The battle for fourth and fifth spots heats up in BFNL A-grade netball on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Fourth-placed Maryborough hosts fifth-placed Strathfieldsaye in the game of the round.
The Magpies and Storm are equal on 28 points, with sixth-placed Gisborne and seventh-placed Kyneton just one game behind.
With Gisborne expected to take care of Eaglehawk on Saturday, the loser of the Magpies-Storm game could find themselves out of the top five by 5pm on Saturday.
“It’s so close for those spots… we need to win the games we play against Maryborough, South Bendigo, Gisborne and Kyneton,’’ Strathfieldsaye coach Melissa Ryan said.
“We’ve still got to play Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat, which will be tough.”
After a slow start to the season, the Storm have strung together some solid performances over the past five weeks.
They’ve won four of their past five games, with the only loss a competitive performance against reigning premier Golden Square.
“When we put it together we can play really,’’ Ryan said.
“We’ve tweaked a few things through the year and the girls are building on those structures.
“We’re improving and we’re going to better for it in the long run.”
The Storm defeated Maryborough 44-41 when they met earlier in the year and Ryan was expecting another tight battle on Saturday.
“Maryborough plays the game cleanly and competitively. It’s always a great contest when you play Maryborough,’’ Ryan said.
“Jordan MacIlwain is a dominant player in goals and Laura Clarkson feeds her really well.
“Alicia (Cassidy) and Alisha (Chadwick) have been the backbone of Maryborough for years. They are very consistent players and always play well.
“(Coach) Ingrid (Hopkins) has done a great job with them this year.”
The premiership favourites in A-grade shouldn’t have too many concerns in round 13.
Top team Kangaroo Flat heads to Kyneton to play the Tigers, second-placed Sandhurst will have a percentage boosting win over Castlemaine, while Golden Square, despite the absence of Gabe Richards, should have too much class for South Bendigo at the QEO.
Sixth-placed Gisborne is the team everyone is watching after it upset Sandhurst last Saturday.
The Bulldogs don’t play any of the top three teams in their final six games and they look a good thing to finish fourth on the ladder.