City West Falcons have allayed fears of a premiership hangover with a total dismantlement of local rivals VU-Western Lightning in the Victorian Netball League championship season opener at the State Netball and Hockey Centre on Wednesday night.
The Falcons were fast starters, bursting to an eight-goal quarter-time lead, an advantage they would only increase in a ruthless 52-34 win. An upbeat Falcons assistant coach Nicole Richardson was impressed by the completeness of the performance so early in the season.
PICTURE GALLERY: City West Faclons v Western Lightning
“To come up against VU in the first round … they’re a really tough opponent, so to be able to put the four quarters in like the girls did was great to see, particularly when you’re talking about round one,” she told the Weekly.
“We came out of the blocks firing, which is pleasing because in the past against VU we’ve been slow with our starts.
“It was a focal point for the team and that basically set up the match.”
Rookie Alice Teague-Neeld was a selection surprise when first-choice goal shooter Kath Knott was a late withdrawal with a hamstring injury. Teague-Neeld made the most of her first championship start with a stellar game in the attacking circle.
The teenager shot the lights out with 27-from-28 for a 97 per cent return against one of the VNL’s best defensive combinations. “For a first-up performance at that level, she did a great job,” Richardson said. “She only missed one goal under what I would classify as the toughest defensive combinations in the competition in Fiona Themann and Brooke Thompson.
“She offered a bit of speed for us and caused a bit of havoc for their circle defenders.”
The Falcons missed only three shots all night with last year’s championship-winning goaler Julia Knott scorching with 25-from-27 for 93 per cent. That might create a selection headache for tonight’s second round game with Kath Knott scheduled to return.
The Falcons’ mid-court ran smoothly on night one with Maggie Lind thriving on her new wing attack role alongside centre Liz Watson.
Casey Price was the stand-out defender for the Falcons, but the Lightning’s front line resembles nothing like the one that made it to the preliminary final last season and is still a work in progress.
“That was their first hitout with that combination so they’re still finding their feet,” Richardson acknowledged.
The Falcons will host Ballarat Pride at the State Netball and Hockey Centre tonight at 7, while the Lightning will meet the Southern Saints at the same time on an adjacent court.
