Sport
6 June, 2025
Grasshoppers hold off Bulldogs to claim important win
The Navarre under-17 netballers withstood a late fightback from Avoca to claim an important road win at the Avoca Recreation Reserve in round eight of the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League. Meanwhile, the A-grade netballers put in a spirited performance in their loss to the ladder leaders.
It was a tight first quarter with the Grasshoppers making the most of their opportunities to lead by five goals at quarter time.
The Grasshoppers kept their momentum in the second quarter increasing their lead to seven at halftime.
With the game in their hands, they had a brilliant third quarter, shooting ten goals to seven to extend their margin to ten at the final break.
The home side weren’t going down without a fight, applying the pressure and forcing the turnovers, and made a late charge to get within four goals at one stage.
The Grasshoppers held firm, winning 29-24. Alice Nellthorp led the way for the Grasshoppers with a game-high 18 goals while Romy Moloney scored 11.
Josie Greenaway and Angela Martin were influential providing plenty of drive while defenders Ava Redford and Reanna Stewart were solid.
Grasshoppers’ put in spirited performance
Avoca halted a spirited Navarre to 11 goals in the second half to extend their unbeaten streak to 39 games.
The Bulldogs enter the King’s Birthday weekend break as ladder leaders on percentage, setting up a top-of-the-table clash with Carisbrook when the MCDFNL returns.
With an admirable 5-2 record, the Grasshoppers were keen to showcase their abilities against a league heavyweight on Saturday.
The visitors did just that early, as the two teams went blow for blow in the opening term, resulting in them being deadlocked at 13 after the first quarter.
Both teams’ talented midcourts were in sync immediately, providing chances for the Bulldogs’ Maddy Egan and the Grasshoppers’ Brianna Hyslop to hit the scoreboard frequently.
Egan scored 10 and Hyslop converted nine as both goal shooters only missed one attempt each for the quarter.
Egan’s shooting partner Gina Beavis contributed three in the first quarter, while Hyslop’s teammate Chloe Frank banked some deep attempts on the right block, making four.
Keen to slow down Navarre’s offence, Faith McKenzie was moved into goal defence, with Lucy Howell taking McKenzie’s place at centre and Ellie Meagher protecting at wing defence.
Those position changes did the trick for the hosts, limiting the Grasshoppers to four second-quarter goals and building a seven-goal lead at half time.
Egan and Beavis were deadly under the net, building enormous pressure on Navarre as Egan made all six of her shots and Beavis scored five.
Hyslop and Frank did their best under the watchful eyes of McKenzie and Caitlin Drummond, netting two each.
Determined to stem the tide, the Grasshoppers tinkered with their line up throughout the second and third quarters.
However, nothing was derailing the Bulldogs’ train of momentum, steamrolling out to a 14-goal advantage at three quarter time.
Egan continued her scorching hot shooting touch, converting 10 in the period while Beavis chipped in with four.
The introduction of Erin Jackson as goal shooter gave McKenzie and Drummond something to reconsider, scoring five for the quarter with Frank and Hyslop netting one each.
The Grasshoppers played some brilliant defence in the last 15 minutes, but the Bulldogs had the visitors on lockdown, taking a low-scoring final quarter 7-4 to secure a 17-goal victory.
Egan added another five to finish with 31 goals for the match with only six misses while Beavis scored two.
Jackson and Hyslop were the goal scorers for the Grasshoppers in the last term, converting two each.
