BALRANALD’S A Grade netball side returned from a bye weekend with renewed energy, producing a dominant 54 to 35 win over Tyntynder in Saturday’s clash.
The result marks a strong turnaround from their last meeting in round 5, where the two sides played out an enthralling 48-all draw at Greenham Park.
This time, Balranald left no room for a repeat, pulling away after a slow start and maintaining control throughout.
“Coming back from a weekend off, we’re usually a bit flat,” Balranald coach Jess Parry said.
“But after the first 15 minutes, the girls really settled in. Everyone played their part, that’s why we got the win.”
In defence, Bonnie Jolliffe stood tall, continuing to grow into her new role at goal defence.
At the other end, Bec Harvey was reliable under the ring, converting crucial shots to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
The win keeps Balranald in the mix for finals, though Parry admits it’ll take a strong finish.
“We’re just outside the top four. Mathematically, if we do the right things and a few results go our way, we’re still in the hunt,” she said.
The Roos now head into another bye before facing Cohuna in a key upcoming fixture.
Cohuna have kept their finals hopes alive with a commanding 21-goal win over Nyah Nyah West United on Saturday, in a performance that coach Georgia Anderson said “finally clicked into place”.
After a closely contested first half, Cohuna broke away in the third quarter, pushing the lead out to around 17 goals before powering home to comfortably win.
“We haven’t had a full side much this year,” Anderson said.
“But yesterday, everything just fell into place.”
The standout performance was backed by a strong defensive effort from Carly Geary, who played a key role in shutting down Nyah’s tall shooter.
“If we didn’t have Carly, it would’ve been a totally different game,” Anderson said.
The mid-court duo of Taylor Hird and Tanner Edwards also impressed, helping to drive the attacking momentum that Cohuna has been working towards all season.
Despite the strong win, Anderson acknowledged the team still sits outside the top spots, and will need results to go their way to make finals.
“We’ve always had the ability. Now it’s about connection, and yesterday we showed what we can do,” she said.
With renewed confidence and a full-strength lineup, the Kangas are determined to finish the season strong.
“We’ve got nothing to lose now,” Anderson said.
Around the other courts in Central Murray, Lake Boga won a tight tussle against Swan Hill, 48-40 at the final whistle.
The Pies started strong in the first period, 17-9, before the gap narrowed in the second and third terms but it wasn’t enough for the away team.
Milla Holt was formidable as goal shooter, scoring 43 goals.
Koondrook-Barham edged out Kerang in a nail-biting clash at Riverside Park, 32-29.
The Blues were leading at the third break, 24-18, before the Raiders scored 14 goals to the Blues’ five.
Meanwhile, the Mallee Eagles continued an unbeaten season against Woorinen, 58-41 in front of a rowdy home crowd.
