Teenage netball star Natasha Dodos has notched another 50-goal game for Kyabram’s third-ranked under-17 Goulburn Valley League netball team.
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Dodos and the Bombers won the match with bottom-of-the-ladder Tatura 63-34 and now has its greatest test of the season ahead, pitted against the ladder-leading Mooroopna team which has lost just one game this season.
The Bombers have the 10th and 11th-ranked teams in the competition, Euroa and Benalla, in the final two home-and-away rounds.
Kyabram’s defensive team of Stella Trezise and Taytem Messenger, along with Jemae Miller for one quarter, restricted Tatura to sub-10 goal quarters in all but the third stanza of the contest.
Dodos shot all 16 of the team’s first quarter goals, then Isla Carver moved from centre into goals and shot five goals in the second term.
Dodos shot 15 goals in the third term and then with Miller as her parter in the final term finished with 10 goals.
Tahni Davies, Grace Burnett and Abby Waasdorp worked in the mid-court as the team continues to build momentum for the finals.
When Kyabram played Mooroopna earlier this year the Bombers were beaten by just three goals in a high-scoring affair where 109 goals were scored.
They are still a chance to finish with the double chance, just one win behind second-ranked Shepparton with three games remaining. Shepparton has one tough match, against fourth-ranked Shepparton Swans, before the finals.
• Nine players were used in the Kyabram A-grade match with sixth-ranked Tatura, several changes during the match indicative of the effort the team is making to build for the future.
Teenager Isla Carver started in goals with Alyssa Trebilcock, Carver shooting eight goals in the first half.
Kyabram was extremely competitive early, Sarah Carr and Jayda Richardson starting in the defensive goaling ring and restricting Tatura to just 11 goals.
The Bombers trailed by six goals at half-time after both defensive units dominated the second term and just 13 goals were scored.
Carr was replaced by Jasmin Reid in defence, Carver made room for Micaela Herbert in the second half and Caitie Minger came onto wing defence in several changes late in the match.
Kyabram was unable to continue the strong first half and was outscored 24-11 after the long break, eventually losing 43-24.
• A dominant second half by Kyabram’s eighth-ranked B-grade team secured it a fourth win for the season.
In the second half Tatura, which is ninth and has three wins this year, managed just nine goals as Kyabram piled on 25 goals to expand on its five-goal half-time lead.
Kyabram outscored its opponent by 16 in the second half and eventually won the game 41-20, Micaela Herbert responsible for 25 of those in tandem with Rachel McCormack.
Jayda Richardson and Monique Williams spent the entire match in the defensive goaling ring, combining with Caitie Minger to be among the best players on the court for the match.
The B-grade team will be hoping for a repeat of the form as it faces winnable games against Mooroopna (fifth), Euroa (seventh) and Benalla (10th) to finish the season.
Earlier in the season it lost by 18 to Moroopna, by 11 to Euroa and then had a 21-goal win against Benalla.
• Kyabram’s seventh win of the 15-week-old has it one game outside the top six with three rounds of the season remaining.
The 45-22 victory against bottom team Tatura has it now preparing for matches with fourth-ranked Mooroopna, Euroa (ninth) and Benalla (11th). Three wins will have it right in the hunt to steal a place in the play-offs.
On Saturday at Kyabram Recreation Reserve the Bombers struggled to shake Tatura, leading by just two at quarter-time and by six at half-time.
After the break, however, it was all one-way traffic as the team built its momentum to the point it shot 15 goals to three in the final term and was a 23-goal winner.
Defenders Tennielle Peterson and Courtney Mason had an outstanding finish to the game, allowing Tatura’s goalers few opportunities to rebound missed shots.
Eliza Linehan started in goals with Molly Carver, but it was Carver and Gawne that dominated the second half.
Carver finished with 30 goals for the match and Gawne 13, including seven in the final term when the supply from Ebony Arnold and Abbey Shortis was constant.
• A terrible start to the weekend’s under-15 match by sixth-ranked Kyabram was quickly corrected and the team remains two games clear inside the final six.
The Bombers trailed by seven goals at the first change, 10th-ranked Tatura shooting 15 goals to the Bombers’ eight. In the next two quarters, however, it was all Kyabram as it shot 36 goals to nine and led by 20 at the final change.
Tatura, to its credit, responded well and shot 11 goals to Kyabram’s seven in the final term to eventually lose 51-25.
Ava Pell moved out of goals to centre in the second term and had an immediate impact, her move allowing Isabella Pate to join Hannah Messenger in goals to immediate affect.
Pate shot 15 goals in three quarters after being replaced in defence by Grace Kilpatrick, who worked in tandem with Miley Morris for most of the match.
Mia Stockdale also had a positional change as eight players were used in the game and only one, Rachael Polvere, stayed in the one position.
Hannah Messenger finished with 33 goals for the match in another outstanding display.
The Bombers will now face third-ranked Mooroopna, before a final match with Euroa (ninth) as Benalla does not have an under-15 team.