From the first whistle, the North East Blaze took control putting out an impressive performance with a 16 goal to six first quarter and they did not look back. Blaze continued their winning ways, sitting undefeated at the top of the ladder credit to their slick ball movement and pressure across the court to limit the opportunities for the Waves. The shooting percentage between the two sides was quite substantial with Blaze sitting at 85 compared to the Waves 58 percent showcasing the impact inaccuracy can have on a game. Elizabeth Nicol was a star once again for the Blaze with her dominance under the post a real feature of her game finishing with 43 from 46 attempts at 94 percent, while teammates Brianna Gregory and Kayla Loulanting also chipped in on the scoreboard. The Waves made plenty of changes throughout the game in hope of finding the winning combination with goaler Gabrielle Dwyer coming on in the second half and playing her role shooting 12 from 17. Tara Cecil and Mardi Cunningham both worked tirelessly in defence for the Waves but it was not enough to quell the influence of their opposition shooters.