LEOPOLD has lured experienced coach Leah Wilson to help return it to GFL netball finals.
The well-respected and highly-credentialed Wilson, (pictured centre with the 2012 Coaching panel) joins the Lions after three years as the inaugural coach of Geelong Cougars in the Victorian Netball League.
She has also carved out an impressive playing career, which included a stint with Melbourne Centrals in the VNL's predecessor, State League Championship division.
Joining Wilson at the Lions are Cougar stars Kaitlyn Amor and Bree Cail, who have crossed from Geelong West-St Peter's.
Netball Co-Ordinator Daryl Allwright said the club was excited to secure one of the most highly regarded coaches in the region.
"We are really lucky to have been able to obtain Leah's services. We consider her to be a great fit for our club, being probably the most experienced and qualified coach in the local area," Allwright said.
"We were not just looking for anyone. We wanted an experienced and fully qualified coach to carry on the excellent work of Kirsty Heazlewood who announced that she would stand down at the end of the 2011 season.
Allwright praised the efforts of Heazlewood who worked hard to develop the young Leopold netballers.
"Kirsty has established Leopold as a competitive club taking the A and B grade sides to the finals three years in a row," he said. "This has been an enormous achievement for someone who was only 22 when she took the role on five years ago."
Leopold Netball – Round 11 v Bell Park
Last week we had very tough matches against Bell Park. D Grade dominated from the opening pass, led by Jana McElhinney who was unstoppable in WA, opening up the attack end and feeding beautifully into the circle. C Grade was a battle of 4th v 5th so the girls were ready for a great tussle. Accountable, disciplined netball saw the girls come away with a great 14 goal win with the two goalers, Stacey Learmonth and Rachael Murray controlling the attack end. Cs now switch places with Bell Park and strive to climb higher come finals.
B Grade played top of the ladder Bell Park and they fought hard but a 15 goal margin it was at the end of the match. Kristy Williams played a solid match in defence. The As certainly had a lot to play for in Emma Allwright’s 100th senior match at the club. Bell Park got out to an early break but the entry of Kirsty Heazlewood into the game turned the momentum in our favour. The girls were only down by 2 at ¾ time but unfortunately did not play controlled netball in the last, losing by ten at the final buzzer.
A belated congratulations to Elli Smith (13 & Under Division 1) who has been selected to represent Victoria at the National Primary Schools Netball Championships in Darwin. Elli is an amazing player is a star of the future for Leopold. Elli is only bottom age 13s so this is an amazing achievement. We’re all behind you El!
Belated best wishes to a club favourite Kristen Oldham in her recovery from a ruptured archillies, suffered in the Lara match a few weeks ago. Kristen was in great form and is a huge loss to the A Grade side. We’re all going to miss you on court for this year Kristen J
A reminder that the Wine Trip is on Saturday 16th July. Always a highlight of the social calendar. $50 for lunch and all your tastings throughout the day. Confirmation and money to Mandy Smith or Roz Dewar by Thursday night.
Today we travel to South Barwon in what should be great matches.
Go get 'em Polders'!
Leopold Netball – Round 10 v St Josephs
Last week we had very tough matches against St Joseph’s at home. D Grade was magnificent for the whole match and again played great team netball, winning by 15 goals. It was a great tussle in C grade, with the lead changing several times throughout the match, but unfortunately it was not enough with the girls going down by 1 goal in a great match.
B Grade played an undefeated Joeys side and they showed just why that was. They were solid across the court. The highlight was the return of Kristen Thompson to the court after a nasty shoulder dislocation. It was a day the As would like to forget with Joey jumping out of the blocks early and capitalising on turnovers. The margin grew quickly and just could not be overcome. Melbourne Vixen, Tegan Caldwell was a fantastic inclusion into the Joey’s line-up and proved difficult to stop, shooting 37.
Congratulations to Lisa Carmichael and Eliza Alsop who played their 50th games for the club against Joeys on Saturday. Lisa returns to the club in B Grade after working in Point Cook in recent years. She is coaching 17&Under Div 2s this year. Eliza is a great club person who has emerged from the junior ranks, umpired for several years and is currently co-coaching the 19&Unders.
A huge congratulations to Emma Allwright who this week plays her 100th senior game against Bell Park. Em started playing seniors as a top age Under 15 player and has truly earned her stripes after enduring many seasons on the bench. She has now emerged as a reliable A Grade goaler and is having a great season. She has umpired for many years and this year volunteered to co-coach the 19&Unders. A true club person who deserves this great achievement. Have a fabulous match Em!
Congratulations to our 13&Under Div 1 team who remain undefeated after 10 rounds. A great achievement girls and fingers crossed the great run continues. Coach Chloe Fagan (A Grade) could not be prouder of the girls versatility, determination and work ethic. Keep it up girls! What a great future we have.
Today we travel to Bell Park in what should be great matches.
Go get 'em Polders'!
Leopold Netball – Round 7 v North Shore
Last week we met St Mary's on their fabulous new courts at Kardinia Reserve. The sun was out and the spray tans were on in preparation for the ball and the netball was as expected a tough contest with St Mary's in the top 5 in every senior grade.
The As showed they can certainly match, putting in competitive performances against the league favourites in the past two weeks. Going goal for goal in the first half, height became our enemy and a battle we couldn't match. Rachael King continued her impressive form in goals, shooting with accuracy and proving a strong target in the circle. Sarah Dore controlled the mid-court and matched it with the leagues 'Best and Fairest' from 2010, Renee Smith. Ebony Hansen, as always, was impressive in defence. A 12 goal margin certainly did not reflect the competitiveness of the contest. It was another nail biter for the Bs and unfortunately, we were again on the wrong side of the score line, losing by 3. It's the fourth loss under 5 goals this year and the girls need to end up on the other end of these close ones to ensure they can still push for finals.
The Cs returned to form with a 15 goal win courtesy of the 12-1 opening quarter. Simone Fagan continued her great return season and it was a great team effort in support. The Ds competed well against a quality St Mary's side but went down by 5 goals. Kirsty Harper put in another fine defensive performance and was well supported by the 'Go Gadget Arms' of Sarah Harlock.
Congratulations to our Under 13s Division 1 side who are so far undefeated. What an impressive little group they are and are well coached by A Grader Chloe Fagan. What a great future we have when these little stars hit the senior ranks!
It was fabulous to see the girls looking gorgeous at the Club Ball last week. What a brilliant night it was! We certainly showed we have some fancy footwork on and off the court! Tonight we look forward to our inaugural Red Faces night at the clubrooms. No doubt there will be lots of laughs and good times!
Today we welcome North Shore to our home. We look forward to a great day of competitive netball.
Go get 'em Polders'!
Leopold Netball – Round 6 v St Mary’s
Last week we met South Barwon and as expected, all matches were a tough contest. We were pleased with our efforts and results and showed our true competitive spirit in every match, as well as securing fabulous wins in D Grade and Under 13s, our stars of the future!
The mighty Ds put in a mighty performance for the full 40 minutes, playing steady, accountable wet weather netball. Jess Dewar controlled the pace of the game from the mid and Sarah Harlock defended brilliantly in defence. It was another great team effort that secured the fantastic 5 goal win. The Cs gave away an early 4 goal lead that they could not recover from in a low scoring match. Daisy Medic continued her improvement stepping into centre and playing a controlled game. Jacqui Osbourne had a great impact off the bench. Cs has lots of improvement to be done and are optimistic to quickly turn their form slump around.
The Bs are still searching for a true four quarter effort, although they fought back well to lose by 9 against a strong opposition. We welcomed Chrissie Rasmussen back onto the court after a nasty foot injury. Claire McFadgen had a fantastic game in goals, shooting 26 with great accuracy. The As went down but were more than competitive after a slow start to the match. Chloe Fagan was once again the leader and was well supported by Ebony Hansen in defence.
Congratulations to a club favourite and senior co-coach, Laura Clark (A Grade) who plays her 50th game for the club this week. Clarky has been with us for a while but shift work has hampered her ability to consistently string games together. Have a great match Clarky!
Our condolences to Jacqui Osbourne (C Grade) who last week lost her beloved grandfather. Our thoughts and sympathies are with you and your family Jak.
Tonight is night we’ve all been looking forward to, the Club Masqerade Ball! It will be a blast! Remember to keep organising your acts for the Red Faces night on Sat 4th June. All in good fun!
Today we travel to St Mary’s for another tough contest after their great start to the year. We thank St Mary’s for their thoughtful invite to join them for their Ladies Day today.
Go get 'em Polders'!
Leopold Netball – Round 5 v South Barwon
Last week we travelled we made the trek down to Colac knowing we were in for a very competitive day. It was great to hear the Colac crew comment on the great improvement of our junior teams. Things are certainly heading in the right direction with our Under 13s having a great win against Colac who are a dominant force in the all junior grades. Ds started the senior day on fire! A 14 goal first quarter set the scene with all girls contributing well. Bek Spencer (32) and Annette Kontogeorgis (15) combined magnificently in goals. 47 goals in a 40 minute game is a sensational effort, as is a 22 goal winning margin! Well done Ds! Cs were disappointing in their contest and just could not get it together on the day. Fingers crossed they'll bounce back to the standard they are capable of this week.
B Grade gained their first win of the season with the 'Roberts' girls on fire! Bron in defence and Lauren in attack were fed well by Lisa Carmichael who had a great impact off the bench. A Grade were certainly tested by the young, dynamic Colac girls but experience prevailed, running away by 10 goals in the last quarter. Chloe Fagan continued her brilliant start to the year and was again well supported by Rach King in goals.
Two weeks until the Masquerade Ball ladies! Get the frocks out and the spray tan on! Deposits due now to Ros Dewar.
Today we welcome South Barwon to Leopold. We always know we are in for a huge battle against the might of South but we are ready to rise to the challenge and see where we are at. To be the best, you've got to tackle the best! Let's hope playing on our turf yields some positive results!
Go get 'em Polders'!
Netball Raise Funds at Bunnings BBQ
Above is the set up crew for the Netball Clubs Bunnings Barbeque held on Sunday 19th June 2011. The BBQ raised over $2000 for the Football/Netball Club on the day. Everyone involved had a fun and enjoyable day whilst working hard at the busier times. Thanks to the following for their contributions on the day: The good cross section of players from the Senior Netball teams. Bunnings Waurn Ponds for giving us the opportunity. Bakers Delight Waurn Ponds and Kaye Oldham for donating the Bread. Rachael King for organising the bread. John & Shirley Fagan. Your support through out the season on many fronts is greatly appreciated. Trent West Brent Oldham. Overall a great team effort which has only been a good fund raising venture but great at building on a team spirit that is beginning to make Leopold a great Netball Club.
Leopold Netball – Round 4 v Colac
Last week we travelled to the Elderslie Reserve and were amazed by their fabulous facilities that will be the envy of every netball team in the league.
It was an extremely competitive day with B, C and D decided by margins of 3 goals or less. Ds struggled to get started, scoring only four goals in the first half. Daisy Medic had a great impact in centre, causing numerous deflections and positive turnovers. Kirsty Harper and Sarah Harlock were also solid in the defensive circle. C Grade didn’t lead for much of the day, but led at the final siren which was the main thing! Jacqui Osbourne played an outstanding game in the mid and was well supported by great defensive efforts from Simone Fagan and Eliza Alsop.
Under 19s had a fabulous win and played great team netball. Rebekah Putyra was a strong defensive presence in WD.
B Grade went down by only 3, but certainly opportunities to win the game. Kristy Williams made goaling tough for Newtown right throughout the match. A Grade were in control from the outset winning by 12 goals. Rachael King shot with accuracy and was well fed by the ever-consistent Chloe Fagan in the mid.
Today we make the road trip to Colac. We look forward to very competitive day of netball.
It’s time to frock up ladies in preparation for the upcoming Masquerade Ball on Saturday 21st May at the Geelong Football Club rooms. Please see Roz Dewar for tickets and to book your seat on the bus. A night on the social calendar not to be missed!
Good luck Polders’!
Leopold Netball – Round 3 v Newtown
We expected a new and improved Bell Park line up in round 2 and that’s exactly what we got! Their solid recruitment showed in what proved to be tough, physical encounters of quality netball. Both As and Bs disappointed to allow the margin to extend in the final quarter after playing quality netball for much of the match. As circle defenders Laura Clarke and Ebony Hansen worked tirelessly all day and Chloe Fagan had a great start to the year, with some spectacular falls to match! The Bs margin certainly didn’t reflect the first three quarters of the match, with Nicole Walker continuing her brilliant start to the year in goals, well supported by captain Aimee Plunkett in the mid.
The Cs played high quality netball, scoring a brilliant 17 goals in the second quarter to finish with a 27 goal victory. It was a true team effort. Simone Fagan defended brilliantly and was well supported by Lauren Moore in the mid. The Ds overcame an emotional week to dig deep and hold on to a 3 goal victory. Jess Dewar was great in WA and was well supported by Annette Kontogeorgis. The 19&Unders again played St Mary’s and it was again a top quality match. Unfortunately, this time the 1 goal victory did not go in our favour! Rebecca Sanderson had a stellar game in defence as did Eden Darragh in goal.
Our thoughts and sympathies are with Jess Dewar and Jana McElhinney who both lost their Grandfathers prior to round 2. We all dug a little deeper for you girls!
Today we travel to Newtown & Chilwell. We look forward to a great day of netball. They have had a great start to the year in all grades so we know that it will be a competitive contest.
Good luck Polders’!
Leopold Netball – Round 2 v Bell Park
It was a positive start to the season for us against St Albans with all senior matches extremely competitive contests. Although our main ‘rival’ in the competition, it was an extremely pleasant day and we thank the St Albans players and committee for welcoming us to their venue. We especially thank them for accommodating our Under 19s on the day.
A Grade have started the season brilliantly with a big win. Aimee Plunkett stepped up into A Grade in style and was well supported by defender Ebony Hansen. B Grade’s brand new team fought brilliantly but were narrowly defeated by 3 goals. Horsham recruit Bronwyn Roberts starred in WD and was simply unstoppable. C Grade fought extremely hard to record an impressive two goal win. Everyone at the venue, including St Albans, commented on how fantastic it was to see Simone Fagan back on court after suffering a horrific ankle injury two years ago. She was very impressive in her return game and was well supported by Eliza Alsop in defence. Kirsty Harper produced the game of her life, but unfortunately the mighty Ds could not overcome the height of St Albans. They fought hard and take great confidence away from their performance.
Seeing the 19&U out on court to play the first match in the inaugural 19&U season was fantastic. As a club, we take great pride in the hard work we put in to ensure this competition was a fair and even and that the 50 girls across the region got the opportunity to play netball as they deserve after completing a gruelling preseason. If the first round is anything to go by it will be a great season! Fighting back from 5 goals down against St Mary’s, the girls dug deep and fought back to win by 1 goal. Captain, Maddie Luppino was brilliant in the mid and was well supported by Eden Darragh in goals. We welcome St Mary’s back to our courts today for another high quality match.
Today we warmly welcome Bell Park to the Leopold. We know that they have had a lot of changes throughout the preseason and will be strong and competitive in all grades. We look forward to a tough contest.
A date for the diaries ladies. Sunday May 1st is the Wine Trip. A great day for players, Mums and friends! See Roz Dewar, Mandy Smith or Kristen Oldham for more details.
Good luck Polders’!
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