Sport
16 June, 2026
Lions roar to first win of 2026 over Newstead
With their encouraging season marred by unfortunate results, lady luck finally shone brightly on Harcourt last Saturday, overcoming Newstead in conversely damp conditions to record their first win of the season.
The eight-goal victory was a well-earned triumph for a Lions team that’s shown noticeable improve-ment from their three-win campaign last season.
Much of that promise has come from their fortified defence, which helped Harcourt build an early five-goal lead by keeping the Steaders scoreless early the opening term.
Boosted by the welcome returns of key contributors Morgan Howorth and Carly Chaplin, the Lions’ defensive unit forced Newstead to settle for tough long-range goal attempts early, shots that were routinely rebounded by Chaplin.
Despite a severe shower just before the opening pass making an already drenched Harcourt Recreation Reserve court even more treacherous, the Lions were potent in attack, turning their early ascendancy into a noticeable buffer.
With Layla Benson-Zepnick eventually slowing Harcourt’s advances with her timely intercepts and Jessica Currie powering the midcourt, the Steaders recovered quickly from a suboptimal start, bringing their deficit down to three goals by quarter time.
Hoping to celebrate her 100th game for Newstead with a victory, Brianna Jury captured her range in the second quarter as she and shooting partner Emily Cooper strived to eliminate the gap.
While the Steaders’ offence continuously grew in confidence, opposing shooter Jordan Bagley ensured the Lions lead remained intact.
After taking on Chaplin’s defensive duties in Harcourt’s last encounter, Bagley was flourishing back in her accustomed goal shooter role, helping the hosts preserve a narrow 17-13 lead at half time.
With both teams scrapping for a pivotal victory, the second half proved equally gripping as the first.
With Howorth, Ella Rule, Zoe Mclean and Ursula van Dyk continuously rotating positions, Harcourt possessed an extra dose of energy in the midcourt as they threatened to pull away at the restart.
However, the defensive efforts of Benson-Zepnick, Amelia Britt and Caitlan Bird ensured the Steaders stayed in touching distance, trailing by five goals at three-quarter time.
After their fourth-quarter flourish powered them to a hard-fought victory over Maldon a fortnight ago, Newstead were confident they could complete a remarkable comeback.
Those aspirations quickly hit a Lions sized brick wall, as Harcourt’s resilient defence rose to the occasion.
The Steaders desperately attempted to turn the tide with a wave of position changes, but Bagley and Jarrenhy Webb delivered the decisive blows for Harcourt, finishing with 23 and 10 goals respectively to secure a deserved four points.
Despite ending on a sour note, Jury played well in her centenary game, leading the Steaders with 16 goals while Cooper added nine.