SOUTH Colac has emerged as a genuine premiership threat with a confidence-boosting win against fellow netball powerhouse Simpson.

The third-placed Roos jumped the second-placed Tigers to lead 13-4 at quarter time and never looked back, leading at every change to win 50-34.

“For us, that was the most important win,” Roos coach Leanne Monaghan said.

“I guess they are a benchmark side along with Imperials, we rate them very highly and we’re no doubt going to meet them again,” she said.

Monaghan said her team was wary that the Tigers were without gun midcourter Kelly Pouw, who is overseas.

“How much difference that makes, I don’t know but if we meet them again in finals we just have to play them the same way we did yesterday,” she said.

Monaghan said the win would boost her young team’s confidence after the Roos had a six-player turnover at the start of this season.

The Roos recruited goal shooter Sarah Bach and defender Kym Goonan and promoted teenagers Janelle Monaghan, Tegan McNamara and Edwina Parker to regular A Grade netball.

“They are just starting to lift now, that sort of game made them work hard and they did that and proved to themselves they can play four quarters – they are working well,” Monaghan said.

McNamara finished with 29 goals and was among her team’s best, while fellow goaler Bach netted 21.

Monaghan praised midcourters Chelsea Speirs and Janelle Monaghan, while Nadine McNamara and Katie McDougall provided drive from defence.

“I think we opened up our mid court more than we have, we worked on that over the last couple of weeks and the girls are starting to click into that and realise they have to do that,” Monaghan said.

Simpson goal shooter Jessie Hawkins netted 19 goals, while teenage goal attack Caitlyn McVilly shot nine and was among her team’s best players.

Defender Ashleigh Cronin and midcourter Hayley Pouw were also shining lights on a frustrating day for the Tigers.

South Colac’s win, coupled with its draw against the undefeated Colac Imperials three weeks ago, will have the Roos brimming with confidence.

The Roos face four of the bottom five teams and have a bye in the lead up to finals, while Colac Imperials and Simpson face off in the final round which could open up second spot on the ladder.

Swans the get jump on Demons

OTWAY Districts coach Eva Vickers says Alvie “got the jump” on them in their A Grade clash at Alvie Recreation Reserve.

The Swans ran out 49-37 winners over the Demons.

Vickers said her side couldn’t keep up with Alvie in the second half.

“It started off pretty even, really it was only two or three goals in difference in goals scored,” she said.

Hard work pays off for Lorne

LORNE netball coach Carly Enticott says her team’s third win of the season rewarded the players’ hard work.

The Dolphins were on target early against Forrest with 19 goals from 23 shots in the first quarter and finished with a comfortable 56-43 victory at Stribling Reserve.

Enticott said her team’s first-quarter dominance was a surprise before the Lions reduced the deficit to four goals by half time.

Eagles’ consistency overpowers Birregurra

WEWSTERN Eagles coach Karen Slater says consistency was the key to the netball team’s 58-24 win over Birregurra at Birregurra Recreation Reserve.

The Eagles shot 13 goals in the first quarter, then 16, 13 and 16 goals in the subsequent quarters.

“We probably put in four fairly consistent quarters, it’s nice to see that we played the game right out,” Slater said.

Hawks happy despite 22-goal loss

APOLLO Bay’s A Grade netball side is happy with its efforts despite losing to Colac Imperials by 22 goals.

The Hawks’ Stacey Wilson said the team kept up to the top side until the half-time break.

“I was pretty happy with the game, to play against them and stay with them,” Wilson said.

“We just worked really well as a team,” she said.

“We put on some good midcourt pressure, and goalers did well.”

The quarter-by-quarter score breakdown of 13-11, 24-22, 40-31 and 61-39 showed the Hawks could match it with the Imps.

Full reviews appear in the Colac Herald newspaper.