WNA - The Ararat Rats enjoyed some respite from the elements last weekend in the Wimmera Netball Association, disposing of the Horsham Saints under cover at Coughlin Park.
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Rats injured A grade captain Megan Shea said after two weeks of playing in the rain her team adjusted well to the dry conditions and got away to one of its best starts of the season.
"It was nice to get out of the wet weather, as I said last week we have been training for this match all year because we train indoors," she said.
"They were only behind by a couple of goals at quarter time so they definitely matched us for a good 15 minutes or so.
"Once we got our noses in front and edged ahead the girls relaxed a bit more and played their natural game, but they definitely had to fight to shake the Saints off."
The Rats turned a 12 to seven goal advantage into a comfortable 19-goal buffer by halftime, with Kira Payne leading the way from defence, bringing the ball down the court with plenty of aggression.
Shea said shooter Tahnee Walker, who finished with 39 goals for the match, was the standout.
"There were a lot of players that came in and out of the game, but I thought Tahnee was our most consistent over four quarters," she said.
"The ball was in our attacking end a fair bit and I asked her to come out of the circle a bit more and not play a holding game, so she moved around a lot and really followed those instructions well."
The Rats ran the game out strongly and eventually secured a 28-goal victory, 54 to 26.
Third place Ararat will face Horsham RSL Diggers tomorrow at Alexandra Oval, before hosting ladder leaders Horsham the following round.
"We beat the Diggers pretty easily last time (49-34) and with Horsham the following week it was good to have practice for that 15 minutes fighting off a team that was sticking with us," Shea said.
In the run home the Rats play three fellow top five teams in the final month of the home and away season.
Shea said her team is prepared for the challenge, with a good mix of experience and youth.
"Our three juniors, Tiffany (Boatman), Lauri (Williamson) and Danielle (Borrelli), the way they are playing at the moment is fantastic," she said.
"They have all got a handful of games under their belt now and have adjusted really well.
"Danielle was particularly impressive last weekend. She has really stepped up in A grade and her attack on the ball is great to see."
Despite a 13-goal loss the Ararat Rats' B grade team was able to play four reasonably consistent quarters.
Coach Donna Spalding said Claire Harricks (Ararat Hotel) played hard for the entire match at goal defence.
"She is playing out of position this year and each week she improves," she said.
"Once again Kara Cunningham (goal shooter) and Alice Laidlaw (goal defence) moved well in the circle, creating many opportunities for Hannah Miller (centre) and Lee Jackson (wing attack) to put them under the ring.
"Considering the Saints are in the top five, the girls came away feeling proud of their efforts."
The Rats' 17 and under side held a lead of 20 goals during their match before the Saints out scored their opponents in the second half.
Lauri Williamson (Ararat Bakery) showed her versatility as a goal shooter, constantly putting her attacking offsider Tiffany Boatman in under the post with brilliant passing.
Despite the charge home by the Saints, the Rats hung on to record the 53 to 42 victory.
Breeanna Toomey led the way for Ararat in the 15 and under A match, putting in a strong four quarters in defence.
Toomey executed a number of impressive rebounds against her taller opponent, while Mikayla Bohner put in a consistent performance and intercepted the ball on a number of occasions.
Overall the Rats produced some good netball, but it wasn't enough as the visitors fell short by 10 goals.
Ararat's 15 and under Bs met a tough opposition and trailed at each change of ends, eventually going down 27 to 17.
The Saints sealed victory in the final quarter, despite the best efforts of Indie Calvert (Ararat Bakery) and Molly Ganley.
It was a battle of fourth versus third place last Saturday in the 13 and under match, with the young Rats keen to match it with the Saints and gain some confidence heading into finals.
After a thrilling contest just one goal separated the two teams heading into the final term, but a strong fourth quarter from the home side saw the Saints victorious, 38-25.
Abby Moar stepped up to the occasion for the Rats and played four solid quarters in centre, while Annie Shea received the ChemMart Award for her efforts in feeding the ball into attack.