Sport
1 July, 2025
Newstead beat Harcourt
Newstead has solidified their position inside the top eight with a hard-fought 18-goal victory over Harcourt.
While the Steaders entered the match with the same team that defeated Campbells Creek last week, The Lions made one change following their round 10 draw against Dunolly, with Jessica Chaplin returning for Ella Rule.
With this game potentially having profound implications for the finals picture, neither team gave much to their opponent in the first quarter.
At the end of a quality first term, it was Newstead who had the upper hand with a three-goal lead at quarter time.
The Steaders shooting duo of Tayla Gale and Brianna Jury were firing on all cylinders right from the opening centre pass, with Gale scoring seven goals and Jury converting six.
After impressing against Dunolly last week, Jordan Bagley played a major role in the Lions staying just behind Newstead after the opening 15 minutes, netting seven goals from eight attempts.
Harcourt continued to battle into the second quarter, with their midcourt of Stacey Mitchell, Tamara Farr and Lauren Peeler moving the ball with great effect.
However, they couldn’t close the gap on the visitors, as Jessica Currie and Katie Tong ensured Gale and Jury remained in-form in the goal circle with their entry passes.
Eight goals from Gale and seven goals from Jury allowed the Steaders to extend the margin to seven goals by half time.
Bagley remained a reliable source of goals for the hosts under the watchful eyes of defenders Zoe Douglas and Chelsey Williams, scoring six goals in the second term.
Even after a strong performance in the first half, Harcourt knew they needed to step up to another level to decrease the deficit to Newstead in the match and the race for finals.
Yet the Steaders managed to slowly ebb away as the third quarter progressed, heading into three-quarter time with a 13-goal advantage.
Douglas found a way to quiet Bagley down in the third quarter while her teammates Gale and Jury remained automatic underneath the net, combining for 15 goals in the period with only two misses from Jury.
Harcourt remained persistent in the final quarter but Newstead proved to be too good, creating a six-point buffer between themselves and the Lions on the ladder thanks to their 59-41 win.
The double threat of Gale and Jury made the lives of Currie, Tong and Tahni Clark much easier on Saturday, as Gale top-scored with 30 goals while Jury was right behind her with 29 goals including nine goals in the last period.
Bagley was Harcourt’s leading shooting option throughout the match, continuing her recent form with 25 goals from 29 attempts.