BY NATHAN DOLE
Netballers gear up for exciting run
THREE teams locked on win-loss records of 6-1 means there is no clear-cut favourite for the A-grade netball premiership in the Bendigo Bank Loddon Valley FNL season.
As teams take a break for the King’s Birthday holiday weekend we take a look at the run home and some of the incredible results so far.
Runner-up the past two years, Mitiamo is poised to be a major player in the finals.
Sole loss for the Jen Wilson-coached Superoos was a 49-54 result against Pyramid Hill in the fifth round oat Mitiamo’s John Forbes Oval.
Second half of the season for the Roos tips off with a home game against Newbridge.
Pyramid Hill’s win against Mitiamo showed the Chelsea Emmerson-coached team is one to be reckoned with.
Second in the race, Pyramid Hill’s winning streak was ended in the seventh round in a 38-40 loss to Newbridge on Pyramid Hill’s court at Mitchell Park.
It’s been a great run by Newbridge.
Jointly coached by Selina Holland and Kristy Gandy, Newbridge has achieved a six-one record to be in third place.
Highlight for the Maroons was the win at Pyramid Hill.
Huge challenge for Newbridge in round nine on Mitiamo’s court.
Although it has a four-three record, Bridgewater has shown it’s no pushover.
The Caz Wood and Olivia Collicoat-coached Bridgewater was beaten by the league’s top three, but margins were not too great.
Bears-Lagoon Serpentine is poised to mark a long-awaited finals appearance.
Been a terrific effort by Danielle O’Toole in her first year of coaching after crossing to Serpentine from Marong.
After a bye on June 15 the Bears make their way to Pyramid Hill’s Mitchell Park.
A four-week stretch in which it plays Mitiamo, Newbridge, Pyramid Hill and Bears-Lagoon Serpentine will have a major bearing on the finals aspiration of Marong.
The Robyn Cunnington-coached Panthers are in sixth place, a win and 28 per cent behind Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
The Panthers beat the Bears in round four at Marong’s Malone Park.
After back-to-back premierships in ’22 and ’23, Maiden Gully YCW Eagles are fighting to make their way into the five.
It’s a vastly different line-up to the one which Adam Bolidston coached to grand final glory last September.
A young Eagles line-up has worked incredibly hard without claiming the four points.
In the past three rounds Maiden Gully’s margins have been one, five and six goals.
Two of those hit-outs were against Newbridge and Bears-Lagoon Serpentine.
It’s been a tough run for Calivil United which did break through for a 12-goal win against Inglewood in the seventh round at the Demons’ den.
The Haylee Fawcett-coached Demons will keep striving to improve and possibly mark an upset win or two in their next nine matches.
Inglewood will be desperate to claim a win before the season ends.
Best result for the Abbey Hayes-coached Blues was 36-48 on Calivil’s court.
The run home and this season’s results in the Loddon Valley FNL A-grade netball competition:
Mitiamo – 6-1, 189 per cent, 24 points.
Run home: Newbridge, h; Marong, h; bye; Maiden Gully YCW, a; Calivil United, h; Pyramid Hill, a; Inglewood, h; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, a; Bridgewater, h; Newbridge, a.
So far: d Marong 76-38, bye, d Maiden Gully YCW 57-34, d Calivil United 87-21, lt Pyramid Hill 49-54, d Inglewood 81-17, d Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 66-43, d Bridgewater 53-40.
Pyramid Hill – 6-1, 163, 24.
Run home: Maiden Gully, a; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, h; Calivil United, a; Marong, h; Bridgewater, a; Mitiamo, h; bye; Newbridge, a; Inglewood, h; Maiden Gully YCW, h.
So far: d Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 60-45, d Calivil United 50-11, d Marong 64-44, d Bridgewater 53-39, d Mitiamo 54-49, bye; lt Newbridge 38-40, d Inglewood 79-16.
Newbridge – 6-1, 134, 24.
Run home: Mitiamo, a; Bridgewater, h; Marong, a; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, h; Inglewood, h; bye; Maiden Gully YCW, a; Pyramid Hill, h; Calivil United, a; Mitiamo, h.
So far: d Bridgewater 37-26, lt Marong 35-37, d Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 38-35, d Inglewood 58-21, bye, d Maiden Gully YCW 42-41, d Pyramid Hill 40-38, d Calivil United 57-30.
Bridgewater – 4-3, 120, 16.
Run home: Calivil United, a; Newbridge, a; Maiden Gully YCW, h; Inglewood, a; Pyramid Hill, h; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, a; Marong, a; bye; Mitiamo, a; Calivil United, h.
So far: lt Newbridge 26-37, d Maiden Gully YCW 53-34, d Inglewood 65-28, lt Pyramid Hill 39-53, d Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 45-34, d Marong 61-35, bye; lt Mitiamo 40-53.
Bears-Lagoon Serpentine – 4-4, 110, 16.
Run home: bye; Pyramid Hill, a; Inglewood, h; Newbridge, a; Marong, h; Bridgewater, h; Calivil United, a; Mitiamo, h; Maiden Gully YCW, a; bye.
So far: lt Pyramid Hill 45-60, d Inglewood 67-21, lt Newbridge 35-38, d Marong 51-46, lt Bridgewater 34-45, d Calivil United 63-30, lt Mitiamo 43-66, d Maiden Gully YCW 49-43.
Marong – 3-4, 82, 12.
Run home: Inglewood, h; Mitiamo, a; Newbridge, h; Pyramid Hill, a; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, a; Calivil United, h; Bridgewater, a; Maiden Gully YCW, h; bye.
So far: lt Mitiamo 38-76, d Newbridge 37-35, lt Pyramid Hill 44-64, lt Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 46-51, d Calivil United 46-28, lt Bridgewater 35-61, d Maiden Gully YCW 46-41, bye.
Maiden Gully YCW – 2-5, 95, 8.
Run home: Pyramid Hill, h; Calivil United, h; Bridgewater, a; Mitiamo, h; bye; Inglewood, a; Newbridge, h; Marong, a; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, h; Pyramid Hill, a.
So far: d Calivil United 58-36, lt Bridgewater 34-53, lt Mitiamo 34-57, bye, d Inglewood 52-35, lt Newbridge 41-42, lt Marong 41-46, lt Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 43-49.
Calivil United – 1-6, 51, 4.
Run home: Bridgewater, h; Maiden Gully YCW, h; Pyramid Hill, h; bye; Mitiamo, a; Marong, a; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, h; Inglewood, h; Newbridge, h; Bridgewater, a.
So far: lt Maiden Gully YCW 36-58, lt Pyramid Hill 11-50, bye, lt Mitiamo 21-87, lt Marong 28-46, lt Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 30-63, d Inglewood 48-36, lt Newbridge 30-57.
Inglewood – 0-7, 38, 0.
Run home: Marong, a; bye; Bears-Lagoon Serpentine, a; Bridgewater, h; Newbridge, a; Maiden Gully YCW, h; Mitiamo, a; Calivil United, h; Pyramid Hill, a; Marong, h.
So far: bye, lt Bears-Lagoon Serpentine 21-67, lt Bridgewater 28-65, lt Newbridge 21-58, lt Maiden Gully YCW 35-52, lt Mitiamo 17-81, lt Calivil United 36-48, lt Pyramid Hill 16-79.