The Western Warriors weren’t able to come away with the points, but showed some positive signs against the City West Falcons on Wednesday night in the Victorian Netball League championship division.
Facing their western suburbs rivals for the first time, it was the more experienced Falcons that proved too strong in the second half, winning 66-57.
Warriors coach Kim Bailey was fairly positive following the match.
“I wasn’t too disappointed to be honest,” she said. “We know that they are the benchmark for the whole competition and have been amazing for how many years and for us to get within nine goals and really we gave them some cheap goals in the last quarter.
“So really pleased that we can at least run with them.”
Bailey said the Falcons speed probably got them a little bit in the end, with the Falcons having a much faster side than them.
She said the intensity that you need to play constantly was also a bit of a difference.
“It was a good learning curve for us, but to get that close, I’m really pleased,” she said.
“I was pleased with their endeavour, just some silly turnovers. We still had 34 turnovers.”
Bailey said their defence which they knew would be a work and progress was really good.
She highlighted Georgia Berry’s role on Jane Cook. She said Vanessa Augustini had a great game speed on Montana Holmes.
Kim Borger shot 34 goals for the Warriors, while Julia Woolley shot 23.
Bailey said it would be nice to build a bit of rivalry with the Falcons in the future.
She said they play hard netball and they are trying to play that game of netball as well.
Bailey said a performance like that showed that they can compete with some of the top sides in the competition.
“We’re not going to be the cellar dwellers that doesn’t win a game for the season,” she said.
“Our aim is to make finals but you know, just to be competitive is an awesome thing.
“Even if we don’t get to meet that goal which I hope we will, but to be out there and be competitive and that teams know that they’re not playing the Warriors and thinking it’s going to be an easy win, is really good.
In the under-23s, the Warriors suffered another loss, losing to the Falcons, 60-36.
Bailey said that the Warriors physical pressure proved too much.
“For some of these girls is a bit of a wake-up call,” she said.
“It’s pretty tough. But again, the Falcons are a great team. They run a press which we struggled to get through.
So we’ll go back to training this week and do some work on that.”
A positive for the Warriors was Brydi Hutchinson playing her first game for the club.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Warriors, who face the Boroondara Express, which is 5-0 in the championship division, next week.
