IF you think you’re hard on yourself when it comes to netball, you probably aren’t as bad as Narelle Welsh. The goaler seemingly had a stellar debut for Camperdown on Saturday, netting 51 goals — the most out of all the other senior Hampden league players. But the Magpies’ recruit revealed she wasn’t overly impressed with her efforts against Cobden. She described her opening half as “terrible” because of inaccuracy. After often taking a few attempts to put the ball in the ring in the opening half, she improved in the second half. Welsh helped the Magpies score a 59-38 victory at Leura Oval. Terang Mortlake has the job of curbing her influence tomorrow.
WARRNAMBOOL coach Lorraine English isn’t ruling out former Blues premiership player Marissa Chapman returning to the club’s top side in 2010. Chapman was absent from Hampden league last season because she was travelling, with the goaler expected to return to the south-west by the end of the month. Rumours have suggested she will boost Merrivale’s A grade line-up but English said she would be happy for Chapman to return to Warrnambool. “I don’t think there would be a problem but definitely she would come through A1,” she said. “We’ve always said (that which grade players are in) is performance-based. We have 10 weeks to move people around quite dramatically and I’d think we’ll be looking at using those 10 weeks.” If Chapman chooses to return to the Blues, English will be spoiled for choice when it comes to goalers. Warrnambool already has two of the competition’s leading young shooting guns in Darcy Saunders and Danielle McLeod to complement 2007 league best and fairest Sarah Hearn.
MERRIVALE captain Danielle McInerney admitted playing against four of her old teammates was an unusual experience on Saturday. Kylie Carter, Georgia Bolden, Lauren Aitchison and Haley Kelson all crossed from the Tigers to the Lions after playing in the losing side of last year’s grand final against East Warrnambool. McInerney speculated it must have been “more awkward for them than (herself)” in last weekend’s clash, which Merrivale won by 11 goals. But she quickly found the positives for two of the former Tigers. “Kylie and Georgia are both life members (of Merrivale) so at least they don’t have to pay at the gate to get into games when they play us at home.” McInerney hit the deck in the second quarter after rolling her ankle. But the Tigers veteran said the burgundy uniforms had not changed the bond between the past teammates. “Kylie (Carter) was the first to come over to me to see if I was OK,” she said. “It was really nice of her.”
JEN Hawkins will be at the Allansford netball courts tomorrow. But before eager males start to plan their way to the courts, we better make it clear that they won’t be catching a glimpse of the former Miss Australia. Panmure has its own Jen Hawkins — the club’s B grade co-coach who also suits up in the Bulldogs’ A reserve side. Hawkins was prominent in the season-opener, judged best-on-court against Dennington in her side’s 28-12 win.
WARRNAMBOOL and District league has released its leaderboard for the A grade competition’s most valuable player. Deakin University’s Eliza Healey, Old Collegians’ Jodie Maybery and Kolora-Noorat’s Lauren Carlin share the lead with six votes. South Rovers’ Haley Kelson and Anna Delaney, of Nirranda, have attracted five votes while on four votes is Mandy Condon (Panmure), Vicky Lumsden (Dennington), Emma Roache (Panmure), Jodi Keane (Merrivale), Sarah Madden (Kolora-Noorat) and Kristen Smits (Russells Creek).
IF you’re at an Old Collegians netball game, you’re highly likely to hear plenty of calls of “mum” coming from the court. After last week finding out how the Warriors’ Sarah Alderson feels about playing with her mother Liz, there is another genetic combination which takes to the court together. Jayne and Jessica Toleman both play A reserve together at Collegians. The Warriors also have several mothers and daughters who play in different grades.
Email a friend