Victorian Schools Netball Championships – Great Success For CMCB Girls

On Friday 1 August the Catherine McAuley College Bendigo (CCB) representative netball teams competed at the Victorian Schools Championships in Bendigo at the Golden City Netball Courts.

YEAR 7

The Year 7s competed in the junior section playing against both Year 7 and 8 girls. The games were two 7-minute halves.

Their first game was against Crusoe College. The girls gelled really well right from the start with many combinations explored and a terrific 18 goals to 4 win resulted.

The second game was against St Joseph’s Echuca Green. The team had a comfortable start, but the opposition increased their pressure and caught up a few goals in the second half. However, the girls steadied and secured another win, 9 to 6.

The third game of the day was against St Joseph’s Echuca Grey. This was a hard-fought game with the lead changing multiple times. With some great intercepts we had possession of the ball in the final seconds of the game, shooting for a goal on the buzzer but unfortunately it didn’t count and the game ended in a draw. This put pressure on the team to have the best percentage in our pool to progress through with one game remaining. The girls were focused on playing hard and trying to get as many goals as possible. This effort resulted in an outstanding 21 to 3 victory.

The girls had to wait a few nervous minutes to find out if they had qualified for the finals day in Melbourne and luckily they did. It was a great result for the team who played some fantastic netball across the day.

Thank you to Jordan O’Bree for being our team scorer on the day.

YEAR 7 VICTORIAN SCHOOLS NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM: Hannah Julie Fennell (Coach), Forest Jackson-Leahy, Mila Childs, Evie Gretgrix, Harper Gordon, Ruby Kelly, Marlie Skinner, Ellie Macumber, Sienna Raco, Elle Gilchrist, Ava Hope, Milla Dalton

YEAR 8

The Year 8 Netball Team showcased outstanding talent and teamwork at the Championships, securing a well-deserved overall victory. The girls faced formidable opponents throughout the day and emerged victorious in all their matches.

The team started strongly with a 20 to 5 win against Notre Dame College, followed by an impressive 16 to 1 victory over Cohuna Secondary College. They continued their winning streak with a 17 goal to 7 win against Goulburn Valley Grammar School and a hard-fought 13 to 8 goal triumph over Crusoe College. Their skills then shone brightly with an 18 goal to 3 win against Girton Grammar School. The toughest challenge of the day was the final match against St Joseph’s College Echuca. The team worked exceptionally well together in this game and finally secured the top place in their pool with a 14 goals to 10 victory.

These excellent performances earned the girls a spot in the championship finals in Melbourne on Tuesday 27 August. The team is excited and ready to bring their best form to the finals day, hoping to continue their winning streak and bring home the championship title.

Congratulations to the Year 8 Netball Team for their incredible achievements so far and best of luck in the upcoming finals! Thank you also to Amelia Kelly for being the team scorer.

YEAR 8 VICTORIAN SCHOOLS NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM: Hannah Gretgrix (Coach), Eva Grant, Molly Beasley, Lilly Teuma, Mia Cox, Sophie McDermott, Imogen Brown, Tarli Nihill, Elodie Sharman, Macey Pinner, Lexi Arundell

YEAR 9

It was nice to not have to get up extra early due to the Bendigo location and the team arrived ready to play in the beautiful sunshine!

Our game results for the day were:

Game 1: Win against Goulburn Valley Grammar, 10 to 2. A strong game first up, where we established a quick lead and were able to withstand the physicality of our opposition.

Game 2: Win against Notre Dame College Shepparton, 14 to 4. Another strong game where we were able to use some new combinations at our goaling end.

Game 3: Loss to St Joseph’s College Echuca White 5 to 10. An unusual game for us where we just didn’t play our best. It was a very tough game, and St Joseph’s had our match across the court. We tried different combinations, but it just wasn’t our game.

Game 4: Win against Crusoe College 14 to 1. A game played in great spirits, with both teams enjoying the game. Our team was able to rotate many positions throughout.

Game 5: Win against St Mary’s College Seymour, 12 to 1. A nice win to finish the day.

We unfortunately didn’t progress to the next round but look forward to being top age next year.

Everyone in the team represented the College with terrific attitude and great sportsmanship throughout the day. Our versatility was a strength of this team – well done girls for all of your hard work.

Mrs Sharna Frawley, Coach

YEAR 9 VICTORIAN SCHOOLS NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM: Lexi Brennan, Shannon Storey, Ginger Hay, Dempsey McDonnell, Adeline Neilson, Sharna Frawley (Coach), Grace Mulqueen, Lexi Fennell, Juliet Hogan, Maggie Lamb

YEAR 10

The Year 10 Girls had some new recruits to the team due to injuries; however, the new additions added some speed to the attack end and height in the defence.

The day began against Moama Anglican Grammer and the girls came out firing from the first centre pass. They worked brilliantly well together for a first-up game and established a strong lead at half time. With every player hitting the court, it was a fantastic team game that saw them come away with a 17 to 4 win.

Game 2 against Cohuna Secondary College showcased the speed and depth of the team as, once again, all players were able to take to the court. The defensive pressure was particularly impressive and this created many opportunities for the goalers to capitalise. The team went on to secure a terrific win 18 to 5.

After a long break, the girls took on St Joseph’s College Echuca and, while they worked hard all over the court, Echuca’s defensive pressure was exceptionally strong as they got out to an early lead. The girls regrouped at half time and began the second half working harder to control the ball in attack. However, it wasn’t enough, and the first-half deficit proved to be the difference, going down 10 goals to 6.

The final game was played against Girton Grammar School and was tightly-contested all match. The girls showed plenty of grit and determination as they managed to secure a fantastic 1-goal win right at the death. The girls should be very proud of their teamwork and work ethic, which was on display all day, as they finished second in their pool.

Congratulations to all involved. Thanks to Maeve and Sunny for scoring and to Mrs Pinner for coaching.

YEAR 10 VICTORIAN SCHOOLS NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM: Maeve Cass, Zara Bibby, Diana Napoleon, Lexie Austen, Layla Pearce, Emersyn Newlan, Mrs Belinda Pinner (Coach), Charlize Pinder, Lilly Hope, Milla Sherriff, Charli McInerney, Sunny Childs

SENIOR GIRLS

The Senior Girls Netball Team went into the day wanting redemption from the previous weeks disappointment in the School Sport Victoria regional competition. The girls had regrouped and hence had high hopes for their games. With four games of just fourteen minutes each, the girls knew that they were in for some tough competition, as any small lapse in concentration could potentially turn a game on its head.

Game 1: Win against Cohuna Secondary College 13 to 7

The girls started off the day playing a great game, which resulted in a 6-goal win over Cohuna. As they came together as a team pre match, the coach made it clear just how important a first-up win was. Milana and Harriet Whiteacre went to work immediately as they took control in the defensive circle, with Dakota Keanelly also playing a massive role at WD. Add in Ava Nihill and Sienna Eddy’s brilliance in the goal circle, backed up by Jaida and Neve in the mid court and Cohuna never stood a chance. The cheer squad of Mrs Kemp and Mrs Watts also spurred the girls on and the team was most appreciative of the extra support.

Game 2: Win against St Joseph’s College Echuca 11 to 6

The second game of the day against St Joseph’s Echuca saw the girls secure another good 5-goal win, which kept spirits high. Jaida Raco directed some great passages of play all over the court and Telani Bibby effected some important turnovers. They had to work hard to sustain the lead throughout this match, but this helped set the standard for the quality of netball they wanted to play. These two first-up wins, against good opposition, effectively set the girls up for the rest of the day.

Game 3: Win against Moama Anglican College 24 to 1

An outstanding win was the result in the second last game of the day. The aim in this match was to maintain good game play all over the court and to play to their strengths. With such a high-scoring game, the girls were able to run through all their structures and everyone benefited from valuable court time. Tess Mills used her speed to advantage everywhere she went and the goaling trio of Emarnee Davies, Sienna Eddy and Ava Nihill all shot accurately as they played their part in the win. Jaida, Dakota and Neve also made valuable contributions through the mid court and even in defence when required. Add in the brilliant Whiteacre duet in defence and it was no wonder Moama found it hard to score. The team were now three from three, with one match to play.

Game 4: Draw with Goulburn Valley Grammar School 11 to 11

In the toughest game of the day, the girls put up a great fight against Goulburn Valley Grammar, with the winner to qualify for the State Finals Day. The girls knew how important it was to win this game, as they did not want this to be their last game together in a CMCB netball dress. The team got off to a cracking start effecting turnovers and managing to hold a narrow lead throughout the first half, going into the break up by one, 7 goals to 6. The second half was super intense and the girls worked hard to keep the lead. The defensive end worked tirelessly restricting GVGS to five goals as the Whiteacre girls once again proved how valuable their skill and importance was to the team. At the same time our attackers were getting battered and harassed by their opposition yet, despite this, they kept their cool and kept the scoreboard ticking over. With GVGS being allowed their final shot to count, which was thrown after the siren, an exciting 11-all draw resulted. This game showed just how much the girls wanted the win and, even though a draw resulted, GVGS had lost their previous match which meant that a draw was enough for the girls to win the day and hence qualify for the State Finals, to be played on 29 August at the State Sports Centre in Parkville.

Congratulations girls on a fantastic achievement and your never-give-up attitude.

Thanks to Mrs Clare Hope for coaching and to Mrs Maree Pearce for taking photos and driving the bus.

Thank you also to the volunteers who scored on the day and all of the supporters.

SENIOR GIRLS VICTORIAN SCHOOLS NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM: Mrs Clare Hope (Coach), Milana Whiteacre, Ciarah McDermott, Harriett Whiteacre, Ava Nihill, Sienna Eddy, Emarnee Davies, Telani Bibby, Jaida Raco, Dakota Keanelly, Neve Pinner, Tess Mills