WEDDERBURN has begun its North Central netball premiership defence with an eight-goal win over Sea Lake Nandaly, a team that new Redbacks coach Susie Lockhart predicted “will be right up there this season”.
Lockhart was thrilled to win away 30-38 against the Tigers, who were the first team to beat Wedderburn last season in A Grade.
“We were dominant,” she said, “and the final margin probably should have been bigger”.
The Redbacks led by eight goals at half-time, but the two sides traded scores in the second half after Sea Lake Nandaly made some personnel changes.
“We had three new players who are still learning about how each other plays, so I was very happy with the four points,” Lockhart said.
One of those new players, Sophie Cockerell, was best on court playing at wing defence, while veteran captain Maddi Postle also stood out as goal defence.
Cockerell, who played in the Ballarat league last season, previously played with Boort as a junior and then in A Grade, so she is something of a steal for the Redbacks.
She is the partner of Wedderburn footballer Finn Turnbull.
Boort had a big win against St Arnaud in Carly Isaac’s first match as A Grade coach.
The Magpies won 36-67 away from home, after leading comfortably all day.
Despite that, former coach Georgia Haw said the team “took the best part of a half to get going as we hadn’t really played together before” and finally kicked away in the third quarter.
She said goal shooter Amy Kane and new wing attack Poppy Watson were Boort’s best players.
Best for St Arnaud, which finished last in 2024, were veteran goal shooter Georgia Taylor and centre Lucy Gorrie in her first game with the Saints.
Isaac said she was happy with the win given the unavailability of four A Grade players, with most of those expected to return this week.