Round three of the Ovens and King A grade netball season further established some of the flag fancies, following some outstanding results.

Whorouly sits on top of the ladder after a third straight win, managing to knock off Milawa 53-28.

It was an explosive start in the midcourt for both teams, with plenty of contested ball and rapid movement end to end.

While the Lions were nominally up on the scoreboard, the six-goal quarter time margin could be easily eaten up by the talented Demons.

Milawa worked hard to try and get back into the match, but Whorouly was able to shut down and counterpunch from their defensive end, taking a 13-goal half-time advantage.

The match really opened up in the second half, with the Lions piling on 25 goals from the third quarter onwards while keeping Milawa to just 13 second-half goals.

Whorouly coach Kelly Cousins said her side performed well.

“We were challenged early against the Dees, with both sides fighting hard for possession in the opening quarter,” she said.

“We definitely didn’t get the start we were hoping for, and it took us close to half the game to really find our rhythm.

“In the second half, our focus shifted to cherishing possession and lifting our intensity.

“While we created enough turnover opportunities, we weren’t able to capitalise with clean loose ball gets.

“Defensively, I asked the girls to increase their work rate, as we were slightly off the standard we expect in that area.

“Momentum eventually swung our way, reflected in the scoreline as our lead extended from 13 goals at three-quarter time to 25 by the final whistle.”

The dynamic Jess Allen was named best on court, playing practically every position possible over the four quarters, while shooter Abbey Forrest (42 goals at 77.78 per cent accuracy) and defender Laura Keighran also performed well.

For Milawa, Alyse Owen was everywhere, playing a true jack of all trades match, while Rachel Hansford led the scoring with 21 goals in GS.

Elsewhere, Goorambat managed to hold on to the win in a low scoring defensive thriller with Bright, 29-23.

Both squads’ defensive structures were on song, with just 14 goals scored in total through the first term.

The Bats led by four goals at the first break, a margin which was maintained right through to the third quarter.

Goorambat managed to find a few smarter ways through Bright’s defence after half-time, pushing their lead to seven goals while only conceding four.

While Bright outscored the Bats 6-5 in the fourth quarter, Goorambat had enough of a lead to bank the points and maintain their unbeaten status for another week.

Apart from Goorambat and Whorouly, the only other team yet to fall in A grade netball is Bonnie Doon, who took the week off with the bye.

In other A grade games, Greta defeated King Valley 47-26, Tarrawingee beat North Wangaratta 48-32, and Benalla All Blacks came home in a thriller over Moyhu 45-40.