In perfect sunshine, the Stawell Warriors completed a day of strong performances with senior football and A Grade netball wins over the Warrack Eagles at Central Park.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Stawell crowd was treated to a thriller in the A Grade netball with the Warriors pulling off a one-goal win over the higher-ranked Warrack Eagles.
The Eagles raced out of the blocks early, taking an 18-13 goal lead into quarter-time, but the Warriors gathered their composure and put together a blinding second term.
The Warriors wrestled back momentum, outscoring the Eagles 15-6 in the quarter to take a four-goal lead into half-time.
In the second half, the match remained in the balance, but the Warriors prevailed as they held off a surging Eagles squad for the 52-51 win.
Stawell Warriors A Grade coach Courtney McIlvride said she was proud of her team's effort in the match.
READ MORE:
"I just think we wanted it today. We just chased down every ball and we just really wanted the win," she said.
"I'm just really proud of all the girl's efforts.
"Commiserations to Warrack, they played a great game as well."
McIlvride said she felt the Warriors depth allowed them to run out the game as well as they did.
"I think we just had the intensity the whole four quarters," she said.
"Being able to have some legs when people needed to have that bit of a break. You could go really hard for 15 minutes and know there's someone else to come in."
After the win, the Warriors sit fifth on the WFNL ladder with six wins and five losses as they strive to hold onto that top five spot for a place in the finals.
OTHER NEWS:
But the Warriors will need to find a way to back up their strong performance against the Eagles as they travel to Beulah to face the undefeated Southern Mallee Giants in round 13.
The senior footballers will also have their mettle tested in round 13, with a strong Giants outfit standing in their way.
But the Warriors will be brimming with confidence after a comfortable win against the Eagles, 19.13 (127) to 7.9 (51).
The match was a battle early, with the Warriors leading by just three points at quarter-time, but after the break Stawell tightened up defensively, conceding just four goals for the rest of the match.
And with their defensive system set up, the Warriors piled on the goals with 10 individual goal kickers, including George Manton and Tom Eckel who bagged four each.
The Warriors big names also put on a show with Jackson Dark and Jack Walker named in the best alongside Manton and Eckel.
In round four the Warriors hosted the Giants and held on for a tight two-point win, and they will be desperately hoping for a similar result as the race for a top-three WFNL spot heats up.
If you can see this message, you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Stawell Times-News, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and for allowing us to continue telling Stawell's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great town.
