Netball
12 May, 2026
Demons hold off Roos, Eagles edge out Rats
In round four of the WFNL, netball matches were highly competitive, with three games decided by three goals or fewer.
In a game reminiscent of a final, Horsham held off Dimboola in a fiercely fought contest, winning 45-42.
The Demons started strongly, leading 5-1 in the first five minutes as the new goal duo of Imogen Worthy and coach Georgie Carberry shot accurately.
As the game settled, the Roos responded through Nicole Polycarpou and Olivia Beugelaar, taking a one-goal lead just before the first break.
Scoring slowed in the second quarter as both teams’ defenders began to influence the game.
Goalkeeper Ebonie Salter and new goal defence Georgia Batson limited the Roos to 10 goals at 58% accuracy in the second quarter.
At the other end, Dimboola defenders Stephanie Glover and Bridget Dorrington also deflected several passes and rebounded consistently.
The Demons’ 12 goals at 67% accuracy gave them a narrow one-goal lead at halftime.
At halftime, Carberry made several changes, replacing herself with junior Zarli Knight at goal attack and bringing Febey McClure off the bench into wing attack.
As the match progressed, both teams traded goals and maintained 67% shooting accuracy under defensive pressure.
At the final break, a 10-9 quarter brought Dimboola level with Horsham at 31-all.
With the game on the line, the Demons dug deep.
Worthy and Knight delivered Horsham’s best quarter, scoring 14 goals at 82% accuracy, including a decisive five-goal run in the final minutes.
As pressure increased, the Roos managed only 14 shots in the fourth quarter, their lowest of the game.
At the final whistle, Worthy led with 35 goals, while Knight added eight and Carberry two.
Polycarpou led the Roos with 24 goals, and Beugelaar added 18 in her first game back since April 18.
After the game, Carberry and captain Salter praised the team’s perseverance.
“I think the best thing for us today is we know that other teams are making these changes because they feel they have to; we take a lot of confidence from that,” Salter said.
“We used our bench, and we've got a lot of depth this year.”
“Today was great; I felt like we really lifted in that last quarter; in previous years, we have a tendency to let that momentum slide,” Carberry added.
“Having someone like Zarli is a blessing; we've kind of stepped her up into the seniors, playing more into that wing attack position.
“We know we can swing her into goals; she has full confidence doing that because that's where she plays every week in juniors."
Salter lauded Batson, her new defensive partner, whose length and positioning disrupted the timing of Dimboola’s midcourt play.
“Georgia is learning a new position; it's her fourth game in. I think we're working really well together. She's just gonna get better and better as the season progresses.
“We've got Ginger [Short], who can swing in as well. We didn't have to use that today, but we have a lot of confidence in our whole defensive unit.”
In the grade’s third draw of the season, nothing could separate Southern Mallee Thunder and Stawell as the sides finished 42-42 at full-time.
At Sir Robert Menzies Park in Jeparit, the Warriors started strongly with a 12-9 opening quarter.
The hosts reduced the deficit to one goal at halftime with a 12-10 second quarter.
Stawell extended their lead at the final break, but the Thunder limited the Warriors to their lowest scoring quarter, 11-9, resulting in shared premiership points.
Phoebe Bigham top-scored for the hosts with 27 goals, while Kierra Schumann and Luca Landrigan added 10 and five, respectively.
Ayva Mitchell was the game’s highest scorer with 29 goals, while Madi Taylor added 13.
The Warrack Eagles edged out Ararat, winning 49-48.
Both teams traded goals in the opening quarter, with Lauren Clyne and Maggie Astbury each scoring seven.
After a 12-12 scoreline following the first break, the hosts built a two-goal lead before the Rats responded with a scoring run to lead by three late in the first half.
A late Astbury goal saw the visitors ahead at the main break, 25-24.
Coming off the bench, Briodi McKenzie made an immediate impact for the Eagles, helping establish a four-goal lead midway through the third quarter.
The Rats responded with interceptions and precise passing, as Laney McLoughlan’s accuracy led the visitors on a seven-to-one scoring run.
The Eagles rallied, and McKenzie’s eighth goal of the quarter put the home side ahead 39-38 at the final break.
Just like the opening quarter, both teams traded goals before each went on short scoring runs.
With less than five minutes remaining, Warrack led 47-44, but Ararat drew level three minutes later.
McKenzie scored the decisive goal with 58 seconds remaining, securing the Eagles’ second win of the season.
Lauren Clyne led the hosts with 28 goals, while McKenzie (12) and Nicola Clyne (nine) contributed strongly over two quarters each.
McLoughlan top-scored with 29 goals, while Astbury added 19.
The Horsham Saints secured their 22nd consecutive victory with an 81-39 win over Nhill.
At David Park, the defending premiers overcame challenging conditions, leading 23-13 at quarter time and extending the margin to 44-18 by halftime.
The Saints recorded their lowest-scoring quarter as the Tigers reduced the margin to 29 goals.
A 20-9 final quarter secured a 42-goal victory for the Saints.
Jorja Clode led all scorers with 35 goals, while Lena Marshman (26) and Olivia Taylor (20) provided strong support.
It was fairly even in scoring for the hosts, with Ruby James (17) leading, followed by Zara Polkinghorne (15) and Charlotte Foulds (seven).