Melton South feels it has proved it belongs in the top two of the Ballarat Netball League.
The Panthers have been among the top teams all season, along with North Ballarat and Darley.
With the three sides playing each other in recent weeks, they’ve all got a closer look at how they stack up.
The Panthers lost to North Ballarat, before beating Darley.
Panthers coach Anna Edmonds said it had been a very good win against the Devils.
“I guess every win is important now,” she said.
“We’re in second place now and the win cements that and hopefully we’ll be there at the end of the season.
“It shows we deserve to be up there.”
Edmonds said the game against the Devils was a defensive game, with her side able to adjust to the changes made by the Devils.
She said while the Devils carry a bigger squad, they were still able to make the right changes to get on top.
One of the standouts for the Panthers in the win, was Grace Valele.
Known as a defender, she has been seen at the other end of the court in recent weeks.
“Grace is transitioning out of defence after coming back from a knee injury,” Edmonds said.
“She has felt more comfortable in the goaling circle. At training she would pick up a ball and shoot.
“I thought why not give it a go and it has paid off. I’ve never seen her play goals before. She is open to playing both ends. We threw her back against North Ballarat and she still has it.”
Having set high expectations for this season, Edmonds admits it could have gone either way after the last couple of years with COVID-19.
The side was aiming to play finals, with Edmonds previously saying she didn’t think the club’s A-grade side had ever done that before.,
The Panthers will face bottom side Bacchus Marsh on Saturday.
The Cobras sit bottom of the table.
Edmonds said they wouldn’t be taking it easy.
“It’s a different challenge,” she said.
“Soli [Ropati] and Mel [Oloamanu] will both be missing. We have some depth in the club that has the ability to come up and play.
“We’re losing key players, but those we are bringing up, still have a job to do. Wins are important.”
