Benalla put in a strong second-half effort against Seymour in their opening round clash at the weekend. Photos: Locked In Media.
The first centre passes of the Goulburn Valley League A-grade netball competition were thrown at the weekend and, while Benalla was unable to manage an upset victory, there was plenty to like from the new-look Saints, particularly in the second half.
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Under the tutelage of new coach Colleen Balfour, Benalla took to the court against a slick Seymour outfit with a new-ish line up of its own, although one that many expect to go deep into the finals series again in 2026 following a third-placed ladder finish in 2025.
Benalla will take some confidence from its second half showing.
A rough opening term didn’t bode well for the Saints on Saturday, as they immediately found themselves down by double digits as they went into the huddle at the first break, scoring on four occasions to trail by 11 at quarter-time.
While they managed to find more avenue to goal in the second term, scoring seven goals, they still conceded a further 16, with the 11-31 scoreline at half-time painting an ugly picture, and it seemed as though worse was to come.
Alex Davies looks for a teammate up the court.
But the second half brought a renewed Saints side to the court and, while the margin crept out further, it was a much more competitive showing.
The third term was Benalla’s best, scoring nine goals while restricting Seymour to 11, stemming the bleeding and regaining some standing on court while blunting the Lions’ attack.
Benalla’s A-grade coach Colleen Balfour watches on as her side competes against Seymour.
With a newfound confidence, the Saints continued on with it in the fourth, going toe-to-toe with Seymour for the quarter, losing no admirers with their effort despite losing the term 8-9.
Gemma Mathieson takes the centre pass for Benalla.
The final score of 28-51 the way of Seymour belies Benalla’s competitiveness in the second half, which they lost by only three as opposed to the 20-goal margin in the first, and should instil some confidence in Balfour’s youthful group as it continues into the season.
The Saints will take on 2024 premier Echuca in round two as they look to build momentum, with the Murray Bombers providing another strong test early in the season.
The Saints recovered well to stem the bleeding after half time.
The Saints will regroup and face Echuca in round two, another stern test for the young side.
