The Stawell Warriors claimed a close-fought victory over Ararat as the teams met for their traditional Good Friday clash at Alexandra Oval.
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A healthy crowd gathered at Alexandra Oval's new netball courts to witness the Warriors take a 54-44 victory against their rivals.
While the Warriors led for almost the entire game, Ararat's tenacity prevented the margin from ever being comfortable.
Warriors coach Courtney McIlvride was pleased not only with the result but the nature of the team's performance.
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"I'm really proud of how we've gone in that first game," she said.
"I think we looked after each other really well. It was outrageously warm, so there was no possible way to run out a game like we usually would in cool conditions.
"Backing each other up and keeping that talk up was really the key thing today."
McIlvride said both teams had been ruthless with their shooting.
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"Our feeds into the ring were good, and our goalies played beautifully," she said.
"Props to Ararat's goalies; they shot fantastically as well."
The teams' early start to the season means they will have a three-week break before round two.
McIlvride said the Warriors would aim to continue developing their game during this time.
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"We could probably work on a couple of our plays down the court, though I think on a not so hot day that will just come to us," she said.
"We're still a young side, and I think we need to work on transitioning it from getting it from our defence down the court."
In B Grade, the match was similarly close, with Ararat turning around a four-point deficit at halftime to win 45-42.
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