By Marcus Uhe
Olinda Ferny Creek issued a warning to the remainder of the Premier Division A-Grade netball competition on Saturday: don’t forget about us.
While finding themselves on the outside of the competition’s ‘big three’ of Narre Warren, Wandin and Mt Evelyn, the reigning champions are the reigning champions for a reason, and showed its rivals why they should never be counted-out, getting the better of Wandin 53-50 on the road.
A tight contest for the duration of the afternoon, Olinda Ferny Creek led at the first two breaks before going into the final quarter with scores level on 36 points.
But it saved its highest scoring quarter for last, outscoring the Bulldogs 17-14 to snatch the victory.
In a shootout between two stars under the post, Emmalia Blake added 46 for Wandin and Hayley Howard 34 for Olinda Ferny Creek.
Mackenzie Oracz was exceptional in defence for the reigning premiers, as was Wandin’s Maddy George.
From undefeated three weeks ago, three losses has seen the Bulldogs fall from first to third, now half a game and percentage behind Mt Evelyn in second place.
Mt Evelyn’s percentage received a huge bump, cashing-in on a clash with a struggling Gembrook Cockatoo to win by whopping 75 goals.
The 100-25 scoreline was comfortably both the highest individual score of the season for any team, and the widest margin of victory seen this season.
Rory Barr scored an incredible 90 goals in the thrashing, her team relentless to the end with 30 goals scored in the final period to just four for the women in green.
Mt Evelyn scored 17 in the first quarter, 29 in the second and 24 in the third before piling-on the pain in the final period of play, responding after a shock loss to Upwey Tecoma the week prior.
The monster afternoon rockets Barr into third place on the leading goalscorers table behind Blake and Howard.
In stark-contrast to the high-scoring of the previously mentioned contests, Pakenham and Berwick fought-out a 29-each draw.
Defence dominated the contest, particularly in the middle two periods where each side only scored 11 goals.
Lara Goodman Hancock scored 15 goals for the Lions, Emma Clarke 17 for the home side, with the split points keeping them tied on the table at 14 premiership points.
30 goals from Clare Vearing helped Narre Warren to its fifth-consecutive victory, this time defeating Monbulk 48-33 at Monbulk.
Vearing came off the bench to nail her 30 goals in a sign of the Magpies’ frightening depth, while the Hawks struggled in the absence of Peri Reid and with no substitutes to call-upon.
Monbulk captain Nicole Macdowell shouldered the majority of the scoring load with 18 goals for the Hawks.
For the Magpies, a game clear at the top of the ladder, Soph Hennessey and skipper Brittany Mashado led the way in the middle of the court.
The return to action of Elizabeth Murphy continues to reap rewards for Beaconsfield, defeating Upwey Tecoma by 15 goals at Thompson Reserve.
Murphy scored 44 of the Eagles’ 48 goals in the 48-33 result where Beaconsfield extended the margin at every interval, from three to six to 10 and finally 15.
Jaime Quinn was excellent in defence for the Eagles, holding Tigers shooter Mia Lui to just 11 goals.
Beaconsfield’s return to form sees them now tied with Wandin on 34 premiership points, with both trailing Narre Warren and Mt Evelyn in first and second, respectively.
Olinda Ferny Creek sit in fifth, ready to strike should the higher seeds falter.
