Netballers face tough opponents
The Eagles Senior Netballers found a well-matched opponent in the Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong Lions.
The day was cold, crisp and clear, but there were strong winds which made shooting difficult. The Under 17s lost to the Lions, 44-7. C-Grade had a victory, winning 30-9, and while B-Grade are reported to have had a win (the official results are yet to be confirmed at time of print).
The A Grade Reserves Eagles had an extremely close game, finding themselves equally matched in ability in the Lions. The scores were neck-and-neck for the bulk of the game, with any lost ground quickly made up.
The Reserves struggled a bit into the second half, with the Lions quickly gaining a three point lead, but the Eagles got into gear, scoring effortless goals in rapid succession for a four point lead. The Lions improved on their intercepting, and some points got away from the Eagles.
When they were on and considering their passes, the Eagles were shooting goals like clockwork. Unfortunately, the Lions were just as seamless and it looked like a matter of who would be up when the final whistle blew. Unfortunately for Narrandera, the Lions were out in front by a single point at the last. The final score was 34-33 in a game that could have gone either way.
The A-Grade netballers initially looked to be in a similar position to the Reserves; two strong sides, seemingly equally matched in skill.
In the first quarter some beautiful shooting put the Lions on the front foot, but the Eagles strong intercepting in the goal ring reduced the opportunities to shoot. Defence on both sides kept the pressure on, cutting opportunities to keep the ball moving.
Both sides were good at exploiting the others weaknesses, resulting in some untidy play. Strong opposition meant fewer opportunities to get rid of the ball, meaning some hasty passes and easy intercepting for both teams. Occasional rushed shooting didn’t help.
In the last, however, Narrandera got themselves into gear and worked together to pull out ahead at last for a final score of 38-30.
Lions sink their claws in
While the under 17s Narrandera Eagles had a strong win against the GGGM Lions, the Reserves and the Seniors (pictured) were less fortunate.
The senior football sides went to Ganmain for a bout against the Ganmain-Grong Grong-Lions.
It was a cold, clear, windy day on Saturday which affected play for all the teams. The wind was strong enough to bend the trajectory of a kick.
The Under 17s had their first win of the season, crushing the Ganmain-Grong Grong-Lions 88-25.
The Reserves had a more difficult game. The Eagles were ahead for the first three quarters of the game. They had a cracking opener with a four-goal, five-point lead in the first quarter. The Lions spent the next quarter trying to claw back a bit of ground, but the Eagles were still sitting pretty with a 30-20 lead at half time.
The GGGM side narrowed the gap in the third quarter, before the Lions put on a rapid burst of speed, scoring three goals and six points with the game wrapping up 51-38 to the Lions.
The Seniors had a more difficult run against the Lions. The Lions started strong with good possession and by the first quarter the lions were already up 31-0. Such a rapid leap ahead had a psychological effect on the Eagles, who were unable to prevent the Lions from their strong intercepting and possession. The Lions were everywhere they needed to be, and when they lost the ball, they were quick to take it back.
Narrandera managed to get three goals and three points on the board in the second quarter but the Lions continued their dominance. The boys kicked into gear in the second quarter, increasing their possessions and finally getting the ball back in what was occasionally a rough game. The lead narrowed by half time, 45-22.
The third quarter hadn’t gone far before there was a 50 metre penalty kick for the Lions. The Eagles answered quickly with another goal, but the Lions were there to dash the Eagles’ hopes with two more goals in rapid succession. The quarter finished 72-26.
In the last quarter the Eagles found a bit of fight and managed to get three goals and four points on the board, limiting some of the Lions’ dominance. The initial lead was never caught, however, and the Lions won 85-48.
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