Kyabram’s third-ranked Under-17 netball team has the chance to improve on its ranking and snatch the vital double chance before the start of the Goulburn Valley league finals series.
Two of the Bombers’ next three opponents are second-ranked Shepparton and top-of-the-ladder Mooroopna after the team won its 11th game of the game against fifth-ranked Echuca at Victoria Park on Saturday.
Kyabram’s 17-goal win, 56-39 (almost a carbon copy of the Bombers’ 56-38 round two win against Echuca), was on the back of another outstanding display from star goaler Nataha Dodos.
She finished the match with 47 goals and worked brilliantly in tandem with goaling partner Isla Carver — who later in the day appeared in the A-grade match.
A win against Shepparton this weekend would give the Bombers Under-17 team second spot, then in three weeks (due to the split round on August 12) they face Mooroopna.
In round three the Bombers lost by two goals to Shepparton, 46-48, then a fortnight later were beaten by three goals in the match-up with Mooroopna.
Those are the Bombers’ only two losing matches of the season.
At Echuca on Saturday, Kyabram’s defensive team of Stella Trezise and Jemae Miller combined to restrict Echuca to 23 goals in three-quarters and the team led by 21 goals at that point.
Echuca shot 15 goals to Kyabram’s 12 in the final term, the Bombers cruising to a win on the back of four-quarter efforts from Abby Waasdorp, Carver and Dodos.
In its other three games, the Bombers face the three bottom teams of the competition — Tatura, Euroa and Benalla — which should ensure an increased percentage to end the season.
Earlier this year, Kyabram beat Echuca by 39 goals, Euroa by 56 and Benalla by 49 goals.
– Kyabram gave two of its teenage stars the chance to experience elite netball when Natasha Dodos and Isla Carver shared the A-grade goaling responsibility with Alyssa Trebilcock in the weekend’s 36-goal loss.
After three solid weeks in succession, the Bombers struggled against the fourth-ranked team and eventually lost 26-62 — competitive in the early stages when they scored 16 first-half goals.
Dodos shot nine goals in the first half before Carver moved into goals and shot four second-half goals.
Trebilcock accounted for the remaining 13 goals.
Hollie Reid and Elivia Hall battled hard in the mid-court, while Jemma Hall spent the entire match in defence and worked in tandem with Sarah Carr and Jasmin Reid for half a game apiece.
The A-grade outfit has sixth-ranked Shepparton this weekend, before facing fifth-ranked Tatura, second-ranked Mooroopna and top-of-the-ladder Euroa in a tough run of games.
They will be hoping to end the season on a high against second bottom team Benalla.
– Eighth-ranked Kyabram matched it with unbeaten B-grade ladder leader Echuca for three-quarters of Saturday’s round 13 match.
At quarter-time, the Bombers trailed by six goals, but were outscored by only three in the second and looked capable of further improvement.
Echuca broke the game open in the third with 14 goals to four and despite a 12-all final term took the points 52-33.
All but seven of the Bombers’ goals came from the hand of Micaela Herbert, with Sheridan Barnes coming onto the court at half-time and shooting seven goals — including six in an impressive final term.
Alexandra Hall and Monique Williams defended the entire afternoon, while Georgia Poole and Catie Minger were the pick of the Kyabram mid-court players.
The team will finish outside the top six, but will be hoping to provide equally as competitive a result against top six teams Shepparton, Mooroopna and Euroa.
– Apart from a second quarter surge from Echuca the B-reserve match was as close as any during the day, the top-ranked team eventually beating Kyabram by 13 goals.
Echuca shot 16 goals to nine in the second term after leading the Bombers by five at the first break.
After half-time, however, Kyabram’s defensive unit of Courtney Mason, Tori Walsh and Ebony Mason kept Echuca to just 15 goals.
Kyabram scored 14 and was eventually beaten 40-27, now sitting sixth in a log jam of three teams battling it out for two positions in the finals.
The Bombers have 26 premiership points, as does Rochester (fifth) and Shepparton (seventh), who they face this weekend.
In the four weeks to come Kyabram plays only one more team above it on the ladder — Morooopna in three weeks.
It has games against both the bottom two teams on the ladder to come, but will also need to beat eighth-ranked Euroa and either Shepparton or Mooroopna to make a finals berth a certainty.
Sheridan Barnes played three-quarters at goal attack and finished with a game high 17 goals after staring on the bench.
She spent time in goals with Eliza Linehan and Jocelyn Gawne, while Courtney Mason and Jorja Wilson earned the nod as Kyabram’s best.
– Second-ranked Echuca gave sixth-ranked Kyabram a reality check when it opened the Under-15 game with 24 goals to the Bombers’ seven.
The Bombers were competitive in two of the four quarters, shooting 26 goals to Echuca’s 27 in the second and third terms.
Unfortunately, however, the opening quarter onslaught and the 13-6 final term in Echuca’s favour influenced the eventual 39-64 scoreline.
Hannah Messenger shot 21 goals for the Bombers and Ava Pell eight (in a half of goaling), while Shylee Donaldson also had a half in goals.
Defensive pair Grace Kilpatrick and Miley Morris were the Bombers’ best players, while Mia Stockdale was the pick of the mid-court players.
The Under-15 team, which sits two wins inside the top six with five rounds remaining, has the top-ranked and third-placed teams on its agenda in the next three weeks,
It finishes the season with matches against three of the bottom four teams, which should allow it to retain a place in the finals.