Pressure high asElmore faces Heathcote

THE pressure is up as Elmore faces Heathcote in Saturday’s sixth round of A-grade netball in the Bendigo Bank Heathcote DFNL season.

There’s been a change at the top for Heathcote as A-grade coach and key defender Chloe Meulenmeesters is no longer with the club.

Another blow for the Saints in recent weeks was the decision not to field an A-reserve team for the rest of the season.

Heathcote’s goal is to have a full complement of netball teams for the 2025 campaign.

This Saturday the Saints make their way to Elmore to play the fifth-placed Bloods.

Both teams will be determined to hit back after big defeats in the previous round.

Elmore is fielding a vastly different team to the one that won last year’s premiership.

The Annie Hockey-coached Elmore could not halt Colbinabbin’s charge to a 56-goal victory in the rematch of the 2024 grand finalists at M.J. Morgan Oval last Saturday.

The Jen McIntyre-coached Grasshoppers outpointed the Bloods 76-20.

Not far away from Colbinabbin was the showdown between Heathcote and Leitchville Gunbower at Heathcote’s Pigeon Park in Barrack Reserve.

The Grant Matthews-coached Leitchville Gunbower netted its first win of the season in a 65-38 result against the Saints, who had won the previous round at Lockington.

Another big match this Saturday will be in Scott Street, White Hills, where the Winslow Constructors White Hills Demons take on Mount Pleasant. It’s second against fourth.

The Anthea McCleary-coached Mount Pleasant goes into this match following a 52-34 win on its court at Toolleen against North Bendigo.

The Elly Lawton-coached White Hills teamed superbly in a 46-37 win to end the Harlowe Huntly Hawks’ unbeaten run at Huntly.

North Bendigo will be on its court at Bendigo Club Oval in Atkins Street against the powerful Colbinabbin lineup.

It will be a huge test for the Kiralee Kinder-coached Bulldogs, who did win at White Hills earlier in the season.

Leitchville Gunbower will be back on its court at Leitchville to take on Lockington Bamawm United.

The LBU Cats, who are jointly coached by Kerryn Giorgianni and Shelby Stone, had the bye last round. Huntly has the bye.