Sport
12 June, 2026
MCDFNL Round 9 Netball Preview Harcourt v Newstead
With Harcourt seeking their first victory of the season and Newstead keen to kickstart their finals push, Saturday’s matchup at Harcourt Recreation Reserve is poised to be a captivating contest.
While the desired results continue to elude them, the Lions proceed to produce promising performances. Their last match before the King’s Birthday long weekend was another example of Harcourt’s progression, battling the undefeated Natte Bealiba throughout despite being without key midcourter Morgan Howorth and defender Carly Chaplin.
Ursula van Dyk did an excellent job filling in at Howorth’s centre position, linking well with fellow midcourter Zoe Mclean and shooter Jarrenhy Webb, who guided the Lions to a highly competitive second and fourth quarters with 20 goals.
The trio will once again be tasked with powering Harcourt’s attack this weekend against a Newstead defence that recently restricted Maldon to 23 goals in a tense come-from-behind seven-goal victory.
After trailing by five goals at quarter-time, Amelia Britt, Layla Benson-Zepnick and Sophie Bond allowed the Steaders to wrestle back control with a brilliant second quarter.
As their defensive third halted Maldon’s momentum, Jessica Currie and Caitlan Bird were connecting well with shooters Emily Cooper and Brianna Jury after a slow start.
The shooting tandem sunk some clutch shots down the stretch to secure Newstead’s second win of the season.
While they managed to recover a fortnight ago, the Steaders can ill afford a sluggish offensive opening against lockdown defender Laura Suckling, who’s having a stellar debut campaign with the Lions.