A-grade: Rams 62 def Finley 46.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
With a huge Good Friday crowd behind them, the Rams A-graders looked fresh and fit, ready to start their 2024 campaign.
Finley, boasting a few new recruits, was not going to be an easy opponent.
After a shaky start in the first quarter, the Rams girls were able to settle in the second, and from there, with defensive pressure, pinpoint drives, and speed, were able to run away with the win.
A versatile team across the court, the Rams were able to mix it up positionally and showcased their depth with both experience and youth.
Eloise Ritchie was brilliant in defence, with deflections, intercepts and rebounds galore.
Ruby Russell, in her Rams A-grade debut, showed composure, strength and versatility.
Kate Westcott was determined and able to command the ball through the mid-court.
B-grade: Rams 52 def Finley 39.
B-grade had a fantastic round one hit out with arch-rivals Finley.
The girls came out firing from the get-go and took on everything asked of them from the sideline.
With many new combinations trialled, Deniliquin Rams B-grade is looking dangerous for the 2024 season.
Best on court was awarded to Bec White for a fantastic effort in the goal circle and high accuracy.
Phoebe Jefferies and Tess Parsons were also award winners this week for sleek skills and turnovers.
Congratulations girls.
C-grade: Finley 44 def Rams 41.
The team had a fantastic start to the game, which was great to see for a young side that hadn’t played together before.
Finley bounced back in the second quarter, which saw the game stay fairly even for the entire game, with Finley getting their nose in front at the final siren.
Stella White and Ellie Parks combined well in the shooting circle, shooting with accuracy and playing with strength and determination.
Felicity Jefferies was gliding across the court, finding space in the open court, and had a hand in multiple defensive turnovers.
Awards - Stella White, Ellie Parks, Felicity Jefferies.
C-reserve: Finley 40 def Rams 36.
We were super excited to get out on the court this week.
It’s been a battle in preseason, but being back on the court made it all worthwhile.
The team put in a stellar performance, with all players contributing.
Suzette van den Berg made her Rams debut and played a beautiful holding game.
Suzette’s connection with Temeka Macdonald was a standout, with Meeks finding Suzette at every opportunity.
Ever-reliable Pip Robertson was back at it, too.
Pip ran all day despite the heat and provided a steady link between our defensive and attacking ends.
Awards - Suzette van den Berg, Temeka Macdonald and Pip Robertson.
Under-17s: Finley 35 def Rams 30.
Finley was ready to play and came out of the blocks strong.
They took every advantage of their opportunities in the first quarter, which set them up for the remainder of the game.
In the second quarter, we found some form and accuracy in the goal circle, which saw us start to compete, but unfortunately, we couldn’t peg back Finley’s first-quarter lead.
Eliza Atley was a standout, particularly when injected into the shooting circle with strong movement and accurate shooting.
Emma Parks demonstrated versatility, leadership and maturity, controlling the defensive end and supporting our attack line.
Lucy Dudley, in her first game for the club, battled hard.
Awards - Eliza Atley, Emma Parks, Lucy Dudley.
Under-15s: Rams 43 def Finley 14.
It was a very hot start to the season for our traditional round one clash against Finley on Good Friday, and our girls were more than up for the challenge.
Our under-15s were able to settle into the game and adjust to conditions very quickly.
The combination of Phoebe Newman and Zoe Circuitt was unstoppable in the first quarter.
Feeds into attack were perfectly timed and accurate, setting us up for an impressive half time lead.
Our defenders were able to adjust to many different combinations at the defensive end, resulting in multiple turnovers.
Movement through our mid-court was swift and effective.
Despite the heat, our mid-courters were relentless in their run through the centre, making the transition from defence to attack a breeze.
What a start to what is going to be a fabulous season for our under-15 girls. Well done.
Awards: Zoe Circuitt, Macy Butcher, Alice Circuitt.
Under-13s: Rams 17 def Finley 14.
The girls had a great start to the season and will gain some confidence from the win under tough, hot conditions, with their whole court defensive pressure resulting in many turnovers.
It was a hard-fought game until the final whistle.
The accurate front position by our attackers resulted in the win.
Awards: Emma Wettenhall, Viv Thomson, Olivia Jeffery.
Under-11s: Not scored.
No report submitted.
Awards: Indy Hillier, Aysha Bartlett, Julia Smith.
Contributed content