Sport
29 May, 2026
Eagles looking forward to competitive hitout
Headlining round seven of A grade netball action in the Wimmera Football Netball League is the clash between the Eagles and the Thunder on Saturday.
The sides, placed sixth and eighth respectively, will do battle at Anzac Park, Warracknabeal, when the Eagles host one of the WorkSafe AFL Victoria Country Club Series matches.
While the Eagles are coming off a loss to Horsham last week (41-58), the Thunder are also licking their wounds after being beaten by Ararat (28-58).
The Sarah Spicer-led Eagles are sitting at 2-3 at this point of the season while the Thunder are at 1-4-1.
Spicer said her side always had a great hitout against the Thunder but added the opposition had been more victorious recently.
While the goal scoring has been evenly shared between the Eagles' Lauren Clyne (85 goals this season) and Briodi McKenzie (71), Phoebe Bigham has been the go-to in the ring for the Thunder, with 136 goals from six games.
Bigham is currently fifth in the league's goal scoring.
The Eagles have been consistently led by a group of players early this season, including captain Emma Koschitzke (centre), Maddie Okely (defence) and Isabella Orszulak (defence), while the Thunder have had a number of players do their part over the weeks, including captain Connie Rule (defence), Kierra Schumann (attack) and Sydney Thorogood (defence).
Spicer said she was looking forward to the matchup between Clyne and Thorogood.
"Lauren has been in brilliant form for us," the coach said.
"Jordan Heller has recently stepped up from B grade into our GK position and is combining well with Isabella Orzsulak and the in-form Maddie Okely (WD/GD)."
Spicer said she was hoping her girls in the middle could dictate and execute their game plan.
"But again, we will be focusing on ourselves and doing the basic things well over four quarters," she said.
Other round-seven contests include Dimboola (third) and Minyip Murtoa (ninth), Stawell (fifth) and Horsham Saints (first), and Ararat (fourth) and Nhill (seventh).