By JUDY ORREN
THE sun shone bright on Yarra Glen on Sunday.
Rainbows were on the ground and on jumpers.
The second Pride Game, which was against Warburton Millgrove this year, was an outstanding success with Yarra Glen claiming the four points.
Lachlan Telford from Yarra Glen and Bianca Daniels from Warburton Millgrove were awarded the Pride Cup medals.
Division 1 seniors
Yarra Glen 13.14 (92) d Warburton Millgrove 11.14 (80)
Yarra Glen has come away with a great win after trailing by 19 points at half-time.
Warburton looked to have the better running game early and it showed on the scoreboard, reading 8.6 (54) to 5.5 (35) at the long break.
In the third term, Yarra Glen’s defensive game came to the fore.
Warburton did attack but only managed 1.6, while Yarra Glen on the rebound booted 4.4 and the margin was reduced to just three points in Warburton’s favour at the last change.
Yarra Glen’s last quarter was a great performance, even though it didn’t blow the opposition away, it looked hungrier and gave itself more scoring chances.
It booted 4.5 to 2.2 to win by 12 points in a real gutsy display.
Yarra Glen best players: L. Telford (Pride Cup Medallist), R. Gurney (1 goal), J. Baughan.
Warburton best players: M. Kocher (2 goals), L. Barnard (1 goal), T. Walker (1 goal).
Monbulk 13.16 (94) d Belgrave 13.12 (90)
This was a fantastic battle, where unfortunately there had to be a loser.
The first half was a goal-for-goal affair with Monbulk just holding sway at half-time by nine points.
The third term remained a tight battle.
Monbulk did look to be getting on top but it only increased the margin to 16 points by the last change.
The last term was a cracker. Belgrave started to look a bit slicker over the ground and it gave itself plenty of chances as it booted 3.4, but Monbulk’s 2.3 was enough for it to hold on to win by four points in an absolute thriller.
Monbulk best players: S. Williams (1 goal), M. Favrin (4 goals), D. White
Belgrave best players: B. Dadswell, J. Cameron, P. Gough.
Wandin 17.16 (118) d Olinda Ferny Creek 3.15 (33)
Wandin look to be unbeatable at this stage, this time with a big 85-point win over Olinda.
Wandin wasn’t actually at its best in the first half as it was wasteful, booting 6.12, but it held Olinda to just 1.8 to have a handy 34-point lead at the half.
The second half was where the real Wandin showed up.
It straightened up and went a lot more direct hitting the scoreboard regularly.
It added another 11 goals to its total while Olinda could only manage two goals to see Wandin run away with a big victory.
Wandin best players: S. Dwyer (4 goals), J. Myers, R. Ross (1 goal)
Olinda Ferny Creek best players: D. Noorda, K. Currie, D. Rohrmann
Upwey Tecoma 15.18.108 d Mount Evelyn 15.13.103
Mount Evelyn will be kicking themselves after leading by 25 points at half-time and letting this game slip away.
Mount Evelyn booted eight goals to four in the first half and arguably could have been further up if it was a little more precise with its ball movement.
Upwey turned this game around in the third as it took the game on.
It booted an inaccurate 6.7 to 3.1 and all of a sudden Mount Evelyn’s lead was reduced to just one point at the final change.
The last quarter was a dire battle with both sides giving their all.
But it was Upwey that took the lead after scoring 5.3 to 4.3 and were able to hold on to win by five points and break Mount Evelyn’s hearts.
Upwey Tecoma best players: T. Robinson (5 goals), D. Sloane (1 goal), K. Hinton
Mount Evelyn best players: M. Martin (6 goals), S. Tesoriero, R. Cowan
Woori Yallock 10.13 (73) d Healesville 6.14 (50)
Woori Yallock’s form has been a bit up and down this season but it produced a decent four-quarter performance to get over an improving Healesville side.
Goals were hard to come by early with both sides’ defences playing well but it was Woori that just had the edge at quarter time leading by four points.
Woori’s hardness in the second looked to rattle Healesville a little.
It made the most of it as they slotted four goals to one to lead by 23 points at the main break.
The second half was a very even contest but despite everything Healesville threw at Woori it just wasn’t able to reduce the margin significantly enough to be any real threat as Woori came away with a pretty good 23-point win.
Woori Yallock best players: S. Kennedy, B. Sneddon (2 goals), M. Lowe.
Healesville best players: A. Hamer (1 goal), D. Plozza, J. Goding.
Division 2 Seniors
Gembrook Cockatoo 13.14 (92) d Alexandra 7.13 (55)
Gembrook is starting to find its feet after a poor start to the season and have come away with a good 37-point win over Alexandra after a tight first half.
Gembrook certainly had the better of the play early but just couldn’t put a big gap between them and their opponents as there was just 11 points at half-time.
Gembrook’s third term was where they made the most of their play down forward booting 4.2 and even though Alex wasn’t playing bad it only managed 1.4 which saw it looking at a 27 point deficit at the last break.
Gembrook finished the day off pretty well.
It only booted three last-quarter goals but held Alexandra to just one major to win well and keep their season well and truly alive.
Gembrook Cockatoo best players: R. Wilson (1 goal), C. Vernal, E. Tomlin
Alexandra best players: W. Goonan, C. Pearce, B. Cooper (1 goal)
Thornton-Eildon 14.7 (91) d Emerald 9.7 (61)
Thornton-Eildon has inflicted Emerald’s first loss of the season handing it a five-goal loss. Thornton’s pressure throughout the day was sensational as it slowly wore Emerald down.
Emerald did lead by nine points at quarter time but Thornton’s relentless pressure in the second term paid dividends as it booted four goals to one.
They went into half-time with a three-goal advantage.
The third term was a great contest with Emerald reducing the margin to just 12 points by the last change, giving it a real sniff going into the last quarter.
Thornton’s last quarter was its best as it was the team finishing full of run.
It slammed on six last-quarter goals to three to come away with a 30-point win and cause one of the upsets of the round.
Thornton-Eildon best players: Z. King (2 goals), T. Keating, A. Marshall
Emerald best players: J. Donders (2 goals), R. Simpson, C. Porter
Kinglake 14.16 (100) d Powelltown 6.7 (43)
Kinglake’s domination of the competition continues, this time with a 57-point win over Powelltown.
Kinglake’s first quarter set up their victory as it hammered home seven majors to two to grab a 32-point advantage by quarter time.
Kinglake certainly didn’t race away in the next three quarters as Powelltown did defend stoutly, but it couldn’t stop Kinglake from increasing its lead slightly at every change.
Kinglake best players: J. Butterworth, J. Nixon (7 goals), J. Walker.
Powelltown best players: T. Hallmark, S. Sanders, S. Carter.
Yarra Junction 22.17 (149) d Seville 11.11 (77)
Yarra Junction has caused arguably the upset of the round defeating Seville by a sizeable 72 points.
Yarra Junction was impressive from the outset, its running ability was first class and it got out to a 32-point lead by half-time.
Seville was expected to hit back but it just didn’t happen as Junction went up another gear in the third, booting six goals to three and all of a sudden the margin was out to 56 points.
Junction continued its impressive play in the last to finish in great style, booting five goals to two to win in dominant fashion.
Yarra Junction best players: C. Spaulding (1 goal), D. Williams, J. Chenhall (8 goals)
Seville best players: N. O’Keefe (6 goals), T. Baseden (4 goals), K. Mullett (1 goal).
Yea: Bye
Under 18s
Emerald 21.9 (135) d Belgrave 7.5 (47)
Yea 24.19 (163) d Powelltown 3.0 (18)
Olinda Ferny Creek 9.14 (68) d Wandin 6.4 (40)
Upwey Tecoma 16.27 (123) d Mount Evelyn 7.7 (49)
Woori Yallock 11.3 (69) d Monbulk 7.11 (53)
Yarra Glen 16.10 (106) d Warburton Millgrove 4.4 (28)
Healesville: Bye
Sticks Division 1 A Grade Netball
Monbulk Hawks 45 d Belgrave 37
This was a great contest going goal-for-goal in the first three quarters.
Scores were tied at 11 goals apiece at quarter time.
Monbulk led by just one at the half and then Belgrave hit the front by two goals at the final change.
Monbulk stepped its game up another level in the last as Belgrave looked a little flat footed.
Monbulk movement of the ball was superb as it shot 18 goals to eight to finish off in great fashion and come away with a good eight-goal victory.
Monbulk Hawks best players: Sophie Byatt (22 goals), Lisa Boyle, Claire Weickhardt
Belgrave best players: Angela Jeffery (4 goals), Kara Salmon (24 goals), Danielle Weisgerber.
Olinda Ferny Creek 45 d Wandin 36
Olinda played a tough four-quarter game and kept its nose in front all day even though it never got out to a huge lead.
It led by four goals at quarter and half-time before stretching it out to seven goals by the last change.
Olinda continued to keep Wandin at arm’s length in the last quarter, scoring 12 goals to 10 to finish with a controlled victory.
Olinda Ferny Creek best players: Tamara Luke, Gretta Hankinson, Ashlee Howard (22 goals)
Wandin best players: Ella Priestley, Tayissa Coppinger, Melissa Martinov (23 goals).
Healesville 49 d Woori Yallock 25
Healesville was pretty good over the four quarters to produce a 24-goal victory.
It started with a 10-goal to six first term and then really got going in the second, scoring 13 goals to 5 to get out to a 12-goal lead by half-time.
The second half was a similar story to the first, as Healesville continued to stretch the lead.
It scored 12 goals to eight in the third and then finished off well with a 14 goal to six last quarter to come away with a handy win.
Woori Yallock best players: Jordan Kennedy (13 goals), Heidi Summers, Kimberley Williams
Warburton Millgrove 42 d Yarra Glen 41
This was easily the game of the round with plenty of lead changes and the winner still in doubt deep into the last quarter.
Yarra Glen got out to an early lead as it went to quarter time, scoring 15 goals to 11.
But Warby slowly clawed its way back in the second, scoring 13 goals to 11 to see Yarra Glen lead by just two goals at the half.
Warby’s third term was terrific. Yarra Glen just couldn’t break its defence as Warby put on 12 goals to six.
Warby had taken the lead by four goals at the last change.
The last quarter was a nail biter. Yarra Glen was giving it all and it were finishing strong but unfortunately time beat it.
Warby was able to hold on to win by one goal in an absolute thriller.
Yarra Glen best players: Georgia Taylor (32 goals), Hillary Grubb, Elizabeth Kay (9 goals)
Warburton Millgrove best players: Bianca Daniels (25 goals), Karly Wappett, Grace Barnard.
Mount Evelyn: Bye
Division 2 A Grade Netball
Emerald 75 d Thornton-Eildon 16
Powelltown 57 d Kinglake 35
Seville 57 d Yarra Junction 22
Alexandra: Bye
