RAIN, hail or shine, reigning premiers Sandhurst is quickly proving it is still the team to beat in BFNL netball.
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A week after defeating Strathfieldsaye by 24-goals in their standalone contest on Good Friday, the Dragons were even more ruthless in a 50-goal victory over Maryborough on Saturday.
While the conditions in the two games were at opposite ends of the weather scale - scorching hot against the Storm and windy and at times rainy against the Magpies - there could be no mistaking the same level of intensity and class from the Dragons.
In an ominous sign for rivals, Sandhurst was missing three of its players, headed by star goal shooter Bec Smith.
The Dragons, who are chasing a fourth-straight flag in 2021, were also without young guns Ruby Turner and Shae Clifford, who are away at state trials.
But as they have continually demonstrated throughout their three-season premiership reign, the Dragons still did not miss a beat.
If the result was ever in doubt early, Sandhurst laid any plans of a Magpies comeback to rest with scintillating 27-5 second quarter, to set up a 33-goal lead by half time.
To the Magpies' credit, they never threw the towel in and produced some inspired passages of play in the second half, but the Dragons were clinically able to stretch their final margin to 77-27.
Maryborough's Alicia Cassidy, who led the Magpies into battle for the first time as a non-playing coach, quickly predicted the Dragons were still the team to beat.
"Of course they are, they will give Kangaroo Flat a run for their money," she said.
"They have just got so much depth - one good player goes out another good one comes in."
Three-time Sandhurst premiership coach Tamara Gilchrist said she could not be happier with her team's start to the season, with the opportunity to debut two youngsters - Holly Lockhart and Tess Keating - an obvious thrill on Saturday.
"The girls really started strongly in the first quarter, which is not always a strength of ours, but today they really stepped it up from the word go," she said.
"We just blew them out of the water in the first quarter.
"With three players out, it was nice to be able to bring in two girls for their first A-grade game, and have Gab Greene step up at goal shooter.
"It shows the depth of our club.
"We train together, the A-res and the A-grade, so when we do need to make those changes, players can just step in without too much adjustment."
Keating, the joint winner of the BFNL's 17-and-under best and fairest in 2019, spent the first two quarters at wing defence, with Lockhart replacing her at half time.
In the absence of three-time premiership goal shooter Smith, the Dragons lined up with the returning Kelsey Meade at goal shooter and Heather Oliver at goal attack.
It was the first game in two years for Meade - a pivotal player in the first two of the Dragons' trio of premierships - and she was quick to make her presence felt with 29 goals before making way for Greene at three-quarter time.
Oliver rated as the Dragons' best and finished the game with 39 goals.
Sandhurst will not play next week courtesy of their Good Friday clash, but will return in round three against Golden Square.
With a bye next week, Maryborough will have two weeks to reset for their round three match at Strathfieldsaye.
While it was not the start to the season the Magpies were looking for, Cassidy was confident they would rebound quickly.
"We've come up against a really formidable team in Sandhurst, the combinations we had planned didn't quite work today, but there were still some pleasing signs for the girls," she said.
"They never put their heads down in such a tough match and the camaraderie was still there at the end and we were able to adjust to all the changes that were made.
"I thought the leadership from our captains Ella Tranter and Jordan Macilwain was still evident throughout the court, and Chrissy James played strong for us at goal attack.
"It will take a while to work out the right combinations for the right teams and gaining some confidence back, but we will get there."
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