All Blacks claim A grade points to maintain finals hopes

The girls showed plenty of intensity and applied strong defensive pressure throughout the game, forcing turnovers and making the most of their opportunities. While there were some excellent patches of netball, we're still searching for a consistent four-quarter performance. The signs are there, and if we can string four strong quarters together, we'll be a tough side to beat.

Bronti Mustey led from the front with an outstanding all-round performance. Her defensive pressure was relentless, and her work rate through the centre was exceptional as she continually drove the ball into attack. Bronti continues to improve each week and is becoming a dominant presence on the court.

Aneiki Pierce was superb through the centre in a fast-paced game. Her work rate across the entire court never dropped, and she showed just how much her confidence has grown with some excellent feeding into the goal circle, including several pinpoint shoulder passes. Aneiki has stepped into the centre position over the past few weeks and has made it her own.

In just her second official A grade appearance, Grace Cooke showed composure well beyond her experience. She worked tirelessly in wing defence, consistently getting herself into the right positions to disrupt North Wang's attack before transitioning the ball smoothly into our attacking end. Another impressive performance from a player with a bright future in A grade.

A valuable win for the group, with plenty of positives to take away as we continue working towards putting together a complete four-quarter performance.

Score: Benalla 51 def North Wangaratta 31

Best: Bronti Mustey, Aneiki Pierce, Grace Cooke

B Grade

B grade entered the match determined to secure their third win of the season, and a strong opening quarter showed exactly what the side is capable of.

The All Blacks raced to a five-goal lead at the first break, but unfortunately couldn't maintain the same intensity over the remaining three quarters. North Wang gradually worked their way back into the contest and went on to claim a 47-30 victory.

While the result didn't go their way, there were plenty of positives to take from the game. The team will head back to training focused on building consistency and putting together four strong quarters of netball.

Best on court was the ever-consistent Keeley Sheehan, whose strength, reliability and defensive pressure were outstanding throughout the match.

Second best went to Courtney Naughton, who did exactly what was required by driving the ball down the court and adapting well whenever needed.

Third best went to Jemma Smith, whose hard work at training continues to pay off as she improves her shooting accuracy week after week.

Score: All Blacks 30 def by North Wangaratta 47

Best: Keeley Sheehan, Courtney Naughton, Jemma Smith

B Reserve

Benalla All Blacks B Reserve were in for a tough contest against North Wangaratta with a very undermanned side.

Calling on under-17 players Darcy Jackson, Torah Heep and Amali McKenzie, the young trio stepped up brilliantly, rotating through the midcourt for the entire game. They showed tremendous composure, patience and confidence, proving they were more than capable of competing at the higher level.

From the opening whistle, North Wangaratta came out determined, applying relentless defensive pressure to gain an early advantage. Despite the challenge, the All Blacks continued to work hard and never stopped competing.

In attack, Lilly Robertson was outstanding, earning best on court honours after tirelessly working the ball from defence into the goal ring. Her movement, work rate and exceptional shooting accuracy kept Benalla within reach throughout the match.

Defensively, Olive Moon and Greer Mitchell produced another stellar performance to claim second and third best on court honours. The pair continue to grow in confidence and game awareness each week, with their ability to read the play, apply pressure and adapt defensively becoming a real strength for the side.

Although the All Blacks went down 41-50, the scoreboard didn’t reflect the determination shown by the team. The girls fought hard until the final whistle, creating plenty of opportunities to close the margin throughout the game.

With such a depleted line-up and several young players stepping up, there were plenty of positives to take away, and the effort and resilience displayed by the group should leave them proud of their performance.

Score: Benalla 41 def by North Wangaratta 50

Awards: Stella Stella - Lilly Robertson, Royal Hotel - Olive Moon, Thursday night dinner - Greer Mitchell

Under 17s

Determined to climb back up the ladder, Benalla took to the court with plenty of intent, applying pressure from the opening whistle. It was a true team performance, with all eight players contributing to a hard-fought 36-28 victory.

Darcie Jackson led the way with an outstanding performance through the centre. She worked tirelessly all game, chased every loose ball and put into practice everything we've been working on at training. Her work rate and determination set the tone for the team.

Amali Mackenzie continued her impressive form at goal shooter. She has really made the position her own, with excellent positioning throughout the game. Amali worked hard to improve her holds, shot accurately under pressure and is playing with growing confidence each week.

Tarni White was outstanding in wing defence, doing everything that was asked of her. She consistently shut down the goal attack's drives into the circle, attacked every loose ball and backed up her teammates through the midcourt. Her toughness, defensive pressure and team-first attitude made her a deserving best player.

Score: Benalla 36 def North Wangaratta 28

Best: Darcie Jackson, Amalai Mackenzie, Tarni White

Under 15s

The under-15s side travelled to North Wangaratta on a cold Saturday morning, looking to continue their strong form for the season.

The young Panthers had a slow start, with several early turnovers seeing the ball move back and forth between both teams. Despite this, the girls settled into the contest and finished the opening quarter with a 12-9 lead.

At the first break, the team were reminded to continue driving strongly onto the ball, remain calm when transitioning from defence into attack, and maintain the defensive pressure that had kept North Wangaratta to just nine goals.

The attacking combination of Lilly Hazell and Harper Robertson found their rhythm throughout the game, converting opportunities under the post, while Olivia Mullaly and Sharni Hughes worked tirelessly through the midcourt, creating space and delivering accurate feeds into the goal circle.

Down in defence, Sophia Young was outstanding at wing defence, collecting multiple intercepts and deflections to repeatedly turn the ball over.

Lara McConachy, Kayla Woodhams and Imogen English rotated seamlessly through the defensive circle, combining brilliantly to shut down North Wangaratta’s attacking end with countless rebounds, intercepts and strong defensive pressure.

It was another fantastic four-quarter team performance, with every player contributing to the result. Benalla finished the game with a convincing 53-19 victory over North Wangaratta.

Score: Benalla 53 def North Wangaratta 19

Best: Harper Robertson - Hollywood’s Pizza Award, Sharni Hughes - Benalla McDonald’s/Spot 4 Ice cream Award, Olivia Mullaly - Spot 4 Ice cream Award

Football

Seniors

The Panthers made the trip to North Wangaratta severely undermanned, with a number of late withdrawals through injury and illness leaving the side with the bare 18 players. To make matters even tougher, two players backed up after earlier games, highlighting the commitment and resilience within the group.

The young Panthers couldn’t have asked for a better start, kicking the opening goal and taking the game right up to the highly fancied Hawks in the early stages. Unfortunately, early injuries to Matthew Hedger and Damian Broughton further stretched the depleted Panthers, making an already difficult task even greater.

North Wangaratta’s class eventually shone through, but to the credit of the Panthers, their willingness to compete never wavered. The effort and intensity remained strong for four quarters, although costly turnovers by both hand and foot allowed the Hawks to capitalise throughout the afternoon.

Max Scott produced his best game in Panthers colours, making a real impact up forward before spending valuable time through the midfield. Sam Cox once again led from the front with another courageous performance, while the ever-reliable Riley Kego battled tirelessly at full back.

Spencer Hunter and Jake Dempster also worked relentlessly through the midfield, refusing to give in despite the mounting challenges.

While the final margin wasn’t what the Panthers were after, the determination and character shown by the undermanned group was a credit to everyone involved, with the young side continuing to gain valuable experience against one of the competition’s stronger teams.

Score: Benalla 4.2 (26) def by North Wangaratta 26.11 (167)

Awards: Harry Brown - Max Scott, Kebab Boys - Riley Kego, Royal Hotel - Sam Cox

Reserves

It was a mixed bag for the All Blacks this week as the club welcomed four new players, but with mounting outs the side again went into the contest seriously undermanned. That lack of numbers showed early, with North Wangaratta Football Club jumping out to a commanding lead and never really looking back.

Despite the pressure, there were strong individual efforts. Dylan Whitelaw-Orton was outstanding yet again, delivering a best-on-ground performance through sheer work rate and composure. Ahren McNab showed real grit down back, standing tall under constant attack.

To their credit, the boys held their heads high and kept competing right to the final siren, but it was a tough day against a polished opponent.

Score: Benalla 0.6 (6) def by North Wangaratta 39.20 (254)

Awards: Tyrepower - Dylan Whitelaw Orton, Sportspower - Ahren Mcnab, Benalla Racing Club - Zach Creed