Tracy Village Falcons continue to soar while Waratahs fend off challenge from Hoggies
TRACY Village Falcons maintained their 2021 Darwin Netball Premier League unbeaten run, beating the tricky Banks Bulldogs 43-36 in Round 5.
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TRACY Village Falcons maintained their 2021 Darwin Netball Premier League unbeaten run beating the tricky Banks Bulldogs 43-36 in Round 5.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Falcons who, despite leading for the majority of the game, didn’t manage to pull clear of their foes until the final quarter.
Lauren Pluker and Gemma Henderson kept the ball moving from centre to keep the momentum in their favour.
But the defensive efforts of Georgia Luhrs and Tyler Thornton were just as important, limiting Banks’ scorers in Kristen Smits and Aley Lannon in crucial moments.
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Henderson was proud of her side’s efforts in sticking to its game plan despite facing a difficult Bulldogs’ outfit.
“It was really good. Banks being a new team we didn’t know what to expect but we managed to hold on to that lead,” Henderson told the NT News.
“We focused on getting our own centre passes, staying calm and scoring when we could and whatever extra we got came from there.
“We have a really good team culture between our premier league and premier reserves sides with it being a great start to the season for both sides.”
Waratahs also pulled through against Hoggies and, despite being down early in the second quarter, pulled clear to win 41-36.
A strong defensive effort from Laura Adamson and Tara Aikas held back a tall Hoggies attack, while Hayley Thomas at goal attack also impressed for Tahs.
Player-coach Alyce Casilli was happy to have a win under her side’s belts heading into the next round of games.
“It was pleasing to finish off the round with a win particularly with a few girls away this week,” Casilli said.
“When they came back at us it was about not panicking and getting back to what we know we do well as in the simple stuff and staying positive while Hoggies pushed us.
“We had a really strong effort from our defensive end. Though they weren’t the tallest against a tall opposition they did really well.”
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