Lions ready for fiery Milawa rematch

THIS weekend could very well have an impact on the ladder positions heading into finals, and safe to say, the stakes are high. The Lions are back in action this weekend after two weeks away from Saturday action, with their second bye for the season falling directly after the leaguewide bye. This weekend, they’ll host Milawa, and all eyes will be on the A grade clash, with the Lions and Demons vying for a top two finish. Given their last match back in round five was a 45-45 draw, the stage is set for an hour of exhilarating netball. Whorouly coach Kelly Cousins said her team was rested and ready after back-to-back byes. “We’ve come off two weeks, which has been really great for us, we had a couple of niggles among the team so it was great to have two weeks off to get them reset,” she said. “The girls are very keen to get on the court and see what we can do, considering the game was so tight last time. “We’re just looking to get back to our processes, meet our non-negotiables we’ve set for ourselves this year, and the result will be what it will be. “Milawa are always tough, they’ve reset after the league bye really well - it’ll be a tough match but the girls are up for the challenge.” Both teams have stars at both ends of the court. The Lions’ defensive unit is one of the best in the competition, having conceded the second-fewest goals out of any team in A grade. Defenders Laura Keighran, Ebony Allen and Sally Wood will be the anchors for Whorouly against a tough Milawa shooting end which includes gun goaler Emily Canny, as well as a strong Milawa midcourt who are damaging in transition. “It’s a big job for Laura [on Emily Canny], but if she can just get some touches and be disruptive in there, together with Eb [Allen], we can put some defensive pressure on,” Cousins said. “Then if we can convert what they turn over, we’ll do well. “That’ll be our big focus, just transitioning from defence into attack, and making sure we stay composed and make smart decisions.” Elsewhere, Greta will be looking for a definitive result when they take on a strong Goorambat at the Greta Recreation Reserve. The Blues were on the end of a nail-biting drawn match last week, and with the season rapidly progressing, they’ll be looking to snag the full allotment of premiership points. Also coming off a drawn match are Moyhu and Bonnie Doon, who will face off on the court at Hopperland. Meanwhile, North Wangaratta will look to harness the momentum from their first win on the weekend when they take on Tarrawingee at the Kennel. Netball begins from 9.10am, with the A grade matches set for a 2.30pm start.

Lions ready for fiery Milawa rematch

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