General News
6 August, 2019
Bombers skittle lowly Tigers
A MORE positive approach has helped Cobden return to the Hampden league’s open netball winners’ list on Saturday.
A MORE positive approach has helped Cobden return to the Hampden league’s open netball winners’ list on Saturday.
The Bombers bounced back from a draw to South Warrnambool seven days earlier with a comfortable victory over Portland at Hanlon Park.
Coach Mel Starr revealed her side focussed on being a more positive unit after at times becoming victims of their own high standards in previous games.
She said a practice match at training during the week also helped the Bombers rediscover their winning form.
“The girls are really hard on themselves and it’s their biggest challenge, just overcoming their mindset and head space (at times),” Starr said.
“The big focus of our practice match and the weekend was just on that positivity and getting around each other because that’s been the biggest winning formula for us.”
The first-year mentor was thrilled with the approach, which paid dividends as the Bombers led by 16 goals at half-time before they surged further clear in the second half.
She said the return of Remeny McCann strengthened her line-up, while all players performed strongly.
“It’s something the girls have recognised within their own games (being more positive),” Starr said.
“The girls were in a pretty good head space, I think they went in pretty positive and feeling good from the practice match and that showed in their performance.
“It was great to have Remeny back for a half, she provided some additional drive that we were missing the previous couple of rounds.
“But every single player left everything out there which you couldn’t ask for more as a coach.”
Starr reserved further praise for shooters Molly Hutt and Emily Finch and defender Nadine McNamara, with the trio named Cobden’s best players.
“Molly Hutt had a really good game, she hasn’t played in the circle the last couple of weeks so it was good to get her back in there,” she said.
“Nadine McNamara had a brilliant game, she did a lot of work under the ring and Emily Finch shot 50 goals at 87 per cent so it was good to see her getting those big numbers again.”
Cobden’s victory left them eight points clear on top of the ladder with three games remaining, with the Bombers to face Koroit (second), Terang Mortlake (seventh) and Camperdown (fifth) to finish the year.
Starr said those three clashes would be the perfect lead-in to her side’s upcoming finals campaign.
“You don’t want to go into finals winning easily, you want to be playing those tough games and fighting it out for the full 60 minutes,” she said.
“They’re probably three of the best sides you could play, especially bringing Remeny back in and getting her match fitness and game fitness back up.”