Bright deliver in netball thriller

IN one of the games of the season, Bright’s A grade netball side have taken a huge early-season scalp to upset reigning premier Bonnie Doon by one goal. The match between two quality teams was a high-scoring contest which ended in a nail-biting 61-60 win. A second-straight game on their home court for Bright, who were keen to amends after a close loss to Tarrawingee a week earlier, started in a more positive manner as they edged ahead after a tense opening term by two goals. That’s just about as far as the lead pushed out to, with Bonnie Doon using their premiership experience to make moves and hit the lead on multiple occasions. Amazingly, Bright led at every break by only a goal or two on each occasion, and most importantly for their sake, after 60 minutes of gruelling netball, by the barest of margins. The scorers had no time to rest work with 121 goals shared between two seemingly finals-bound sides if the first five rounds are a decent indicator of what may await. In a battle of the goal shooters, league leader Amy Starzer of Bonnie Doon was incredibly accurate with 52 goals at 96 per cent, while Bright’s Emily Nightingale netted 46 goals for the second week in a row. Bright coach Ash Grimes was ecstatic with her side’s effort and the outcome of the match. “I’m absolutely over the moon about the win against Bonnie Doon – it was such an incredible game to be a part of,” Grimes said. “What stood out most for me was how well the girls executed everything we’d worked on at training. “Their ability to stay composed and in control throughout such a high-intensity match was really impressive. “Every single one of the nine players stepped up and played their role – it was a full four-quarter, hard-fought effort.” Bright’s difficult sequence of matches continues with a road trip to take on the highly-fancied Milawa, who had their own exciting encounter after a dramatic 45-all draw against Whorouly. Grimes knows that another challenge is waiting for her emerging side. “We’ve got another tough one coming up against Milawa,” Grimes explained. “They’ve been a strong side for a long time, and I’m expecting them to bring plenty of experience and skill on Saturday. “From our side, I just want us to keep building and maintain the level we showed last weekend. “If we can bring the same intensity and grit, I know the girls will give it their absolute best again.” First pass is at 2:30pm. Over on the footy ground, it was a looser affair, with the Mountain Men thumping the Bombers 9.18 (72) to 4.5 (29). The match was controlled by Bright from the first quarter, with the home team holding a narrow nine-point advantage by the half. The result could've been assured through the third quarter, if only Bright had laced up their goalkicking boots. The Mountain Men had eight scoring shots in the third for only two goals - thankfully for Bright, their defensive structure stymied any advance Bonnie Doon tried. A further four behinds were kicked in the final term, but an equal amount sailed through the big sticks, the Mountain Men maintaining their perfect record by 43 points. Zander Dalbosco and James Love were impressive, while forward dynamic duo Cooper Thomason (three goals) and Luke Quirk (two goals) competed well.

Bright deliver in netball thriller

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