Netball
30 May, 2025
Eagles pick up first win in A grade netball
Warrack has picked up its first win of the season in A-grade netball, defeating Nhill 48 to 30.
Coach of the Eagles, Sarah Spicer, said it had been a slow start to the season, literally, after a bye in the first round of the Wimmera Football Netball League and then a break for Easter.
Amber O'Connor and Nicola Clyne proved a challenge for the opposition in goals, scoring 30 goals and 18 goals respectively.
They were just a couple of the players, coach Spicer acknowledged after the game while praising the side's four-quarter effort.
"We got a good start and we managed to play four quarters, which has what has been lacking in other games, especially the closer ones," Spicer said.
"We had a delayed start to the season, and they announced the coach late as well, so it's hard to work on plays as a team.
"Some of the girls might have felt a bit like 'What are we doing?' so it was always going to take us time to get a win, because we started from scratch a bit later.
"But we have definitely been working on it, because that (a four-quarter effort) has been something that has been lacking each week.
"All the girls are fit enough, and they have been from the get-go – that has never been an issue: just concentration and backing yourself that you can play for four quarters."
The coach said that with the side's youth, they were going to have some bad weeks and some good weeks, and Saturday was a good week.
"Some of the games we have lost, I definitely felt were winnable, and we will definitely target those games in the last half of the season," she said.
"I would like to think there will be more wins to come, and I think we all believe that can happen.
"Our goalies were really good on Saturday.
"They were accurate and strong and played well together."
She also called out Ava Koschitzke, who finished the game in wing attack but played the first three quarters in wing defence.
"She was strong, plenty of intercepts and always an option for us in attack," Spicer said.
"We also had Macie Nitschke debut in her first A-grade game.
"She plays in the under-17s, and she played a bit more than a quarter and a half in goal keeper.
"She came on and it was seamless, like there was no change, so that is promising for the future."
Spicer opted not to make as many changes during the game to the side as usual, and said that could have been part of the reason the side got the win on Saturday.
"I probably have rolled people off and on a bit in the first four weeks, trying to work out what works best, whereas on Saturday I didn't make any changes – well, little changes – and perhaps that was part of our success yesterday and something I need to be mindful of," she said.
Spicer will no doubt be keeping the changes in consideration this week, when her side lines up against the Demons.
The Horsham side is currently second on the ladder, with a record of four and one, and the coach of the Eagles is under no illusion as to the challenge that awaits them.
"It's definitely a big challenge, but I think we should be able to match them in some areas of the court, and if they are having a good day, and they are having an off day, you don't know what might happen," she said.
"We will have to be first to the ball and extremely strong, because they are a physical team, and a tall team as well."
