Koondrook-Barham produced one of the upsets of the season on Saturday, breaking a 36 game losing streak with a six-goal win over rivals Kerang.
The inclusion of Rumbalara pair Sophie Atkinson and Jess Bamblett for the weekend proved to be a master stroke for the Raiders, with the experienced bookends helping to guide Koondrook-Barham to an upset 42-36 victory.
It was the Raiders first win under coach Grant Matthews, who took over the reins at the beginning of 2023.
The veteran coach was full of praise for the way Atkinson and Bamblett integrated into his team and the roles in which they played.
“It was like having two coaches on the court, which was so important for our young side,” Matthews said.
“The younger girls really took notice of what was being said on the court. It was positive reinforcement for our playing group that what we’ve been working on at training and our structures on the court are working.
“One of the biggest things was their (Atkinson and Bamblett) experienced and composure on the court just helped settle things down.
“It was really a goal for goal game all day. The message was pretty simple ahead of the last quarter was just to reinforce to just not go through the motions and let things slip, back yourselves, and back the experience and the calmness of the girls at each end.”
While Koondrook-Barham rightfully celebrated, it was an opportunity missed for Kerang, who after just a draw from their first three matches are quickly seeing their finals hopes fade.
The disappointmentwas hard to hide for Blues coach Chloe Adams post-match.
“Full respect to Koondrook-Barham, they played fantastically and the girls they brought in were quality players,” Adams said.
“We’re definitely disappointed with the standard of netball we put out and absolutely had our opportunities throughout the game.
“We unfortunately didn’t capitalise and that’s something we will continue to work on.
Remy Doyle was once again among the Raiders better players, with the young centre locking horns with Kerang’s Danielle Coates in an intense one on one battle all day.
Fifteen year old wing defence Ella Hall also produced a strong performance for the Raiders, as did goal defence Jade McMahon. Young gun Lily Wise was among Kerang’s better players in goal defence opposed to Tlarnee Lake, while Carla Walker was the other big positive for the Blues, with the experienced attacker returning from injury.
Final Score
Koondrook-Barham 42
Kerang 36
