Football
Seniors
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The Panthers welcomed Bonnie Doon to home turf yesterday and, despite a slow start, showed plenty of fight throughout the afternoon.
After conceding the early momentum, the Panthers worked their way back into the contest during the second half of the opening term. Their improved pressure and ball movement saw them close the gap to trail four goals to two at quarter time.
From there, however, the Bombers began to take control. Going into half time with no bench available, the Panthers were forced to dig deep, and as the game wore on, the mounting workload on a depleted lineup became increasingly difficult to overcome.
Bonnie Doon proved too polished across every line and eventually ran out comfortable winners.
Defender Riley Kego was outstanding for the Panthers, playing with tremendous heart and determination. His strong marking and willingness to put his body on the line repeatedly halted Bomber attacks and provided plenty of resistance in the back half.
In the midfield, Sam Cox, David Button and Dylan Sinclair battled hard all day, continually working to give the Panthers drive around the contest despite the mounting pressure from the visitors.
On the outside, the ever-reliable Spencer Hunter continued his impressive season, providing run and effort throughout the match and once again proving to be one of the Panthers’ most consistent performers.
The Panthers now head into the King’s Birthday long weekend bye and will be hoping to welcome a number of players back into the line-up before returning to action in the next round.
Despite the result, there were plenty of positives in the effort shown by the group under difficult circumstances, and the bye comes at a good time for the Panthers to refresh and regroup.
Score: Benalla 2.1 (13) def by Bonnie Doon 17.15 (117)
Awards: Harry Brown - Riley Kego, Club Award - Sam Cox, Royal Hotel - Spencer Hunter
Reserves
A tough day out for the Benalla All Blacks as they went down to a well-drilled Bonnie Doon outfit 175 to 1.
Bonnie Doon’s structure and ball movement kept the Panthers’ defence under constant pressure, with the visitors controlling play from start to finish. Despite the scoreboard and being reduced to just 15 players late in the contest, the Panthers held their heads high and continued to compete.
David Whitechurch was best on ground for Benalla, showing his experience and composure in defence under relentless pressure. Dylan Whitelaw Orton also stood tall down back, while Ahren McNab gave strong effort all day, continuing to battle despite the weight of inside-50 entries.
A hard result, but plenty of pride shown in difficult circumstances.
Score: Benalla 0.1 (1) def by Bonnie Doon 24.31 (175)
Awards: Benalla Golf Club - David Whitechurch, Sportspower - Dylan Whitelaw-Orton, Tyrepower - Ahren Mcnab
Netball
A Grade
A Grade went down 43-63 to Bonnie Doon in a competitive and hard-fought contest.
Benalla trailed by eight goals at quarter time but responded strongly in the second term, outscoring Bonnie Doon 13-8 to reduce the margin to just three goals at half time.
Despite the momentum shift, Benalla was unable to maintain the pressure after the main break, with Bonnie Doon pulling away in the second half.
Chelsea Gilcrist was outstanding in defence, starting quietly but working her way into the game to be a key influence, finishing with multiple intercepts and rebounds and providing plenty of drive out of the defensive end.
Eleanor Renkin continued her strong form in centre, playing a composed four-quarter game and consistently moving the ball well into attack while also applying strong defensive pressure.
Aneiki Pierce was solid in wing attack, working tirelessly up and down the court, creating strong leads and helping generate turnover opportunities through her midcourt pressure.
Score: Benalla 43 def by Bonnie Doon 63
Best: Chelsea Gilcrist, Eleanor Renkin, Aneiki Pierce
B Grade
B Grade knew it was always going to be a tough contest coming up against a strong Bonnie Doon outfit. With two of our defenders unavailable this week, Chloe Pilkington stepped up and made an immediate impact, using her height to pull in several important rebounds.
We were also pleased to welcome Lara up from the U15s, who played two consistent quarters and showed she can certainly hold her own at this level.
Once again, the girls came out firing and produced a fantastic first half, with every player giving 110 per cent and showing plenty of determination and teamwork. Unfortunately, we were unable to maintain that intensity across all four quarters, and Bonnie Doon proved too strong in the end, running away with the win.
Awards this week went to our level-headed and forever-consistent Mel Reaper, who was named best on court.
Second best went to our superstar shooter Jemma Smith for another strong performance under pressure, while third best was awarded to Emma Sangster, who showed tremendous grit and determination to keep pushing through despite battling pain throughout the game.
Score: Benalla 23 def by Bonnie Doon 65
Best: Mel Reaper, Jemma Smith, Emma Sangster
B Reserve
The Benalla All Blacks B Reserve took to the courts on Saturday against Bonnie Doon, knowing it would be a tough challenge. Wet conditions and a strong Bonnie Doon outfit made for a difficult day, with the visitors taking control early through their defensive pressure and building a lead that saw the Blacks chasing the game from quarter time.
Despite the scoreboard, our defenders were outstanding, taking home all three awards. Best on court went to Greer Mitchell, who continues to show consistency week after week, reading the play beautifully and shutting down attacking options.
Ruby Allison earned second best after her first game at wing defence this season, producing her strongest four-quarter performance yet. Olive Moon was awarded third best after stepping into an unfamiliar position and taking on the challenge like a champion.
A special mention to under-17 fill-ins Darcy Jackson and Torah Heeps, who both did a tremendous job when called upon.
Score: Benalla All Blacks 12 def by Bonnie Doon 56
Awards: Stella Stella - Greer Mitchell, Terry White chemist - Ruby Allison, Club Dinner - Olive Moon
Under 17s
With our tall target, Keira Brown, out for the day, the girls knew they were facing a tough challenge before they even took the court against Bonnie Doon.
Despite that setback, every player who stepped on court gave everything they had and worked relentlessly across all four quarters.
Although the final scoreline of 13-57 didn’t reflect the effort, pressure, and moments of good netball shown, the Benalla girls continued to compete in good spirits and refused to let their heads drop.
Libby Renkin was once again a key presence in defence, pulling in strong rebounds and providing a calm, reliable reset option for the midcourt when transitioning out of defence. Tarni White impressed in WD, reading the play well and consistently finding herself in the right places to apply pressure and disrupt Bonnie Doon’s attack.
Charlotte Burden had another outstanding game in goal defence, bringing a high work rate and strong physical presence. She worked hard to body up, box out, and take important rebounds, while also linking play effectively out of defence and helping transition the ball through the midcourt into attack.
Overall, it was a gritty and determined team performance in testing circumstances, with plenty to build on moving forward.
Score: Benalla 13 def by Bonnie Doon 57
Best: Libby Renkin, Tarni White, Charlotte Burden
Under 15s
With Bonnie Doon sitting on top of the ladder, the young Panthers knew they would need to bring their very best.
After a slow start, Bonnie Doon managed to establish a 10-goal lead heading into halftime. Despite the scoreboard pressure, Benalla continued to work hard defensively, applying strong pressure over the ball and preventing the margin from blowing out.
Lola Crook earned best on court honours with her versatility and work rate. Moving from goal shooter into centre, Lola applied relentless pressure across the court and used her voice effectively to direct play and assist with the transition into attack.
Harper Robertson received the Benalla McDonald’s Award for her strength and composure in attack. Harper moved beautifully in the ring and demonstrated strong leadership, constantly encouraging and directing her teammates.
Lilly Hazell was also named among the best players for her confidence and adaptability. Thrown into the goal circle at short notice, Lilly combined seamlessly with the goal attack and continued to provide strong movement and options.
Unfortunately for the young Panthers, Bonnie Doon held on for the win, with the final score seeing Benalla defeated 28-38.
While the result wasn’t what Benalla was hoping for, there were plenty of positives to take away from the game, and the team looks forward to building on those efforts at training this week.
Score: Benalla 28 def by Bonnie Doon 38
Awards: Hollywood’s Pizza Award - Lola Crook, Benalla McDonald’s and Club Canteen Award - Harper Robertson, Spot 4 Ice Cream Award - Lilly Hazell