Shepparton East's Marni Thorne goes for goal.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Shepparton East has continued its flawless start to the Kyabram District League season, brushing aside Tallygaroopna with a commanding 59-16 win at home.
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Co-coach Erin Hueston praised the team’s ability to produce a sustained four-quarter performance, but said the final score didn’t quite reflect the efforts shown from the Redlegs.
“We started really well, and we were able to finish off the game well,” Hueston said.
“It was a four-quarter effort from all of our girls.
“But in saying that, I don't think the score fully reflected how hard the game was. The girls were made to earn that win.”
Maddi Newey and defender Sarah Maskell were named best-on-court for the Eagles.
Newey brought her usual consistency and composure across all four quarters, while Maskell continues to thrive in a new defensive role.
“Maddi was solid across all four quarters for us,” Hueston said.
“Sarah’s learning a new role in our defence end at the moment and she's proven to be quite pivotal — they both did their roles really well.”
Hueston said the team was keeping things “pretty simple” early in the season as new faces settle and combinations continue to form.
“At this point of the season, you’re not always sure what you're coming up against. So, we just focus on what we can control,” she said.
One of the strengths of Shepparton East in recent seasons has been its depth across A and B-grade, a luxury that Hueston says remains a real asset heading into a long year.
“It’s going to be extremely hard for the B-grade girls to break in, but you never know when the opportunity will arise,” she said.
The squad remains largely intact from its 2023 premiership, with only a handful of additions, including Rachel Bell, who has stepped up from B-grade and slotted in seamlessly.
“That’s how we’re trying to look at it going forward — progressing the girls through,” Hueston said.
“There’s a lot of local Shepp East girls who’ve been here since they were really young, and it’s a very nice place to be at the moment.”
Elsewhere, Girgarre also stayed unbeaten with another emphatic win, downing Merrigum 63-18.
Rushworth and Avenel played out a round two thriller, with the hometown Tigers getting over the line by a single goal, 39-38.
Nagambie bounced back from a narrow round one loss with a clinical 52–27 win over Longwood on the road, while Stanhope defeated Murchison-Toolamba at home 41-33.
The result for Violet Town’s clash with Undera was not available at the time of print.
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