By Marcus Uhe
An impressive first half from Pakenham in Outer East Football Netball A-Grade netball was not enough to overcome the might of Wandin on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions kept pace in the first half-hour, going goal-for-goal with last season’s runner up, before a 31-17 second half in Wandin’s favour resulted in a 16-goal Bulldog win, 59-43.
Pakenham led by one goal at quarter time, thanks in part to an impressive defensive strategy to counter dominant Wandin shooter Emmalia Blake.
With the Lions missing Eliza Molino, Pakenham’s defenders Charlize Reid and Caitlin Cooke opted to double-team the competition’s leading scorer when Wandin looked to enter the goal circle.
Blake’s height, towering over almost anyone that she faces in Outer East A-Grade, allows her to stay close to the basket, catch high passes and convert easy shots, making life tough for her opponents, and netted her an average of 62 goals in the last three weeks.
The double-team came late, with one defender fronting Blake and the other holding ground behind her, and was enough to disrupt a number of attempted feeds to Blake under the post.
Alternatively, the pressure fell to Wandin Goal Attack Jackie Cutting, who was forced to take difficult shots from distance to relieve her shooting partner.
The approach forced Wandin to counter with extra speed on the ball to reach the final third with Reid and Cooke out of position and unable to affect the double-team.
Wandin found a solution in the second half and showed why they’ll be one of the teams to beat, holding Pakenham to its second-lowest score of the season with tenacious defence.
Blake finished with 43 goals, nearly 12 less than her average output of 54.8 prior to the Pakenham clash.
Whether teams follow Pakenham’s approach will be one to observe in the second half of the season.
At the other end of the court, Lions recruit Kelly Cousins nailed 27 goals.
Strategy was irrelevant for Emerald against Monbulk, given the absence of one of the competition’s premier players.
Superstar Kaylah Loulanting, the competition’s third-highest goal scorer, left a huge hole in the Emerald goal circle, as Monbulk snapped the Bombers’ three-game winning streak in a 61-33 result.
33 was comfortably Emerald’s lowest score of the season thus far, and nearly 22 below their season average, while Monbulk’s win closes the gap between fifth and sixth to just two points.
Narre Warren became the first side to reach triple figures in a game this season as they heaped further pain on a disappointing Berwick Springs season.
The Magpie averaged 26 goals per quarter, and kept their opponents to 2.5, in a 104-10 thrashing.
The score read 26-1 at the first break as Narre closed the quarter in the midst of what would become a 31 consecutive goal run, and kept the Titans to just three in the entire first half.
Magpie leaders Brittany Mashado and Gabrielle Dwyer were instrumental for the Magpies in holding the Titans to such a low score with Chelsea Tonna, Grace Ioelu and Erin Bell sharing the scoring load for the reigning champions.
ROC’s defence helped it return to winning ways against Olinda Ferny Creek, conceding the second lowest number of goals in a game to this point in its season.
The 60-36 victory makes it three wins in its last four matches and keeps the Kangaroos within a game of the top six, just two points behind Monbulk in sixth position.
44 goals to Isabella O’Shanassy were crucial to picking up the four points, as was Chloe Bell’s 16.
Elsewhere in Premier Division, Gembrook Cockatoo’s bright start to the season appears long in the rear view mirror having slumped to a sixth-consecutive loss, while Mt Evelyn remains undefeated since round one, thanks to a 26-goal win over Upwey Tecoma.
A blockbuster fixture awaits in round nine, as Narre Warren heads to Mt Evelyn to tackle the Rovers.
Mt Evelyn was one of just two sides to defeat the Magpies last season and the only side to do it twice, before Narre Warren turned the tables in a thrilling preliminary final at Yarra Junction on its way to winning the A-Grade premiership.
