At quarter-time, the message was to challenge each other to continue to keep the pressure on the opposition and to continue to work as a team. The boys continued into the second quarter, and even though they were outsized at some contests they continued to fight and make the Greta side earn every ball.
The Panthers were able to get four shots on goal but were unable to convert, kicking one goal, three behinds. Even though they were down by 50 points at half-time, the Panther boys felt like they had played some very good footy. The message at half-time was to ensure that they continued to stay in the game.
In the third quarter our midfield and defenders were working overtime but were constantly defending repeat entries and repelling the ball. The hard work from our forwards to get up the ground and support was fantastic, but left limited options forward when we had the chance. The boys were able to score another goal. At the last break the coach was very happy with their contest so far and praised his team for continuing to fight and stay in every contest, but reminded them that their goal was to play four quarters of footy. To their credit the boys went out and started the quarter well and had a couple of opportunities to get a goal on the board, but weren’t able to. The experience and fitness of Greta shone through in the end.
Credit goes to the Panthers who showed real character, team work, determination and effort, and if they can continue to train and play together the first win of the season is only just around the corner. The guys are now focused on King Valley at home this weekend, and they’ll be doing everything to get the first win on the board.
Awards: Royal Hotel Award — Sam Cox. Sportspower — Tom Levy. Benalla Golf Club Driving Range — Chelton Orchard.
A-grade
Taking on the reigning premiers A-grade players knew they were in for a tough hit-out in Saturday’s match. After a hard week on the training track with illness and other commitments, A-grade went into the game at less than full strength. We had the goal of keeping Greta to under 80 which we didn’t quite manage but still very happy with the team’s performance. After a solid pep talk from captain Meagan Hausner, the girls lifted their spirits and went out and enjoyed their netball, having fun which resulted in a much better performance all round from the side. There was some very impressive goaling work from both Benalla shooters throughout the day. Elyse Felstead put in a tireless effort all day after being hit hard with sickness all week. Elyse took great rebounds, applied pressure all over the court and helped to reset when needed in attack. Our ever-reliable captain Meagan Hausner had a solid day out in the centre, working well to transition the ball down to our attack end and feed our shooters beautifully. Meags proved once again why she is captain by keeping everyone calm and remaining positive all day as the scoreline drew out. Chloe Pilkington had a tough challenge in goalkeeping but managed some great rebounds and made the goalers work harder for the ball. Benalla’s A-grade unit came away happy with their hit-out against the five-time premiership team, finishing up 26-83.
Awards: Royal — Elyse Felstead. Stella Stella — Meagan Hausner. Sportspower — Chloe Pilkington.
B-grade
It was a trip out to Greta for the Panthers this week in what we all knew was going to be a tough game against a quality side. From the first whistle to the last our determined side fought hard, showing that scores don’t always necessarily sum up how a game is played on the day or the effort put in. The defensive pressure applied from one end of the court right down to other from the Panthers forced Greta to work extra hard to get the ball into their shooters hands. Haylea Smith had another standout game, standing tall when it mattered and positioning herself to pull in the rebounds when they presented. H was well supported by Bernie Gray and Bec Wrest, with the trio creating plenty of turnovers. Lola Edmonds had her best game of the season so far with some beautiful drives throughout the mid court and when asked to up the pressure on her player she did exactly that. Mel Reaper showed her experience throughout the game with her calm demeanour and steady voice pivotal in keeping the team inspired to keep on fighting. Our attacking end too didn’t give up, showing some great defensive pressure and converting the opportunities that were presented to them. Final score was Greta 49, Benalla 15.
Awards: Royal Hotel — Haylea Smith. Benalla Racing Club — Lola Edmonds. Stella Stella — Mel Reaper.
Under-17s
Loud communication, strong leads and smart passes were the goals for this week for our under -7s against a strong Greta. The girls demonstrated great patience throughout the game against tight pressure from the opposition. At times, the Panthers were quiet on the court, leading to Greta getting a jump on them. Unfortunately this lead could not be chased down, going down to Greta 10-88. Once again, the young under-17s should be proud of the way they continue to keep their attitudes positive and support each other on the court. Emma Snell had a stellar game in the mid-court, intercepting and chasing up any loose balls. Alicia Langlands worked tirelessly in defence with Libby Rankin, with plenty of action down their end of the court. Their defensive partnership has really started to take shape as they get into the season. Torah Heeps combined well with Keira Brown in the ring, moving well and feeding into space for Keira. Torah provided fresh legs through the centre in the back half of the game, creating good movement down the court and linking key passages together. The Panthers will take lots of positives away from the game and continue to work on their goals at training.
Awards: Hollywoods — Emma Snell. Spot 4 Icecream — Alicia Langlands. All Blacks Club award — Torah Heeps.
Under-15s
The under-15s side travelled to Greta, knowing they were playing against a strong team. Before the game started the girls were asked to focus on the skills they had been learning at training. Throughout the game we saw defenders Tahlia Humphrey and Olivia McKenzie working hard to turn over the play with multiple intercepts and rebounds. Sharni Hughes, Darcie Jackson and Ruby Crook moved the ball beautifully throughout the mid-court to our attacking end. Ilka Cunneen, Lola Crook and Harper Robertson worked well together to convert goals. Although the score didn’t reflect how well the young Panthers played, it was great to see them putting their hard work at training into practice, showing us how skilled they are. Final score: Greta 28, Benalla 10.
Awards: Harley’s Pizza — Tahlia Humphrey. Spot 4 Icecream — Sharni Hughes. All Blacks Club Award — Olivia McKenzie.
