Netballers shine on big stage

THE Limestone Coast Football Netball League netballers have returned from the 2025 SA Country Championships with two championships and a runner up title.

Three of the championship winning A Grade team were also selected in the Championship Top 10 – Edie Easterby, Emily Neave and Sarah Ritter.

Both the A Grade and 17 & Under teams went through the championships undefeated and both dominated their respective title deciders, while the 15 & Under Navy team almost recovered from a slow start in the grand final to steal the title but eventually ran out of time and fell three goals short.

The 13 & Under Navy team progressed to the semi finals before bowing out, while the development teams, 15 & Under Yellow and 13 & Under Yellow, were eliminated at the quarter final stage.

The A Grade grand final was an all-South East affair with the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Netball Association taking on the LCFNL.

The start was a relatively tame goal-for-goal affair before Limestone Coast goal defender Eadie Easterby sprung into action in a clear best on court performance that saw her win the ball back and deny the KNTNA scoring opportunities time and time again.

Easterby hunted the ball in the centre third and anything long and in the air was fair game for the goal defender, while Mel Renko and Emily Neave were at their tight checking best, denying the KNTNA feeders no time and space.

Stella Mobbs dominated the rebounding duels and her work over the shot was outstanding, while at the other end of the court, the shooting combination of Macey Griffith and Sarah Ritter combined seamlessly and both finished with impressive accuracy.

Neave, along with wing attack Lillie Paul, continually hit the circle’s edge hard and they rarely made a mistake with ball in hand as they delivered the scoring opportunities to Griffith and Ritter.

The Donna Denton coached Limestone Coast set up a strong lead early in the contest and the result never looked in doubt.

Gorgia Robbie was able to enter the clash and have an influence at wing attack, while the defensive skills of Lauren Van Eeden were on full display as she got some important touches at wing defence after when was injected into the contest.

The final scoreline was 38-16.

The 17 & Under Division 1 grand final saw the star studded line-up, coached by Larnka Foran, assert their dominance over Barossa, Light & Gawler almost from the first whistle.

It was a victory built on stunning defensive pressure with Emily Denton and Ruby Mitchell consistently turning the ball over and forcing the BLGNA into error time and time again.

The pressure applied by wing defender Bell Coghlan, who created plenty of turnovers of her own, and Maggie Collins also made life tough for the BLGNA frontline.

With ball in hand, the Limestone Coast played with speed as Coghlan, Collins and Piper Paul carved a path through the Barossa, Light and Gawler defence, finding Mylee Lynch, who exploited her superior speed and timing, and Mischa Human, who was unstoppable at the post, with monotonous regularity, recording the 35-20 championship victory.

The 15 & Under Division 1 title decider saw Great Southern dominate the opening 10 minutes, forcing the usually composed Limestone Coast frontline into error and finding an easy path to their goalers but the LCFNL girls did recover and in the second half, worked their way back to three goals before Great Southern rallied and held the late charging LCFNL at bay.

Annelie Peucker created some critical turnover ball, especially as the team made its late run, with Winnie Zadow and Lola Ferguson also getting some important touches, with wing defender Scarlett Zalme not only winning the ball back for her team but also being a key player in transition.

Lucy Crowe, Jenna Baron and Indi Coghlan all ran hard in the mid court, while Lila Pearson and Amarlie Thomson were strong on the hold in the shooting circle, while the injection of Lacey Hunter into the goal attack role also played a part in the late comeback as she delivered the ball beautifully to Pearson and also used her baseline drives to open up space, finishing her own opportunities accurately.

Pearson’s conversion from long range was also a key factor in the closing of the eventual margin.