Sport
19 May, 2026
Swans flex their muscles after tense opening term
Natte Bealiba continued its torrid pace as one of the early pacesetters in the MCDFNL with a convincing 47-goal victory over the Maryborough Giants.
Assisted by the midcourt excellence of Ebony Raven, Ella Tranter and Chloe Ross, shooting sisters Eve and Sian Mortlock combined for 66 goals as the Swans eventually breezed past the Giants after a hard-fought first quarter.
Both teams were relatively unchanged from their commanding wins over Newstead and Trentham in their last outings, with Eve Mortlock making her first A grade start after making her debut in round five.
Injected with some needed confidence the week prior, Mary-borough immediately went toe-to-toe with the powerhouse Swans, with 17 and under premiership players Bridget Allan and Lacey Broad linking well in the Giants’ attacking goal circle.
The visitors’ defence was also excellent in denying the Mortlock’s development of an early groove in the first quarter.
Despite the Giants’ impressive start, the Swans managed to pull ahead by the opening break, leading 14-12.
After regrouping at quarter time, the floodgates opened for Natte Bealiba as their explosive midcourt began to take over.
While defenders Naomi Medlyn and Ellie Martin gained the upper hand in their matchups in the goal circle, the Swans immediately turned those turnovers into goals with their rapid attacking tempo.
The Giants tried everything to stem the bleeding as players constantly shifted positions throughout the quarter, but every switch proved unfruitful, as Natte stormed to a 20-goal half time lead after scoring a devastating 24 goals in the second term.
Looking to combat their opponents’ ever-changing midcourt, the visitors continued to tinker with their lineup at half time.
Maddison Smith was brought on to play wing defence, Kayley Walhouse shifted to centre and Riahni Egan and Macey Parry became the new defensive pairing in the goal circle.
After being restricted to six goals in the second quarter, the Giants refound their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, with several long lob passes into the goal circle catching the Swans’ defence off guard.
However, Eve and Sian Mortlock continued their sweltering scoring pace after the interval, with Sian’s off-ball movement and crisp passing ensuring Eve could wait for clear-cut opportunities.
After the margin ballooned to 32 goals at three-quarter time, Chelsea Ross was brought on for her 18 and under teammate Eve Mortlock to give the fellow promising shooter a chance to make an impact.
Assisted by several entry passes from her sister Chloe, Chelsea Ross ended with 14 goals to complete another impressive performance from the Swans.
Alongside Chelsea Ross’ 14, the experienced Sian Mortlock led the way with 38 goals, while Eve Mortlock scored 28.
After playing for Golden Square’s A grade team that morning, Broad was the Giants’ leading scorer with 20 goals at an 83 percent shooting percentage. Player-coach Laura McStravick went a perfect six for six on Saturday, while Allan added seven.