After months of hard work and toil, they’ve done it – North Wangaratta are on the board.

The Hawks claimed their first A grade victory of the 2026 season in style on Saturday, defeating King Valley 45-32 at home.

Almost a year on from their last A grade win (round 11, 2025), the Hawks started the game strong, taking a slim but crucial two-goal lead into quarter time.

The Hawks began to break the game open in the second quarter, piling on 16 goals to five through the 15 minutes, showcasing rapid ball movement, defensive pressure and clinical execution under the post.

The Hawks were in new territory: having to defend a 24-11 lead, a challenge to which the entire squad stepped up.

King Valley refused to lay down and accept the result, managing to wind the margin back from 13 goals to just nine at the final change of ends, laying the groundwork for a massive fourth quarter.

With adrenaline pumping, the Hawks surged, winning the final term by four goals and securing their maiden win of the season.

Janelle Moss-Holland was transcendent in defence, while Kyra Bell in WA and Hannah Burns in C were impactful.

Despite the win, the Hawks remain on the bottom of the ladder, but have shown they know how to win, a strong indicator of potentially securing some more victories in the back half of the year.

Elsewhere, Whorouly’s domination of the league continued, with the Lions pushing their record to 8-0 following their 16-goal win over Goorambat at home.

The home team actually trailed at the first break, struggling to penetrate through Goorambat’s iron-clad defence and going into the second quarter down by two goals.

However, the Lions began to work into the game the more time elapsed, shooting cleanly to eat up the deficit and into the long break with a 17-14 lead.

The floodgates opened in the second half, which saw Whorouly pile on 24 goals after half-time while only conceding 11, including just three in the final quarter.

“It was a tight contest for the first half with lots of defensive pressure by both sides, but I thought the girls stayed composed, stuck to our processes, and as the game wore on, we were able to build pressure and create opportunities,” A grade coach Kelly Cousins said.

“We knew their defence would challenge us, so the focus was more on our work rate and composure rather than changing up our game plan.

“Our midcourt worked really hard to open up options, and the shooters did a great job holding strong and finishing their opportunities.

“It wasn’t about extra pressure on our shooters, it was more about trusting the full attacking unit to work together in a high-pressure game.

“We’re really happy with where we’re at, but there’s always things to keep working on.

“For us it’s about continuing to refine our connections, maintaining consistency, and making sure we keep improving week to week.”

Other results even fell Whorouly’s way, with second-placed Greta and third-placed Bonnie Doon fighting out a 51-51 draw to split the points.

The Bombers led by 10 goals at half-time, but Greta were able to claw the margin back to just four goals heading into the final term.

Momentum kept flowing Greta’s way through the fourth quarter, and despite some scintillating and high-pressure netball, neither side could come out on top at the final whistle.

Amy Starzer was elite for the Bombers, shooting 42 goals at 91.30 per cent accuracy, while Jessie Ellis, Allyson Hussey and Kirsty Paul were brilliant for Greta.

The Blues and Bombers now sit a game and a half behind the Lions.

In other matches, Milawa belted Benalla All Blacks 61-37, and Tarrawingee cleaned up against Moyhu, 53-37.