The Standard |KOLORA-NOORAT coach Glenice Justin has praised her players’ ability to settle so soon into the Warrnambool and District league A grade season.
The Power opened its account with a convincing 45-23 win against Deakin University at Noorat Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
It led 7-4 after a low-scoring first quarter before stringing together terms of 16, 10 and 12 goals.
Best-on-court Penny Smith finished with 31 goals.
“I thought early on a bit of first-game nerves were there. It took both teams a bit to settle,” Justin said.
“Early we had more of the play but we weren’t making the most of it. We were putting each other under pressure. Once we settled were a lot better.”
She was particularly pleased with goal defence Claire O’Connor and teenager Meg O’Sullivan, the two new faces in the side.
“They seemed to settle in really well. I thought our defence was terrific and Claire O’Connor was a huge part of that in the overall scheme of the game,” she said.
“I gave her our second-best player, that’s a terrific sign in itself. And Meg O’Sullivan, coming up from the under 17s, I thought she got better as the game went on.
“She’ll get used to the intensity of the game. It’s probably a bit more physical than under 17s.”
The result represented a near-perfect start for the Power, which has finals on its radar after stunning the competition in its run to a semi-final last season.
