Sport
8 April, 2026
Thunder, Tigers clash in season opener
Southern Mallee Thunder will go head-to-head with Nhill this Saturday in the opening round of the Wimmera Football Netball League in A Grade netball.
After contrasting seasons in 2025, with the Thunder finishing fourth and Nhill seventh, both sides will be looking to see how they match up this year.
Lachie Exell is at the helm of the Thunder this year, and the side will be bolstered on court by the expertise of former player Kierra Schumann, who has returned from university.
Nhill's A Grade line-up this season is expected to be similar to last year, with the addition of Gemma Ryan, while Courtney Hillier has returned to the side.
Excell said his side was feeling excited for the season and couldn't wait to get out there and just play.
"Pre-season is great, but it's way more fun actually competing and playing," the coach said.
Excell admitted he was not sure what to expect from Nhill compared to last season, but acknowledged the indication from all reports that they have a similar team to last year.
"We are looking forward to putting out a good performance for ourselves and the result will take care of itself," Excell said.
"While it's a challenge to gauge where the game will be lost or won without seeing what the opposition is like yet, I'd say the first game of the season might come down to limiting error rates for each team and then converting on turnovers."
The game will be played at Davis Park, with the first centre pass at 12.15pm.