Benalla All Blacks go down in tough tussle with North Wangaratta

The start of the third quarter saw the Panthers win the first clearance and propel the ball forward to kick the first goal of the quarter to gain some momentum, but a missed shot on goal allowed North Wangaratta to transition the ball back down the field and kick one of their own.

The Panthers were up for the challenge and continued to push forward in the hope of getting back on top on the scoreboard. But a five-minute lapse in play allowed North Wangaratta to kick three goals to put it 16 points up at the last change.

The last quarter saw a very even and hard-fought contest with both sides able to score and the contest around the grounds being both ways. At the final siren the margin was 24 points to the visitors.

Michael Ryan up forward was a great asset to have, kicking three goals, and Sam Cox kicked two goals. Even though the Panthers didn’t get the win, they should be proud of the performance (85-point turnaround from the last encounter). They will now turn their focus to Tarrawingee this coming weekend and continue to march forward in the search for their first win of the year.

A-grade

Awards: Gertie McCallum — Stella Stella. Jessie Ellis — Royal Hotel. Meagan Hausner — Benalla Racing Club. Elyse Felstead — Sportspower.

In search to secure their third win for the season Panthers A-grade side took on North Wangaratta at home.

The girls started strong, gaining intercepts and prizing possession with solid defensive pressure across the whole court which was a huge asset allowing our girls to get hands on multiple balls and reward ourselves in attack.

With a hard-fought first three quarters Benalla was able to cement a four-point lead going into the last 15 minutes, which saw the girls take all that was thrown at them in their stride, not backing down and making North Wang work extra hard.

The final whistle saw Benalla’s A-grade side fall short 32-37. Gertie MCCallum had a solid four quarters in WA, working overtime across the mid-court to apply defensive pressure and gain turnovers. Jessie Ellis worked hard all day in the defensive ring really showing off her incredible reach and athleticism.

Meagan Hausner back in action after a week on the sidelines. Meags ran out four huge quarters in the centre where she didn’t miss a beat, displaying massive second efforts all across the court and feeding with precision into the goal ring.

Elyse Felstead had a huge day out in GD, applying solid pressure and getting her hands to multiple balls. Elyse played a big role in being a linking player and reset option for our attackers.

Despite not walking away with the win on Saturday, co-coaches Georgia Spencer and Alara Jones were more than rapt with the performance displayed from all girls showing true sportsmanship and playing with the utmost integrity.

B-grade

Awards: Haylea Smith — Royal Hotel. Amber McIntyre — Stella Stella. Rebecca Wrest — Milner Watson Pharmacy. Bernie Gray — Sportspower.

This week it was Panthers versus North Wangaratta at home and the girls were excited to get out on the court with a goal to improve on the last performance against the Hawks.

This week again saw Benalla short of players due to injury and illness and again we thank our juniors for stepping up to help out. Emma Snell played a ripping half of netball before going down with an injury and Alicia Langlands again subbed in for the team.

We also welcomed Holly Robertson to the court. Holly hit the court like she’d been a part of the team all season, getting her hands to plenty of ball and putting her body on the line.

Haylea Smith was asked to step into a shooting for this match, proving her versatility across the court. H moved and shot with confidence in the ring and provided strong defensive pressure down the court when the ball was turned over.

Amber McIntyre had a brilliant game this week. Amber is an absolute workhorse on the court and is always an option for her team no matter how tired she is. Her voice and guidance across the court is always an asset to her team.

Rebecca Wrest was among the best again this week. No matter what position Bec plays, he adapts quickly and always gives it her all. Bernie Gray rounds up our best. Bernie’s experience down our defensive end is one of the biggest assets to our B-grade side, her voice and guidance throughout this and all matches is absolutely pivotal. Unfortunately the game didn’t go the Panthers’ way on the scoreboard but the team put up a great fight for four quarters. They also achieved their goal improving the score from the last match. Benalla 30 defeated by North Wang 57

Under-17s

Awards: Emma Snell — Harley’s Pizza. Torah Heeps — Sportspower. Lexi Squires — Spot 4 Icecream. Rose Mildren — All Blacks Club award.

The last time the Panthers and Hawks met in the under-17s, the Panthers were able to reach their highest score of the season. With a full side for the first time in a long time, the Panthers were hopeful that they could replicate that.

Emma Snell had yet another great game, moving herself throughout the mid-court to be in the best position for intercepts and chasing up loose balls. Emma’s ability to hunt the ball and take on much taller opponents in the air is amazing to watch.

A big change up to positions in the second quarter saw Torah Heeps move out of the goal ring and into the mid-court. She excelled in putting pressure on her opponent and passing accurately in to the shooters. Our mid-court really took the game on this week with Lexi Squires and Rose Mildren showing just how far they have come throughout the year, each picking up multiple loose balls and making great forward leads. Unfortunately North Wangaratta was just too strong, winning the game 13 vs 65.

Under-15s

Awards: Hollywood Pizza — Ilka Cunneen. Spot 4 Icecream — Lola Crook. All Blacks Club award — Sharni Hughes. Sportspower award — Olivia McKenzie.

The under-15s stepped on the court this week ready to take on second-placed North Wangaratta. Knowing they were going to have to put up a fight, the girls were asked to start the game nice and strong. Our attackers played a confident game with Ilka Cunneen and Harper Robertson both following their shots and moving in the goal circle to create space for Darcie Jackson and Ruby Crook to feed well.

Down in defence Olivia Mackenzie and Tahlia Humphrey played a fantastic game, turning over the play and getting some great rebounds. Sharni Hughes had a great game and once again was a great option moving the ball down the court to Lola Crook who played a patient game when feeding to our attackers. It was a great team effort on Saturday and our young Panthers once again have stepped up to show their opponents their strength and talent.

Final score Benalla 28, North Wang 25.