Top dogs seek repeat

LAST year’s flag winners Ellinbank will be looking for their first win of the season when they meet Catani for the first full round of the Ellinbank and District Netball Association competition this weekend.
League assistant secretary Julie Henshall says last year’s premiers will again be the side to beat this season.
“Ellinbank haven’t had many players leave; there were a few babies in the off-season but they will still be a strong team,” Henshall said.
Henshall predicts 2009 runners-up Bunyip will also remain a competitive team despite losing a few players over the summer and says Poowong will also be in contention after holding on the main-stayers of last season’s side.
The season kicked off on 28 March with a catch-up game between Buln Buln and Warragul Industrials after the addition of Garfield to the league meant two catch-up games were necessary to give every club one bye.
Henshall expects Garfield to field a competitive side in the local league, boosting the number of clubs in the 18-week competition to 15.
“A few players have returned to Garfield now they are playing in the local league,” she said.
“The players won’t have to travel as far to play as they did in the West Gippsland competition.”
The league will include a senior competition in the A, B and C grades, right down to the 13-and-under F-grade sides.
The league will also field association teams throughout the season as it builds up for the Eastern Zone Tournament on 30 May.
“We use the local tournaments as training for the Eastern Zone tournament in Bairnsdale where the winners will go on to play in the state final in Melbourne,” Henshall said.
Last year the league had several teams in the state finals but they were knocked out before the final rounds.
“We will be looking for a better result in our association teams this year,” Henshall said.
“There are a lot of talented players in the Ellinbank league.”
A second catch-up round will be played between Nyora and Kooweerup on the Queen’s Birthday weekend.