Border Mail | A DOMINANT second-quarter has seen a new look Wangaratta Rovers register their first win of the season.
Rovers led at every change against the winless Myrtleford Saints opening up an 11-goal lead at half-time in the 57-45 victory.
Two-time Toni Wilson Medal winner Stacey Emms was the best on court, reunited with another club stalwart when injury brought Jess Clarke back into the side.
Caitlin Porter was also among Rovers best having returned to the club this season after almost two years in South Africa.
Coach Janelle Hartwig said they were a work in progress.
“We are rebuilding and have a group of girls who have never really played together before,” she said.
“Caitlin Conroy hurt her ankle and so we were able to bring in Clarke as goal shooter and it was like the old days with Emms at wing attack feeding the ball into her and Samantha Kreltszheim.
“They’ve played together most of their life and that history and combination was a key to the win.”
Hartwig expects Rovers to get better as the year progresses.
“We have an entirely new defence too,” she said.
“Porter has come back from being in South Africa for almost 18 months, while Jenna Mcleod is a strong athletic defender who was a gun in the Ovens and King and just wanted to take the next step.
“Similarly Ainslee Bennett came to us from Greta as a wing defence looking to take her netball to the next level in Ovens and Murray.
“We know that it will take time to come up to the speed and physicality of the game at this level but the signs are positive.”
Hartwig said the key to Saturday’s win was a consistent four-quarter performance.
“We have played the grand finalists in the opening rounds and only lost the second half by three goals against Wodonga,” she said.
“But against Corowa we went to sleep and that was enough to see them establish a three-goal advantage that we never really were able to reel in.
“We didn’t do quite enough for long enough to deserve a win in that game.
“But on Saturday it was a team effort — focused for the entire 60 minutes, with everyone working for their teammates.”
Hartwig is hopeful they will be rewarded for similar effort in the coming weeks.
“In some ways it is good to have the Wodonga and Yarrawonga games out of the way,” she said.
“In the next few weeks we have the local derby against Magpies, North Albury and then Raiders.”
In the only other match of the split round weekend Lavington proved too good for Wangaratta.
The Panthers established a three-goal break at the end of the first quarter and held that margin to win 37-34.
