Hoppers mixed bag

A key focus on dynamic drives was in order in this game with Polly and Ella working their hardest to drive to the ball.

Some silly mistakes and missed opportunities lead to 4 quarter losses and ultimately losing the entire game.

Grace Stillard was best on this week and grows in confidence after a long year of recovery. Well done.

Hannah Shoppee teamed up with Georgie Bruce in the last half and took it up to the solid Katunga shooters.

With a few players out the Hoppers couldn’t keep up the drive needed to challenge Katunga but look forward to a second crack in finals.

Awards: Mulwala Bakery - Grace Stillard, Yarra Hotel - Hannah Shoppee and Free as a Bird - Polly McRae.

B Grade

Rennie 50 def Katunga 40

After a tough week last round, the Rennie girls made a commitment to each other to focus on the positives of the game, their teamwork and talk on the court.

The game started very evenly with Katunga not letting up in the midcourt and showing the Hoppers all their moves straight up.

Jemma Adkins and Kayla Oughton worked tireless yet gracefully in the defensive circle to make it hard for the Swans goalers to succeed.

Celine Collins Bye and Ella Harvie both put a hard defence on in the WD position which cut off the WA drives onto the circle and meant more opportunities for intercepts which were executed.

Brooke McDougall, Heleena Shaw and Laura Nunn made light work of C and WA with hard drives and easy feeds into the goal ring.

The girls worked hard to put hands over pressure on as the ball came down the court and kept their eyes up.

Ebony Williams and Sophie O'Dwyer showed how rotating and not forcing the ball can increase confidence and allow for more opportunities in the ring.

A great win by the B grade girls, and a great way to start off the reset of the team.

Let's continue to work hard, focus on the things that can be changed and alter in the team and the positive vibes will continue to rise.

A special mention to Brooke and Tanya for coaching this week.

Awards: Mulwala Bakery - Jemma Adkins, Yarra Hotel - Sophie O'Dwyer, Zambreros - Ella Harvey and Redback Waste - Ebony Williams.

C Grade

Rennie 35 def by Katunga 52

This week the girls knew they had a hard game ahead of them. Katunga were clean, smart and an absolute pleasure to play against.

The Hopper girls worked on their cone work, defensive pressure and chasing down those loose balls this week.

There were many improvements made within the team and the coaches cannot wait to keep developing these skills throughout the rest of the season.

Kristy McDougall was an absolute gun in GA along with Sarah and Taya. The balls seemed to go in from anywhere for these girls this week.

The defence end worked hard however Katunga were quick with their passes and were the better team this week.

Awards: One Zach - Taya Davey, Yarra Hotel - Ally Thrumble, Yarra News & Gifts - Sarah Cummins and Showcase - Kristy McDougall.

C Reserve

Rennie 22 def by Katunga 53

It was back to Hopper land for the C Res legends. All guns blazing the girls were ready for another tough week. Delighted to welcome back Cody to the team, slapping on the new Rennie dress for the first time this year.

Absolutely destroying the warmup, the Hoppers were on. Up by three quick goals, Katunga took the lead.

Mel and Trudz fought tirelessly in defence with Maya being a powerhouse in the centre. Edos speedos Mackinnos picked up the players award for her relentless efforts in the midcourt.

The McBurnie superstars were back in action, trading places on the court throughout the quarters. Tegs and Lenny alternated beautifully in GS and GA, with some link ups that will be talked about over any drink they share in the future.

After a 25-goal loss, the girls hope and pray to finally win the toss next week. Onwards and upwards Queens.

Awards: Mulwala Bakery - Eden McKinnon, Yarra Hotel - Leonie Higgins, Miss Dolly - Sheryl McBurnie, Wingates - Maya Hargreaves and Players Player - Eden McKinnon.

Under 17s

Rennie 47 def Katunga 21

This week Rennie came up against Katunga who were second on the ladder. Another 1 vs 2 game, and it came with its challenges.

The Hoppers started off the game going goal for goal, and slowly increasing the lead.

The second quarter left coach Brooke feeling heavy hearted when the girls were struggling to score due to fumbling the ball, no rebounding and zero talk on the court.

Finally, come the third quarter, the Rennie girls got it together and proved why they're on top of the ladder.

Eliza and Zoe rotated in the goal ring with poise and never let a rebound get away from them. Sophia, Laynee and Mykie were free agents on the court and their opponents couldn't keep up with them due to their speed and teamwork.

This finished up with Heleena, Lucy and Georgia in defence who kept Katunga at 1 goal for the third quarter.

What a comeback the Hopper girls had, and it came down to teamwork, commitment and no hesitation.

Great job girls!

Awards: Zambreros - Lucy Bassett, Mulwala Bakery - Eliza Robilliard, Rhodes Family - Heleena Shaw and Ali Baba Kebab - Georgia Phillips.

Under 15s

Rennie 30 def by Katunga 31

The Rennie girls were met with an incredibly tough game and they all did an amazing job. The defensive end worked tirelessly putting immense pressure on the Katunga attack.

The girls in the midcourt worked hard to transition the ball into the attack, being met with a very strong defensive front from Katunga each time.

The Hoppers focused hard on clearing out and reoffending, ensuring their hard was rewarded by the shooters. The shooters worked incredibly together, ensuring each scoring opportunity was utilised.

While the final score wasn’t what the club were hoping for, every single one of the girls should be proud of their efforts and hold their heads high!

Awards: Mulwala Bakery - Demi Rhodes, PM Junior Dev - Iris Elliott, Rhodes Family - Mabel Cope and Subway - Sam Knight.

Under 13s

Rennie 28 def Katunga 8

A sensational team effort, with the girls working well in both attack and defence which allowed them multiple scoring opportunities.

As well as coming away with a large number of intercepts, the Hoppers worked on clearing and driving as they had in training.

The hard work resulted in a strong win. The amount of effort the girls put in would make coach Hayley, who was unfortunately absent, very proud.

Awards: Subway - Cydee Adams, Mulwala Bakery - Ruby Long, Rhodes Family - Azaria McBurnie and Yarra Fish N Chips - Winnie Heffernan.

Under 11s

No score

The under 11s had the hard task of taking on a strong little Katunga team. The weather wasn't great and possibly the coldest day the girls had faced.

The girls were a little flat and playing behind were the two things that let them down.

They will work hard at training this week to play in front and lead to the ball.

Awards: Mulwala Bakery - Leni Trewarne, Avalanche Ice Creamery - Tayissa Dawson, PM Junior Dev - Lilly Lewis and Rhodes Family - Poppie McBurnie.