Sport
1 May, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Netball Round 4 Preview — Natte Bealiba vs Trentham
Fresh off an enthralling comeback against Newstead, Trentham will have an even tougher mountain to climb when they take the long trip to CHS Broadbent Oval to face league powerhouse Natte Bealiba.
For a team that’s seen narrow losses define their seasons in recent times, Saturday night’s triumph must have felt extremely sweet for the Saints, turning around a four-goal three-quarter time deficit against the team that denied them a finals berth in 2025.
After finishing last season with a shooting percentage of 67.9 percent, Sharna Ford has been in excellent form to start 2026 as Trentham’s key shooter, scoring 23 of the Saints’ 40 goals against the Steaders with a 79.3 shooting percentage.
While they would’ve liked to have given Ford, Jacqui Bell and Charli Copeland more opportunities to find the bottom of the net, the Saints’ defence, which ranked seventh in points allowed last season, was critical in their comeback, conceding just six goals in the fourth quarter.
With Ella Tranter, Ebony Raven and Sian Mortlock helping the Swans score 78 goals against Carisbrook, Amy Vandenham, Kerrie and Madelyne Brennan will have to maintain their defensive excellence to give the Saints a chance at an upset.
Unquestionably, the most exciting individual matchup will be the battle between Natte’s superstar shooter Emma Ryan and Trentham’s lockdown defender Jessica Walker.
After scoring a frankly ridiculous 1214 goals in 2025, Ryan has started the new campaign where she left off, yet Walker is of a very select few in the competition who can match up well against any shooter.