After a tough start to the Riddell District Netball League season, Diggers Rest is hoping that everything now starts to click.
With a new line-up, Burras playing coach Amy Carroll knew it would take time to settle into the season and that they would have to do it on the run.
Five of the Burras’ first six games were against sides which made the finals last season. After seven games, they are 3-4.
“We’re not going too badly, but we still haven’t done as well as I’d have liked,” Carroll said.
“We’ve put out some good quarters of netball but not a whole four quarters. We can match it with the better sides at times. Hopefully, we can match it for whole games later in the season.”
The Burras had their biggest win of the year on Saturday when they beat Woodend-Hesket 67-37, Carroll leading the way with 47 goals.
“We’ve only played six games together, so we knew it would take some time,” she said before Saturday’s contest.
Carroll said the side’s aim was to make finals, but she was realistic about where they sat despite a lot of off season talk that Diggers Rest would be a big improver.
“It’s unrealistic to say at this stage that we’re a way better side than in the past couple of years,” she said.
“Still, we may be a five-goal better side. We’re hoping to make finals this season, but it’s about building for the next couple of seasons when we’ll be stronger.”
After playing a lot of the stronger sides to start the season, the Burras need to win against lower-placed teams in the next few weeks.
But they will be without Jena Baboth and Tayla Behan for about six weeks of this period.
“It will be quite difficult against those sides and we’re not underestimating them,” Carroll said.
“We’ll go hard and try to win those games by big margins. We have Georgia [Vicendese] and Alicija [Marco-Rawlings] – who have been fantastic in B-grade and only just missed out on our A-grade side – to come into the seniors.”
In other weekend results, Macedon led at every break to beat Lancefield; Melton Centrals shot away in the final quarter to defeat Romsey; Wallan was too good for Sunbury Kangaroos; and Rupertswood beat Broadford.
Tara Murray
