Netball SA Premier League live stream: Garville take on Oakdale in battle of two improved sides

She is the off-season recruit who has added a premiership-winning mentality to Garville, and the rest of the squad is buying in. Watch the REPLAY of their Round 2 clash with Oakdale.

She was one of the high-profile off-season movers, and Garville recruit Casey Bernhardt is proving exactly why.

The former Matrics premiership-winning defender was incredible for the Garville side, combining with long-time teammate Emily Burgess to forge a brick wall across the midcourt.

The staunch defence was crucial for the Garville side as they ground Oakdale into the Netball SA Stadium court.

WATCH THE REPLAYS FROM FRIDAY BELOW

While their shooting end struggled at times through the second half, Garville proved too strong in a dominant second term to set up a strong 59-41 win.

Bernhardt, who played her junior netball at Garville, has returned to the club this season and immediately added a premiership feel to the red and grey brigade.

The defender, who played several seasons alongside goal keeper Burgess at Matrics, picked off passes at will and provided constant pressure on the Oakdale shooters who struggled to find easy looks at the hoop.

Eliza Grenvold was strong on the attacking end for Garville, finishing with 24 goals from 32 attempts, and putting in a ton of work to keep the attack moving.

Garville remain undefeated after two rounds of the Netball SA Premier League competition, setting up a mouth-watering third-round clash against Contax.

Contax also remain undefeated in Premier League after dispatching of Metro Jets 67-22, while Matrics bounced back from their Round 1 loss with a big 79-28 win over Tango.

Oakdale exacted a piece of revenge in the Reserves clash, running away with a comprehensive 62-48 win to close out the night.

REPLAYS

Replay: Garville v Oakdale (Premier League)

Replay: Garville v Oakdale (Reserves)

PREVIEW: Garville, Oakdale aim to build on big momentum

Boosted by impressive round one successes, two of the Netball SA Premier League’s most improved sides clash in a star-studded contest on Friday night.

Garville, backed by one of the best defences in the league, take on offensive juggernaut Oakdale from 7pm at Netball SA stadium.

And you can catch all the action from the Premier League and Reserves clashes between the two clubs LIVE through KommunityTV. See the schedule below.

Oakdale, with rising star attacker Poppy Gilfillan-Silk prominent, smashed the Metro Jets last weekend despite a roof leakage which forced the game to be abandoned in the third quarter. Gilfillan-Silk and Asha Thurlow combined to score all 82 goals.

“It was a bit of a different scenario for us, but I was very happy with how the girls played throughout the game and executed both defensively and in attack,” coach Vanessa Dempsey said.

Oakdale recruit Poppy Gilfillan-Silk was in strong form last week. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“We’re also really happy with how Poppy (Gilfillan-Silk) and Asha (Thurlow) played together in the goal circle. We’re excited to see what they can do this season because we know there is a lot of room for growth in that space as they continue to jell.”

Oakdale won both their matches against Garville last season, but Dempsey knows their opponent’s have ‘recruited pretty well’ and pose a big threat this season.

“We’re definitely not expecting the games to play out similarly to last year, we know we need to be at our best,” she said.

“There are a lot of combinations they can run, but I think if we can bring that same defensive approach as we did last week we’ll be a strong chance on Friday, and throughout the rest of our games this season.”

Garville captain Phoebe Bonner and Oakdale captain Jordan Vivian. Pic: Netball SA

Garville coach Kirsty Leonard-Down was also pleased with her side’s performance last week, the club excelling defensively to defeat Newton Jaguars 48-35.

“We’re feeling good heading into the clash with Oakdale. We’re still finding our connections a little bit on the court, with a few new players coming in this year, but the signs have been positive and we were happy with what we brought last week,” she said.

“Oakdale is quite a tall team and they’ve been right up there every season. With Poppy Gilfillan-Silk now in attack for them, too, it means we need to be at our absolute best with team defence.

“Defence wins games, it’s always our underlying theme, so the biggest thing will be applying that pressure around the court and then making sure our forwards are in control of what they have to do.”