Giant slayers stand tall

Kim Hillberg scored 32 goals in Korumburra-Bena’s giant victory over the Seagulls. 233826 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

By David Nagel

Korumburra-Bena has handed reigning champion Tooradin-Dalmore its first West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) defeat with a stunning 69-55 victory at Westernport Oval on Saturday.

The Giants win ended the Seagulls magnificent run – undefeated in 2019 and this year – with a brilliant performance that was set up by a devastating first-half display.

The Giants took the game up to the champions in the first quarter, leading 17-13, before producing its best netball of the season to take a 37-24 advantage at half time.

From there it was simply a case of putting out any spot fires that the talented Seagulls might ignite – and then driving away with a famous victory.

The Giants kept to a stringent game-plan for all four quarters and made no positional adjustments for the entire contest – If it ain’t broke, why fix it!

Annelise Van Rooye (GK) and Gemma Dixon (GD) took care of business in defence, while Ash Cuff (WD), Kelsey Buxton (C) and Tarli Hillberg (WA) had the upper hand in a great battle with the Seagulls’ midcourt.

And goalers Chloe Hogg (GS) and Kim Hillberg (GA) combined beautifully under the ring with Hogg scoring 37 goals and Hillberg 32 in a well-balanced threat in attack.

The Seagulls are a champion team and will bounce back hard.

Defenders Ebony Dolan and Ebony Mason had to deal with some brilliant combinations from the Giants, while a midcourt of Sara Duncan, Zoe Coventry, Chloe Crouch and Stacey Sawyer now know the potential challenges that lay ahead.

The Giants’ victory has breathed new life into the competition and set up an amazing next few months of netball.

Bunyip – possibly another threat to the Seagulls – has continued its powerhouse run with a comprehensive 71-28 victory over Phillip Island.

Bunyip is playing some inspired netball at the moment with Saturday’s win making it four on the bounce after a narrow round-one loss to Dalyston.

Class goaler Jasmin Mackie had a field day, scoring 58 of her side’s 71 goals, while Chloe Papley, Olivia Hunt and Aimee Wright powered ball after ball through the midcourt.

Bunyip has some big tests to come but is showing signs of being a leading contender for this year’s title.

Phillip Island felt the brunt of Bunyip’s pressure, but Hayley Roberts, Ella Duggan and Anthea Bennett did stand tall against the onslaught.

Nar Nar Goon has won its third game for the season after riding a fast start to a 47-42 victory over Cora Lynn.

The Goon started in great fashion with Hollie Keysers (GS) scoring 13 first-quarter goals to make the most of the efforts of Alex Riley, Abbey Kerr and Bec Cox.

The Goon took a 16-9 lead to the first change – which proved to be decisive – with the Cobras narrowing the margin after quarter time. Emily Brook and Bianca Douglas began the fightback for the visitors, while goaler Gemma Stacey found her range after quarter time.

The Cobras face a huge challenge this Sunday in a stand-alone game against Bunyip.

Kooweerup is celebrating consecutive wins after the Demons got the better of a brave Garfield outfit at Beswick Street.

The Demons took control from the outset, scoring 11-4 in the first term to set the tone for the contest. The Demons 42-32 victory backs up a 46-40 triumph over Phillip Island last week to move the Demons to seventh place on the ladder.

Jayda McConkey (GS) got things rolling for the Demons early, with some quality feeds coming in from the likes of Taylah Simpson (GA), Nicole Faltum (WA) and Renae Joiner (C).

Janell Johnson (GK) and Jaymee Eastwood (GD) kept things tight at the defensive end of the court while Alix Galante (WD) had plenty of ball through the midcourt.

The Stars will be rueing their slow start, but players like Ashlee Hyde (GK), Steph Warburton (WA) and Zoe Douglas (GS) can almost sense their first taste of victory coming on.

And Dalyston has moved to second place on the ladder after a hard-fought 50-43 victory over Warragul Industrials.

Both of these teams look set for finals action this year, with Dalyston – the 2019 runners up – ticking along nicely, while the Dusties have come through a horror three-week spell in good shape.

Over the last three weeks, against Tooradin-Dalmore, Korumburra-Bena and Dalyston, the Dusties have only been outscored 121 to 153, showing they are not that far off the pace.

Expect the Dusties to bounce back strongly over the next couple of weeks and set up a block-buster round-eight against Bunyip.

Inverloch-Kongwak had the bye.