Netball
28 June, 2025
Lakers ready to take on in-form Kalkee
Taylors Lake are hopeful of a potential upset in A Grade netball when they travel to Kalkee this Saturday in round 11 of the Horsham District Football Netball League.
The Lakers are currently seventh on the ladder with three wins and six losses and will be hoping to reverse the result of their recent 58-29 loss to reigning premiers Laharum.
Kalkee enter the clash coming off perhaps their most impressive win yet, a 48-44 win over Edenhope Apsley.
The win over the Saints boosted Kalkee to third on the ladder with six wins, and another win on Saturday will make it three straight for the home side.
Sharon Fedke, coach of Taylors Lake, is confident her side can challenge the strong Kalkee side.
“Kalkee, they've been playing some really good netball,” Fedke said.
“They had a great win on the weekend against Edenhope.
“I know that it's going to be a real tough ask for us but I just hope that the girls can just continue to improve on the things that we've been working on and give Kalkee a good run for their money.”
Despite their 29-point loss against Laharum, Fedke insists the scoreboard did not reflect the team’s performance.
“Obviously, Laharum are the reigning premiers, but we were in the contest – they had to make changes,” Fedke said.
“I think that our improvement has shown in the sense that we didn't back down and I thought we contested really well.
“You would think a 29-goal loss is still a huge loss but compared to what the losses have been in the past I think there’s great improvement in the group.”
While the Taylors Lake coach said her side could challenge any team on their day, she is taking a long-term view of the side’s progress.
“This was never going to be a quick fix,” Fedke said.
“This, for me, is a long-term goal of rebuilding and working with the girls to look to the future, because they’re so young, and I’m excited about the future of the group.
“When I see them playing some really great passages of play and taking on board the things that I'm trying to teach them, and seeing them going out there and trying to execute that, for me, that is a win.”
Another key A grade netball game will be the Swifts hosting Rupanyup.
In round 10, the Swifts lost 58-38 to a strong-shooting Noradjuha Quantong side, but a statement win this Saturday against the Panthers will keep them firmly in finals contention.
Conversely, a Rupanyup win will push them one win clear at the top of the table, with recent wins against Harrow Balmoral (58-22) and Pimpinio (68-27) indicating they will be hard to overcome.
In other A gGrade netball fixtures, Harrow Balmoral host Edenhope Apsley, Pimpinio look for their first win against Natimuk, and Kaniva Leeor go against Noradjuha Quantong.