Tara Murray
The Sunbury Lions depth was on show against Lake Wendouree in the Ballarat Netball League on Saturday.
Missing five of their core players in A-grade and missing several players across the other grades, the Lions had to dig deep.
In A-grade, the Lions were able to work hard to come away with a 68-48 win.
Having struggled against the Lakers in recent times, Lions coach Kim Bailey said it was a really good performance.
“Since I’ve been back at the club we hadn’t beaten them and we had a heartbreaking finals loss to them last year,” she said.
“We had a couple of B-grade players come up in Ava Hellyer and Mackenzie Wood and they did an awesome job.
“We had no bench as well with a couple of players coming up to sit on the bench only if we needed them.
“To have five out of our starting line and get a 20 goal win, was really pleasing.”
Bailey said the combination of Rebecca Hicks and Tara O’Grady in goals was starting to click as they learned each other’s game.
Hicks scored 54 goals on Saturday and O’Grady shot 14.
The win gets the Lions back on the winners list after a draw and loss in their last two matches against last season’s grand finalists.
Bailey said they should get Elly Randall back next week, while Olivia Taylor, who has been filling in, is also available.
Taylor Honey is still four to six weeks away, while Ruth Smith will miss a few weeks while on her honeymoon.
Lani Fauonuku’s availability is limited until the under-17 Australian camp in July.
“We got all those players to come back and it will be exciting to see what they can do,” she said.
“We now have depth in the club. Mackenzie did an amazing job at goalkeeper and later said she’d been sick and had a crook back.
“We had illness and COVID through the club, we had the bare bones.”
The Lions remain in third spot after seven rounds.
This week the Lions face East Point.
Bailey said East Point is another one of their bogey sides.
Meanwhile in the football, the Lions had a massive win against Lake Wendouree.
The Lions jumped out of the blocks and led by 40 points at quarter time.
It was a sign of things to come, with the Lions running away with a 25.12 (162)-5.4 (34)
Jake Sutton kicked six goals, while Jacob Bygate and Mitch McLean kicked five goals each.
Bygate was named best on ground.
