Shepparton Swans' Sophie Atkinson and Shepparton's Hannah Crawley in action.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Players from across the divide came together to hail the achievements of Shepparton legend Hannah Crawley - before the Bears edged out a thrilling clash against Shepp Swans.
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Coming into the round four GVL A-grade netball fixture, the hosts at Deakin Reserve had tallied up three consecutive victories during what has been a composed start to the new campaign.
Before play got underway, the neighbouring sides united in a show of respect for Bears stalwart Crawley, who was preparing to make a 200th appearance for the club following on from her recent Goulburn Valley Life Membership induction.
During a speech before the ANZAC Day game, the one-club player received a bouquet of flowers and a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion - before she received a guard of honour from all players on Court 1.
In addition, Ruby Higgins was celebrating reaching the century in appearances, having already claimed the A-grade premiership in 2025 and B-grade premiership in 2023 during her time with the Bears.
Shepparton co-coach and goal shooter Kim Borger oversaw what proved to be an entertaining tussle for ascendancy versus the visitors from Princess Park - claiming a vital 60-55 victory on a day to remember.
The home side made a strong start, leading 13–9 at quarter time before extending their advantage to 30–26 at halftime.
“I think for us, it was about lifting our intensity,” Borger said of the first half-showing.
“We didn’t necessarily have a full 60 minutes of that intensity so it was about focusing on five minute blocks for each 15-minute quarter and resetting where we needed to.”
“I think for us, it’s been a case of trying to capitalize on the turnover.”
However, the Swans responded in the third quarter, with Sophie Atkinson and Jaylah Meda driving a scoring surge to cut the margin to just one goal (44–43) at the final break.
The final quarter turned into a tense shootout, with the Swans briefly drawing level and threatening to turn the game on its head.
Despite the pressure, Shepparton steadied through the experience and accuracy of Borger, who was dominant in the circle with a magnificent 49 goals overall.
Atkinson remained a constant threat for the Swans but Shepparton’s composure in the closing stages proved decisive, allowing them to pull away late and secure a five-goal victory in an entertaining contest.
“In previous years, Bears wouldn’t have been able to be in a situation like that and come away with the win,” Borger said, reflecting on a crucial victory.
“So I think now we’ve started to learn how to win and keep our nerve in those more tricky situations.”
“For us, it was about making sure we were nice and clinical when we got the turnover.”
“We’ve been really lucky today with a lot of milestones,” she added, paying tribute to Crawley and Higgins on a day of landmarks.
“It was about getting the win for those girls and showing how much we care about them and the significant role they play for us.
“Those girls have been through a lot both on and off the court so to make sure we get those wins is pivotal.
“We’ve always got that rivalry with those cross-town Swans which I think is fair and it was really good to get that win for the girls!
“I think for us it’s about building that consistency and intensity, while playing with that bit of freedom.
“So, we were lucky enough today to play with all ten of us here - a full squad - which is the first time we’ve had that so we’ll keep building those connections.”
Elsewhere in round four, Tatura delivered a strong performance to defeat Rochester 54–40, while Euroa was impressive in a convincing 60–35 win over Seymour and Mooroopna claimed a 47–35 victory over Shepparton United.
Mansfield also recorded a solid result, comfortably accounting for Benalla 54–24, as Echuca produced the most one-sided result of the round, overpowering Kyabram with a commanding 87–8 win.
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