Sport

Magpies clip Echuca United’s wings with dominant victory

By Alexander Dabb

Mar 31, 2024

On the board: Moama’s Olivia Taverna notched an impressive win in her first game as A-grade coach. Photos: Aidan Briggs Photo by Aidan Briggs

Moama has opened its account on court for 2024 with a crushing 77-14 win over Echuca United on Good Friday at Moama Recreation Reserve.

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As expected, the game began at a frenetic pace before Moama was able to get on top of the contest, building a lead into the first break that continued to grow as the game wore on.

Coach Olivia Taverna, in her first game at the helm of the A-grade side, was extremely pleased with the performance of her players.

“Good Friday is always a really fun day to be a part of,” she said.

“The first quarter was good contested netball where we gained a 10-point lead.

“The second quarter was where we started to find our groove, with young gun Hannah Richards stepping on the court changing the game and stretching out the lead to 30 going into half-time.

“Our defence was strong throughout the whole court, giving us the opportunity to convert and finish strong.”

Young gun: Abby Larkin caught the eye of the umpires, who voted her the Teasdale award winner as best on court. Photo by Aidan Briggs

Taverna praised the work of Abby Larkin, who also drew recognition from the umpires, who voted her the Teasdale award winner, while Charlotte Sheldon continued on from a stellar 2023 campaign with another brilliant effort in the midcourt.

Richards was also among the best for the Magpies, as was Erin Florance on her club debut.

Valiant effort: Tessa Bruni was a solid performer for Echuca United. Photo by Aidan Briggs

Tessa Bruni provided a shining light for the Eagles on an otherwise tough day, working tirelessly across the court, while Emily Cossar was also among the better performers in the loss.

Good vision: Aisha Railton looks to offload the ball to a teammate. Photo by Aidan Briggs

Moama will host Rumbalara at home next week in what promises to be a cracking match-up, with the two sides last meeting in a fiery elimination final last season which Moama claimed by just three goals.