THE secret to great pavlova is in how you beat the eggs but the nature and location of its consumption can also create a stir.
Port Fairy playing coach Nicole Dwyer admitted to a pavlova prank ahead of her 200th game for the Seagulls last Sunday.
Dwyer said the tempting sweet was purchased at a time when Port senior netballers were regularly winning matches and the senior footballers were on a run of losses.
The club provides meals for the players after training on Thursdays but sweets are only served following a win by the senior football team.
After many weeks without dessert, Dwyer ran out of patience and brought the pavlova to training before dishing it up for netballers at meal time.
She laughs as she recalls eating the sticky treat in front of the sweet-less footballers.
Dietary protocol was back on an even keel last Thursday after Port's round-one win against Cobden.
Main meals and sweets were served after a presentation to Dwyer in the clubrooms.
The recipient was touched by the involvement of her parents Anthony and Bev, club supporter Wally Sheehan and teammate Rachel Pevitt, who has played more than 250 HFNL games.
WITH wind gusts up to 100kmh and torrential rain, the region's young netballers played in arguably the worst conditions they had ever faced on the Sunday.
The scoring in several Warrnambool District junior games reflected the near-impossible task for the young shooters to master the gale-force winds.
Scorers at Merrivale and Allansford's underage matches had the least work to do. The Tigers' 17 and under side netted two goals to Old Collegians' three while in the 15 and under, Merrivale went scoreless. The black and gold's 15 and under reserve team fared little better, managing just one goal.
Allansford's 15 and under team also went scoreless while the Cats' 15 and under reserves netted just two goals against Russells Creek.
Allansford delegate Kate Field was not surprised by the soccer-like scores.
"It was pretty funny to watch,'' she said. "The girls were just too little and didn't have enough power (to combat the wind).
"I umpired one of the games and they had lots of blankets and buckets of hot water they were putting their hands in at the breaks.''
HAMPDEN league has been forced to make some slight changes to its interleague trials.
The try-outs for the 17 and under, 15 and under, 13 and under and open sides were scheduled for Sunday but because Koroit and Warrnambool play on that day, there has been a switch and a cancellation.
Netballers trying out for the 15 and under team, coached by Gaye Batt, will take to the court tomorrow night at the Warrnambool City Courts from 4pm.
Jamie Barr and Jacqui Smedts will take charge of the 17 and under and 13 and under sides respectively. Both trials will be on Sunday, with the 13s from 10am to 11am and the 17s from 11.30pm to 12.30pm. Any Koroit or Warrnambool players unavailable to attend need to pass their names onto Trish Butters.
With open coaches Jacqui Bowman and Kate Dobson playing on Sunday, the initial open trial has been scrapped. Interested players need to pass their names onto Butters by Monday so the coaches can select a squad. Her email is butters.patricia.m@edumail.vic.go v.au.
The interleague teams will play in the LOUD association championships qualifying tournament in Ballarat on May 17. If successful, they will progress to the final in Melbourne on June 21.
NORTH Warrnambool Eagles' first home game of the season gave the club a couple of reasons to celebrate.
Not only did the blue and gold unveil its four 2008 premiership flags, it also did not need to implement wet weather times. The Rebound Ace surface overcoat, carried out a few weeks ago on its previously too-slippery-when-wet court, did the trick, with players able to keep their feet in the puddles.
Have anything for Courtside? Contact Kate at kbutler@standard.fairfax.com.au or on 5563 1856.
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