Eagles bask in

By Jarrod Potter
A NARROW victory over rivals Devon Meadows was a great reward for new Cranbourne A grade coach Natu Faanana in the opening game of the Casey Cardinia Netball League season.
After trialing new tactics and combinations in the first quarter, Faanana, playing and coaching from her favoured wing defence position, put her best players on the court to guide Cranbourne to a 28-25 win.
Casey Fields was beset by a howling wind all day, making conditions awkward for the players to find the right rhythm.
“I’ve played on indoor courts for a long time, so being outside dealing with the elements is difficult,” Faanana said. “We are great at playing a long and fast game, but we had to be patient and play short because of the wind. That’s where your experienced players are most crucial, as they’re able to switch it up and slow the pace down when necessary.”
Cranbourne worked its way from behind in the rescheduled round 18 game, with a late flurry of goals in the final quarter pushing the Eagles to victory.
The Eagles struggled to find fluency until the last quarter, when strong defensive pressure from goal defence Tara Cecil and Faanana set up smart possession play through the centre, which Devon Meadows was unable to stop.
Emily Wilson stood strong at goal attack for Cranbourne, performing excellently as she slotted 15 goals under difficult circumstances.
“Emily has been on antibiotics all week and missed a training session, so it was a great effort for her to play well. She gave it all she had and left everything on the court,” Faanana said.
The Eagles were chasing all day, as Devon Meadows goal shooter Megan Fox put on a dominant display, scoring 20 of her side’s 25 goals.
Despite the windy conditions, which caused both teams to struggle to hit their shots, Fox scored at ease and created match-up problems for Cranbourne.
Devon Meadows wing attack, Liz McCallum, and goal attack Shannon Gill, were also impressive in the defeat, moving the ball freely around the forward third and setting up good chances for Fox.
Cranbourne play Doveton this weekend at Casey Fields, while Devon Meadows will look to shrug off this loss and take the points against Hampton Park at home.