The next wave of Myrtleford netballers are getting more and more exposure at the top level, building for the future.

Myrtleford turned to their youth for their round six clash with Corowa Rutherglen on the weekend, and while they eventually went down 31-47, there were plenty of positives to take from the match.

With player stocks lower than in previous weeks, the juniors received the call-up, including Milla Corcoran, Lily Boyer, and A grade debutant Zahra Hazeldine.

The Saints trailed by just two goals by quarter time, but a 17-3 second term saw the scoreline blow out.

While Myrtleford matched it with the Roos for the rest of the match, they never recovered.

Coach Olivia La Spina said while it was always disappointing to lose, there was plenty to be proud of.

“The weekend was a mixed bag of emotions,” she said.

“Obviously you never like losing, but if there are moral victories for us, I felt like this was one of those.

“We were down a few players this weekend and I had teed up a few juniors that they may get an A grade opportunity this weekend.

“I can't speak more highly of the game that they played.

“Milla was outstanding through the midcourt and was arguably best on court.

“Zahra Hazeldine debuted on A grade, going up against the best in the competition in Sophie Hanrahan and took it in her stride, and Lily Boyer worked tirelessly for us in defence, allowing us to keep the scoreline manageable.

“Overall, obviously it's not enjoyable to lose, but to see the mixture of current A graders working so seamlessly with three junior players was a really proud moment as a coach.”

While they stumbled in the second quarter, the entire team should be commended for not dropping their heads and allowing the match to blow out too badly.

“I thought the game slipped away from us in only 10 minutes of netball, so for that I was really proud,” La Spina said.

“I thought out defenders were brilliant, with Niamh Thorn and Tayla Cartwright working so seamlessly in defence together.

“Emma Sharp was brilliant in her position change into GS, and I think her leadership in that role allowed Zahra Hazeldine to settle into the game quickly.”

The A grade Saints sit second last on the ladder after the first third of the season, and will enjoy a week off the court as the Ovens and Murray heads into their interleague clash with Bendigo.

In other matches, B grade lost 41-46, C grade went down 40-46, while the junior teams enjoyed wins, with the 17 and under side smashing Corowa 55-20, and the 15 and under squad winning 43-29.