Sport
7 July, 2026
Sensational Navarre earn blockbuster victory over fellow contender Carisbrook
For the second year running, the Navarre Grasshoppers earned an eye-catching statement victory at Carisbrook’s expense, besting an understaffed Redbacks by 28 goals.
Reminiscent of their 41-34 win in their most recent encounter with Carisbrook, the Grasshoppers emphatically pulled away from the Redbacks after half time following a tightly contested first half.
While a defensive masterclass was pivotal to Navarre’s triumph over Carisbrook last season, it was the Grasshoppers’ venomous attack that dealt the damage on Saturday as Zanaiya Bergen and Aliza Lockhart stung the visitors with 35 second-half goals.
As Navarre welcomed back superstar defender Jess Parry, Carisbrook found themselves in a contrasting pickle with Chloe Egan and Lauren Jones both unavailable along with elite midcourter Laura Hurse.
In a bid to solidify their defensive structure in the absence of Egan and Jones, the Redbacks called up accomplished veteran Sherriden Byrne and Jade Richardson from B grade.
Tipped to be an enthralling encounter between two of A grade’s top teams, the Redbacks and Grasshoppers did not disappoint as the two heavyweights traded heavy blows throughout the first quarter.
Despite Byrne turning back the clock with several key inter-ventions alongside Finley Wagstaff and Elise Mottram, Sidney Dyer and Brooke Currie found Bergen and Lockhart with regularity early, allowing the dynamic duo to find their range quickly.
Not to be outdone, Katie Bilton, Jordan Macilwain and Abbey Nalder were equally sensational in Carisbrook’s attacking third as the first quarter ended with both teams deadlocked at 15-15.
When play resumed for the second quarter, Navarre’s stacked defensive trio of Parry, Jade Allen and Amber Perry increasingly began to halt the Redbacks’ ad-vances with timely interceptions.
Not only did those defensive stops slow Carisbrook’s offensive production, but they also allowed the Grasshoppers to fully implement their rapid transition, giving the visitors less time to set up defensively.
With midcourters Perry, Dyer and Currie turning turnovers into scoring chances in the blink of an eye, Bergen and Lockhart scored an impressive 19 goals in the second quarter to give Navarre a healthy seven-goal lead at half time.
The Redbacks attempted to respond after half time with a reshaped defence that placed Mottram on Bergen at goal keeper while Wagstaff and Byrne shared duties at goal defence and Richardson wore the wing defence bib.
However, even seven defenders wouldn’t have stopped Navarre’s indomitable attack, who put the game to bed by three-quarter time thanks to a 20-9 third term.
Not satisfied with their 18-goal lead at the final change, the Grasshoppers kept placing unbearable full-court pressure on Carisbrook ball-handlers, routinely forcing turnovers and centre breaks.
Bergen and Lockhart flourished on those turnovers, finishing with 40 and 29 goals respectively as Navarre claimed their biggest scalp of the season.
Nalder was a standout performer for the Redbacks, leading with 28 goals at a 82 percent shooting percentage alongside player-coach Macilwain who netted 13.