Local kids star in AFL Championships and interleague netball

By Krista Schade

Local AFL talent Jim Houston took to the field with the Allies on Sunday, as part of the under 18s representative team.

The Allies squad brings together elite Under-18 footballers from New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, Queensland, and Tasmania.

Allies matched up with South Australia in the first round of the championships, and played at Blacktown International Sportspark on Sunday.

The entertaining game was evenly matched, with SA taking a narrow seven-point win at the final siren.

Houston got onto the board early, kicking a behind in the fifth minute of the first quarter.

Houston is part of the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) academy program, and performed well in trials earlier in the year, leading to his selection.

“He has been outstanding in the ruck and forward for us, and is training really well,” GWS academy coach Tadhg Kennelly said earlier in the year.

“He’s a boy from the middle of NSW so he’s done really well with the travel piece. He has been a real standout for us.”

Each year group competes against rival teams Vic Metro, Vic Country, Western Australia, and South Australia as part of the prestigious Marsh AFL National Championships.

The Allies will next meet Western Australia on June 29.

Hay competes at Golden Rivers Interleague netball in Bendigo

By Hay Lions

On Sunday, Hay players travelled to Bendigo to take part in the Central Victoria Netball Association netball tournament at Red Energy Stadium.

They played in Golden Rivers Interleague teams across the Under 13, 15 and 17 age groups.

The 13s had a mixed day, finishing fourth on the ladder with three wins, three losses and one draw. The team worked well across all areas of the court.

Emma Brown played in centre, wing defence and goal keeper. In centre, she worked hard to link defence to attack with consistent leads and strong passes.

In wing defence, she applied pressure on the opposition's wing attack and helped force turnovers. When moved into goal keeper, she defended well under the post and was effective at rebounding missed shots.

Grace Auldist played a solid game in goal defence, sticking closely to her opponent and contesting every ball. She also had a turn in centre, where she helped drive the ball down the court and supported both ends with steady passing.

The 15s had a strong performance, winning nine out of 11 and making it through to the grand final, where they were narrowly defeated.

Evie Creighton played most of the day in wing defence.

She kept close to her opponent, slowed down their attacking play and picked off several intercepts through the middle third.

Hannah Jamieson played goal attack, combining well with her goal shooter. She moved well around the ring, created space and converted her shots reliably.

Poppy Barnes played in wing attack. She delivered accurate feeds into the circle and helped transition the ball quickly from defence into attack, with strong drives and quick decision making.

The 17s faced tough competition, finishing the day with one win from 10 games.

Emily Taylor played the full day in wing attack. She worked hard on the transverse line, gave reliable options for centre passes and delivered accurate balls into the goal circle under pressure.

The players will return to Bendigo in two weeks for another full day of games.

Each team will be looking to build on their performances and continue developing their combinations on court.

Addison, Sophie and Chloe - Balranald Roos netball stars

By Kimberly Grabham

Congratulations to Balranald Roos 15’s captain Sienna Comitti and Balranald Roos A Grade player Chloe Taylor.

The pair both enjoyed successes at the recent Victorian Netball Association tournament in Bendigo.

Chloe coached the 15 Reserves side, with Sienna leading from the court.

The team went undefeated through seven games, drew the grand final with Wimmera, and powered through 10 minutes of extra time to take the win 21–14.

Also representing the league was Addison Papa in the 13’s competition.

The team had a great day on the court, only missing out on finals due to percentage.

“Two weeks ago, they fought really hard at the semis in Echuca, and now they enjoyed a win in Bendigo, the team are really pleased with their efforts,” said Sienna’s mother Melissa Comitti.

The team will participate in another tournament, on June 15.

“Sophie was pretty pleased when she came home last night, all the hard work is paying off.

“Well done to all of the team and to Chloe as well,” Melissa said,