This weekend’s games saw Healesville back at home for the first time since the end of May and looking forward to playing back on their home deck.
With Healesville’s U18’s and Senior Women having a bye this week, it was only Reserves and Seniors on the football front and with Healesville’s Don Road courts undergoing a long-awaited refurbishment.
Healesville Netballers’ games have moved indoors to Healesville High School till these works are completed.
First up for the day was the B Grade netballers.
Another tough day on court for B grade ladies with Emerald dominating the first quarter putting on 24 unanswered goals in the first period.
But ever determined and resilient Healesville girls fought it out to get on the scoreboard in each of the next periods but ultimately the Emerald girls were way too strong taking out the match 87-15.
Next up on court, Healesville A grade looked to continue their ever-improving form.
In the first quarter and at around the 10-minute mark, it was pretty even until Emerald had a couple of runs of unanswered goals to lead at first break 14-9.
During the next quarter, the Healesville girls managed to just outscore the visitors to reduce the lead to just four goals at the main break.
The third quarter saw the home side wrestle control of the game back in their favour to turn it around and take the lead by two goals going into the last period.
In the last quarter though, Emerald turned it back around getting the lead back and taking out the game 42-38.
Back up at the Don Road Complex and first up Healesville Reserve boys took the field looking to try and turn around the narrow loss to Emerald in round 2 and get their first win for the season.
Much like when they met in round 2, the first quarter was a fairly even contest with the visitors just coming out on top to lead 3.1.19 to 2.2.14 at first break.
In the next quarter though, the Healesville boys struggled to control the football as well as they did in the first only managing to to put on three behinds while allowing Emerald to add four straight goals.
The score at the main break was Emerald 7.1.43 to Healesville 2.5.17.
During the third quarter, Healesville’s defenders rallied to stop the run on Emerald and tighten the game up and restrict the visitors to just one point for the term but only making small inroads into the deficit only managing to put on 1.2 themselves.
Despite their great efforts, the Emerald boys in the end proved too strong winning the last by four goals to take out the game 12.3.75 to Healesville 4.9.33.
Best for Healesville: D.Ebbels, D.Plozza, D.English, J.Grace, H.Watkins, Gideon Houlihan.
Last up for the day, Healesville’s Senior team looked to increase their winning for to three on the trot.
First quarter was a really tight battle with nearly 15 minutes passing before Emerald managed to get the first major score on the board with Healesville just managing to get their first goal in before quarter time.
The score at first break was Healesville 1.6.12 leading Emerald 1.1.7.
After converting poorly in the first quarter, the Healesville boys may have been having flash backs to round 2 in which they kicked 11.28 for the game but fortunately for the home side the radar was working much better in second putting on five straight goals to Emerald 2.1 to lead at the main break 6.6.42 to 3.2.20.
In the third quarter, once again the game tightened up a bit with Healesville kicking 2.5 and Emerald 1.3 to have Healesville leading at last break by 30 points.
During the last quarter, again Healesville took the ascendancy back putting on 4.2 while holding Emerald to just one behind.
Final score was Healesville 12.13.85 to Emerald 4.6.30.
Another good win by Healesville boys and with seven rounds to go and sitting in fourth spot on the ladder in this first season back in Premier Division for quite awhile, Healesville is really looking forward to this back half of the season.
Best for Healesville: B.Murphy, M.Warren, T.Amarant, H.Munn, T.Van Driel, D.Sikorski.
Next week back at home with all teams on deck against Mount Evelyn.
