WHEN IT comes to finding two teams so evenly matched in the netball, Camperdown and Port Fairy's recent Hampden league meetings are evidence they have one of the closest records in the competition.
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The Magpies and Seagulls face each other in round five at Gardens Oval in Saturday and their history suggests it will be another nail-biting encounter.
The club's past 10 matches, dating back to 2015, have been decided by an average of 5.8 goals a game with only two 10-plus victories in the total.
Seven games have been decided by five goals or less - three five-goal thrillers, two one-goal nail-biters and two three-goal matches.
In those 10 meetings Camperdown has the ascendancy over Port Fairy.
The Seagulls have only managed three victories but one of those wins was the history-making maiden premiership in 2016.
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After four rounds of the 2019 season, their for and against records are the closest they have been in three years, which means another close battle could unfold this weekend.
The Seagulls have scored 150 goals and conceded 156 after games against South Warrnambool, Portland, Cobden and Terang Mortlake to start their season with two wins and two losses.
On the other side of the coin the Magpies have scored one less goal but conceded 15 more after playing the Bloods, Koroit, Warrnambool and North Warrnambool Eagles for a win-loss record of 1-3.
The two sides' weekly averages are another example of how close the two teams are. They both average 37 goals a game, while the Seagulls (39) defend slightly better than the Magpies (42).
First-year Port Fairy coach Rhiannon Cuomo said the Seagulls' attack still needed to improve but she could see confidence growing rapidly with two of her stars.
"I think our attacking end has come together quite well and Carly Watson is growing in confidence," she said.
"She was playing goals at interleague training and I'm hoping her confidence will come and her scoring percentage will go up.
"Nicole Dwyer has come back in the last couple of weeks and she has got that calm composure that comes with being a long-time senior player. She has stepped up and shown the potential she has got."
Watson has netted 20, 22, 13 and 18 goals in her past four matches after shifting from goal defence this season, while Dwyer missed the opening round match against the Roosters.
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Camperdown mentor Brooke Richardson said there were minor improvements her side needed to make to turn its scoring differential into the positive.
"Our attack needs to make the most of opportunities in our ring and not throwing the ball away and making sure we're playing smart," she said.
"For defence it (our combinations) change every week, working against strong and powerful players to the faster and agile players.
"We adapt to the situations quickly and we try and work together as a defensive unit to put pressure on the opposition."
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
