A-grade
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Despite coming up against one of the premiership favourites this week in Milawa, the All Blacks played some solid netball before ultimately going down 32-60.
Having played off earlier in the season, the All Blacks showed definite improvement against Milawa, gaining 10 goals on the side from their round 1 encounter.
Alara Jones was excellent in goals this week, her work rate huge. She also provided plenty of options for safe entry into the ring which she then finished off.
Meagan James and Rhi Teichert also produced great games, spending two quarters together in the defensive ring and creating indecision for the opposition and causing turnovers.
James then moved into the centre position where she continued her good form, taking intercepts and creating drive for the side.
Final score: All Blacks 32 def by Milawa 60
B-grade
Benalla had its work cut out for it this week against a slick Milawa side, and in a tightly-fought contest, Milawa took the win by seven goals.
Fresh from her Kokoda trek, Elyse Felstead played a great game in attack and defence, moving well and presenting as a solid option in goals.
Jen Pearce had another great game in defence, toiling hard all match to try and provide the team with turnover opportunities, while Kellie Holmes continually drove hard and fed into the shooters with precision from wing attack.
Final score: All Blacks 38 def by Milawa 45
B-reserve
The All Blacks came in knowing Milawa was a strong team and were determined to give it their all.
In what was a slow start for both teams, play picked up pace as the match progressed, but it was Milawa that proved too strong, defeating Benalla, 17-63.
Benalla’s Caitlin Green joined the team this week and impressed in the defensive end, while Zoe Barber took a number of interceptions and kept strong throughout the game.
Mel Reaper played a smart game, her shots accurate and her feeding into the ring exceptional, with Sarah Kubiel another who played a fast game as she continually shows improvements every week.
And Sarah Kilpatrick also produced a consistent game with her passes and strong leads, making the ball flow a lot easier for the team.
Final score: All Blacks 17 def by Milawa 63
C-grade
Coming off a loss last weekend C-grade was keen to make amends and prove it could win without its full line up.
In a slow start, the All Blacks worked themselves back into the quarter, to gain a five-goal lead going into the second quarter.
The team continually expanded its lead throughout the game, finishing with a 38-18 win.
Lia Greenhalgh was unstoppable in defence, intercepting a number of passes and out-rebounding the opposition.
Gertie McCallum continuously worked in overdrive down the whole court, with precise passes into the ring, while Mia Begley was able to shut down the opposition in defence and create several turnovers in the wing and defensive end.
Final score: All Blacks 38 def Milawa 18
Under-15
The All Blacks started out with a strong first quarter, but couldn’t keep up with Milawa, falling 13-39.
And with a developing team, the All Blacks are now working on keeping the stamina up for the four quarters.
Nakita Hanson’s defensive skills are excellent, as she went hunting for intercepts, Gemma Matheison never gave up, no matter what position she was put into and Diaz Matthews zoned her direct opponents out, keeping her eyes on the ball to intercept Milawa’s passes.
Final score: All Blacks 13 def by Milawa 39