Netball
21 June, 2024
Burras face Roos in important clash
Fresh off the bye, Minyip Murtoa travels to Dimboola to take on the Roos, who will be looking to bounce back after losing to premiership favourites, the Saints, last week.
The Burras are currently sitting sixth on the ladder, with three wins, with the Southern Mallee Thunder in fifth and Stawell in seventh, also on three wins. The Roos are sitting in third spot, one game behind Horsham and on five wins alongside Nhill, so this is an important game for both clubs.
Burras coach Kirby Knight said they still have niggling injuries but is confident that whoever takes the court will be able to do the job, noting that stopping Dimboola's run will go a long way to winning the match.
"There is a reason why they are in the top three and a lot like us. They have new players with steady heads, and they can move players from one end of the court to the other," Knight said.
"We need to slow their ball movement down and it's essential to break down their connections and cause turnovers early and then capitalise on those turnovers.
"Olivia Beugelaar can play both ends and is in great form, so we must find a way to stop her influence as well."
At Davis Park, the Saints know that despite being unbeaten, they are in for a tough test against Nhill, one of the primary challengers for the premiership this season.
Saints coach Jess Cannane is looking forward to seeing how much they have improved on last season.
"They have a different lineup to last season, and they are still a top-five side, so they would have grown from playing finals last year," Cannane said.
"We have started slow in games in recent weeks and need to be ready to go from the start."
The Southern Mallee Thunder travel to Horsham City Oval and look forward to the test against one of the premiership contenders, Horsham Demons.
Thunder coach Steph Thomson said they are getting fitter.
"We are working hard on the basics and are getting fitter each week," Thomson said.
"The real big focus is on our defensive pressure and bringing it down the court, and that happened last week against Stawell, so we are looking to get on a roll."