NYAH-NYAH West United will be out to claim their first big scalp of season 2022 when they face off against the Mallee Eagles Saturday afternoon.
The Demons have been this seasons’ big improvers, having come from the bottom of the ladder last season to currently sit inside the top five, but are yet to claim victory against one of the ‘big four’ in this seasons’ Central Murray A Grade netball season.
NNW United have a challenging run home, with games against Lake Boga and Balranald to follow, as well as encounters with both Cohuna and Woorinen – with both teams out to replace the Demons in that hotly contested fifth spot. The Eagles on the other hand are locked in their own finals battle, with just two points separating Swan Hill (first) and themselves (fourth).
With the ladder so tight at the top, Saturday presents as the perfect opportunity for the Mallee Eagles to gain an advantage on their competitors, with all three teams above them having the bye (Swan Hill, Balranald and Lake Boga) – and therefore presenting the Eagles with the chance to jump to the top of the ladder by 3.30pm Saturday afternoon.
They have to get past the Demons first, which will be no easy task, especially based off their round 3 encounter when NNW United pushed the Mallee Eagles all the way before falling by just five goals. It’s a performance that United coach Laura Anderson and her team will take belief from, knowing that her side were still very much in the early stages of gelling together.
“We definitely take confidence from that game back in Round 3 – obviously it was a long time ago and both teams have improved, but we go into the game as if we’re playing any side and being confident in ourselves and each other,” Anderson said.
“The Eagles have been in great form and full credit to them, but I think we just go into the game as if it’s just another game and focusing on us and what we need to do to be successful both now and into the future as well.”
The biggest challenge for Anderson’s team may not be their opposition however, with the anomalies of this year’s A Grade fixture seeing the Demons not take to the court since their match against Swan Hill. That particular game will be 28 days since United last played, after having their club’s scheduled bye in round 11 and then the league-wide bye a fortnight ago. While those weeks off were unavoidable, the Demons were last week drawn to play Kerang last Saturday – and with the Blues failing to submit an A Grade side this season, that meant yet another weekend off for Anderson and her players.
“Obviously it’s not ideal being away for this long, especially during the season, but we’ve had a few trainings off just to get some time away from training every week,” Anderson said.
“We’ve completed some training sessions of just game play to keep in touch with our fitness – but we’ve also taken advantage of the break by trying to adjust the culture of the club by training with the senior footballers and having them train with us, with has created great chemistry within the club.”
The Mallee Eagles will come into the must-win game full of confidence, having knocked off the previously unbeaten Swan Hill last Saturday and considered a genuine premiership threat this season. They are a highly attacking team and are the A Grade’s highest scoring side, with Kellie Walker and Emelia Shannahan both dominating the goal ring in 2022.
It’s with this in mind that NNW United will have to narrow their focus Saturday, with the outcome likely to hinge on whether the Demons defensive end can withstand the likely onslaught that’s in front of them.
“I think their whole side is very good and they complement each other amazingly well, but we really need to stop Kellie (Walker) – she is a huge threat with her height and accuracy, so stopping her will be a huge challenge but is one that we are up for,” Anderson said.
“Their defenders manage to get their hands to everything, so we will have to play smartly to reduce the amount of ball we turn over to them.”
“Our turnovers have been a real focus of ours and one in which we have been working really hard on – also, just having trust in our team has been a major thing.”
“I’m hoping for a huge game from Matika (Mitchell) and Zoe (Gray) in the defensive end – they have both been great pick-ups for the club, both on and off the court, so hopefully they really shine Saturday.”
“Also, our young gun Bridie Curran, who plays GA – which was a foreign position to her at the start of the season – has definitely come into her own and is showing that she deserves a spot in A Grade, which is a credit to her at such a young age.”
The Cohuna Kangas will host Tooleybuc-Manangatang in the other big game Saturday afternoon, with the loser’s finals hopes to take a significant hit. Like the Demons, the Saints have a difficult run home, with three of their remaining games against the top four teams. If they want to bridge the gap between themselves and the top five, they simply must beat the Kangas who, like their opponents, find themselves in desperate need of the four points.
Cohuna are even further off the pace than the Saints and while they may have an easier draw from this point on, a loss would see them two games and significant percentage behind NNW United with just four games to play – effectively ending their finals chances.
The final game of round 13 will be a bottom-of-the-ladder battle between Tyntynder and Koondrook-Barham at the Alan Garden Reserve – with the much-improved Dogs expected to claim their third win of the season against a Raiders outfit that are yet to taste victory in 2022.
