Kyabram's Abby Waasdorp was again a standout for her team in the game against Rochester at Kyabram Recreation Reserve on Sunday. Photos: Liam Nash.
Photo by
Liam Nash
Kyabram’s hard road to the finish line of the Goulburn Valley League’s A-grade netball season starts this week when the Bombers front up against former star centre Hollie Reid and her top of the ladder Euroa team.
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Reid crossed to Euroa this season and the Magpies lead the competition with 11 wins from their 12 games, leading second ranking Mooroopna by percentage.
Kyabram's Ava Pell searches for a pass amid traffic.
Photo by
Liam Nash
The Bombers also face Mooroopna in the next month and finish their home and away season against fifth-ranked Seymour and Shepparton Bears (sixth).
Their best chance of recording a second win for the season appears to be in a fortnight when they face 10th-ranked Mansfield, which has won just two games this season.
In the remaining game the Bombers face Shepparton United.
In Sunday’s game against ninth-ranked Rochester the Bombers were again best served by teenage stars Abby Waasdorp and Natasha Dodos.
Dodos was on fire early, shooting 12 of the team’s 13 first-quarter goals as they were within four goals of Rochester at quarter time.
Kyabram's Jemma Hall attempts to block a shot.
Photo by
Liam Nash
By half time Dodos had 22 goals and Kyabram trailed by eight, but after the long break it was all Rochester.
They outscored the Bombers 40 goals to 17 and despite Dodos finishing with 34 goals they lost the game 41-72.
Jemma Hall did her best to stem the tide in defence, as did Ava Pell in her quarter and a half at the tail end of the game.
Waasdorp and Isla Carver were the constant in the mid-court as Rochester star Teal Hocking bagged 19 second half goals after feeding the ball to Tia Webb for most of the first half.
Kyabram's Maia Roberts enjoys herself in attack.
Photo by
Liam Nash
– Fourth-ranked Rochester dominated the Kyabram B-grade team for the first three quarters, but to their credit the Bombers did not give up and through Micaela Herbert and Hannah Newman recovered in the final term.
In an extraordinary third term Rochester kept Kyabram goalless, leading by 43 goals at the final change. Kyabram scored 10 goals in the final term, Herbert scoring eight of those to finish with 20 for the game.
The Bombers lost the game 23-76, Steph Higgins brave in the centre, while Karla Ryan supported her mid-court work and Under 17 captain Stella Trezise worked hard in defence for the final half - next to Carlie Argus.
– A disastrous second term for Kyabram’s B Reserve team meant that third ranked Rochester stretched its winning total to nine games for 2024.
Kyabram, on the back of 17 goals from Ellie Kiker and Abbey Watson, led by five at quarter time. In the second term, however, Rochester outscored the Bombers 20 goals to three and despite the final half being dead even it was a 57-43 win for Rochester.
Kyabram now sits one game outside the top six, with three of the top five teams on their radar in the next six weeks. They also play United (eighth), Mooroopna (10th) and Mansfield (12th).
Tearna Filbey was the pick of the Bombers defenders.
– Rochester has cemented its place in the Under 17 top six at the expense of the Bombers, which is now a game outside the finals with six rounds remaining.
Rochester now has an 8-4 win/loss record after opening the game with a 31-13 first half. Kyabram trailed by 22 goals at three quarter time and despite having its best result in the final term lost the game 28-59.
In the final six weeks Kyabram has three of the top six teams, but also three teams below it on the ladder - ninth ranked Euroa this week, along with Shepparton United (eighth) and 10th-ranked Mansfield,.
It will be relying on results to go its way in order to make the finals.
Grace Burnett was the pick of the Under 17 players, along with captain Stella Trezise and winger Grace Kilpatrick.
– Kyabram’s only win of the day came in the Under 15 match, the Bombers fourth win of the season at the level.
Jenna Quattrochi was outstanding in defence after quarter time, restricting the Rochester goalers with Mia Kilpatrick to just 22 goals in the first three quarters.
Kyabram led by 14 by that time as goaler Ella Hooper helped herself to 22 goals in tandem with Mia Lyons (15 goals). By full time the Kyabram team had won the game by 20 goals, 54-34, but will need to rely on other teams in order to make the finals.
Ruby Barker was a star in the centre and will be hoping to repeat that performance in the coming fortnight against 10th-ranked Euroa and third placed Mansfield.
