THE Cats struggled again this week against the strong Millicent sides, which hold top-two positions in all junior and senior grade ladders.

While Casterton Sandford could not bring home a win, the upward climb continued across most of the grades, with Cats sides topping their round two scores against the well-established Saints and reducing the final margins, include the C Graders, who met their personal target for the week and the A Graders, who reduced the deficit against last year’s grand finalists by 15 goals.

From the scribes

15 & Under B

THE Casterton Sandford 15 & Under B team came up against second placed Millicent at McLaughlin Park on Saturday in perfect conditions for netball.

In the first half the Cats attackers, Matilda Thompson and Caitlyn Gorman, worked the ball well around the goal circle with the goalies, Brydie Carlin and Chelsea Hulm, who ensured that the score board ticked over consistently.

Down the defence end Amelia Bailey, Charlotte Nash, Nicole Cornish and Mia Doyle played tight defence and were able to cause several turnovers.

However, the Millicent attackers applied plenty of pressure to the Cats’ defenders which ensured that Casterton Sandford did not transition the ball down the court on every turnover.

At the main break Millicent led 19 to Casterton Sandford 10.

The Cats made several changes at the break to try and reduce the nine-goal deficit.

After half time Olivia Nolte came on to goal shooter and combined well with Hulm, but Millicent was turning a lot of ball over before the goal circle, therefore supply was limited.

The Cats’ defenders continued to cause turnovers but struggled to transition the ball effectively.

The Cats’ girls continued to work hard until the final whistle but in the end, Millicent ran out comfortable winners, 47 to Casterton Sandford 15.

The opposition best players were Chelsea Hulm and Nicole Cornish.

C Grade

THE C Graders have been showing some strong patches of play over the last few weeks.

We went into this game planning on working hard on consistency and capitalising on turnovers with the goal of scoring more than the last time we met with Millicent. 

In the goal shooting circle, Kim Hutchins has been continuing to build on her teamwork with Brittany Parsons. 

Together they worked to create space for midcourters Chantelle Johnston, Michelle Mutch and Marissa Jamieson, to deliver the ball to.

The circle defence duties were given to hard-working Janine Parsons and Tania Mutch. 

Their continued pressure denied Millicent of any easy balls with the help of good arms over the pass outside the ring from Caitlin Berkfield and Sophie Hart. 

By three-quarter time we had met the goal set at the start of the game of scoring more than last time. 

Full-court pressure and strong drives helped to reach this goal.

A Grade

MILLICENT secured the premiership points as expected at the weekend when they hosted Casterton Sandford and while the Cats still suffered from a lack of scoring opportunities, courtesy to the relentless defensive pressure from the Saints, the accuracy from the Cats shooting stocks was much improved.

The match also saw the debut of Ivy Lane in the second half in goals and while her opportunities to score were rare, she finished with six from nine in a promising A Grade debut.

Madalene Cleary was again the mainstay of the attacking line and at goal attack she set up the play and finished accurately, while at the other end, Caeleigh Humphries continues to anchor the defence, getting important touches to disrupt the always-slick Saints frontline.

The visitors tinkered with their mid-court this weekend, trying to find the best roles for Tessa Marra, Ebany Jarrad and Gaby Tomkins, with Marra spending the second half back on the defensive wing where she has been so consistent and damaging in her debut season as a Cat,

The interesting things from the weekend’s scoresheet for Millicent was the more shared shooting responsibilities of Tabatha Sanderson and Demi Verbena.

The height of Sanderson so often sees her dominating the scoring attempts and she certainly again netted her fair share, but Verbena took a lot more shots and her 25 from 30 was a high return and an accurate one. Georgia Clarke played her first full game in the centre and influenced the match at both ends of the court, while the young back three of Portia McRae, Hannah Nitschke and Kayleigh Taylor denied the Cats time and space at every opportunity and created plenty of turnover ball.