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With Teal Hocking unavailable, her 2025 Kangaroo Flat premiership teammate and former Melbourne Vixen Ruby Barkmeyer suited up for the Strikers for the first time.<\/p>\n
She finished as the team’s most effective shooter, albeit it no slight on her partner in the circle Hayley Howard, who backed her up impressive Strikers debut from the previous week with another sound performance.<\/p>\n
Skipper Elle McDonald toiled hard in wing defence, while Shae Clifford was steady in the midcourt in an overall patchy performance by the Strikers.<\/p>\n
Defender Dayna Williams also made her Strikers’ debut.<\/p>\n
Brereton said it went without saying the Strikers would love to see more of Barkmeyer but fully understood her current plight to not commit full-time.<\/p>\n
“It was great to finally get her into a Bendigo dress,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Of course we would love to have her, but it’s a long time driving up and down that road and being part a part of the Vixens and the Express and elite netball, so I don’t blame her if she doesn’t want to do it full time.”<\/p>\n
It was an opportunity missed by the Strikers; a win would have set them up as the only 2-0 team after two rounds in what’s already shaping as a tighter than usual competition.<\/p>\n
They sit fifth on the ladder behind a group of teams all with a win and a draw, including Hawks, Lightning, North East Blaze and Geelong Cougars.<\/p>\n
Brereton is backing her side to bounce back hard against Western Warriors, when the two third-year teams clash at Cobblebank Stadium this Sunday at 3pm.<\/p>\n
“It’s a bit tricky with these Sunday games; when you have them you train on a Wednesday,” she said.<\/p>\n
“When you have girls in other programs (Mavs etc.) or travelling back and forth, they aren’t all there on a Wednesday.<\/p>\n
“It will be better when we get into that routine of playing Wednesday games and training Sundays.<\/p>\n
“But all clubs deal with it when they have people from high programs, or travelling bits and pieces, so it is what it is.<\/p>\n
“I’ll back us to bounce back, but there are some real key things we need to nail and clean up.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Strikers 23-and-unders slipped to 1-1 following an 11-goal loss to the Lightning.<\/p>\n
In the earliest game on Sunday, the Strikers’ VNL Reserves team drew 46-46 with the Lightning.<\/p>\n
The Strikers sit in fourth position on the ladder at 2-1-1 after four rounds, with a clash against the Warriors also scheduled for Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Bendigo Strikers championship team was left to lament a poor opening quarter, after going down by seven goals to VNL rivals Melbourne University Lightning on Sunday at Red Energy Arena. Coming off a confidence-boosting round one win over Boroondara Express, the Strikers were perilously slow out the blocks, trailing by 10 goals at quarter […]<\/p>\n