BFNL young guns share interleague honours

THE BFNL was left to rue some missed chances in a frantic draw in its under-23 interleague netball clash against the Hampden league on Saturday.

But despite coming up short of a win, coach Kim Bailey said she could not have been prouder of her side’s effort and dedication in what she branded a high-calibre contest.

The BFNL looked headed for victory when they led by six goals midway through the final quarter, but a resolute Hampden, playing at home at Reid Oval in Warrnambool, dug deep to tie the scores at 43-43 in a frenetic ending to the game.

No extra time was played.

As it inevitably does, a draw brought mixed emotions for the BFNL and undoubtedly Hampden, with Bailey satisfied her side had left nothing out on the court.

“We should have most probably won; we were up by six goals halfway through the last quarter,” she said.

“But this was the first time the girls have ever played together … and for some, the first time they’ve ever met.

“They just ran out of legs a bit.

“We made some changes to get some other girls on, which maybe changed the flow a little bit, but overall it was a pretty good result.

“While there were some girls unavailable, the players we did put out there were fantastic. They were coachable, they listened and did everything that was asked of them.

“It’s a long way to go to Warrnambool to get a draw, but it was a great learning experience.”

Both teams had their moments of dominance throughout the match.

The BFNL team was captained by North Ballarat midcourt ace Brydi Hutchinson, who Bailey said had led from the front and was stiff not to win the best on court medal.

Bailey hailed the contribution of young East Point player Evie Rooney for her composed and steady goal shooting performance.

“I think we have uncovered another superstar in young Evie Rooney, who shot nearly 100 per cent for the whole game,” she said.

“We had a couple of 17-year-old girls out there playing under-23s, so that’s an encouraging sign for the years ahead.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t quite get across the line, but we’ll get another crack next year.”

Bailey gave plenty of credit to Hampden, bolstered by a best on court performance from quality defender and 2025 Koroit premiership star Layla Monk.

Also among Hampden’s best was Warrnambool goal shooter Eva Ryan, no stranger to Bailey as a member of the Western Warriors 23-and-under VNL team.

Bailey coaches the Warriors’ championship team.

The BFNL team comprised Brydi Hutchinson, Georgia Bodey (North Ballarat), Ava Richardson (Ballarat), Jasmine Paama, Avan Hobson (Bacchus Marsh), Evie Rooney (East Point), Tahlia Watts (Sebastopol) Tayla Easton, Gracie Coulson, Ruby Powers (Sunbury).