How good was it to be back at Blackburn Park watching the Kangas on the field and court??
A huge thank you to all the volunteers that made the day such a success, its been a long time coming and we couldn't be happier to have you all back.
Our Juniors both football and netball were visibly excited to be back playing community sport after having so long off. Although goals were difficult they more than made up for it with their enthusiasm. We love seeing the young ones participating in sport they love and learning all about teamwork and the values of our club.
The U18s put up a really strong fight against Mildura and there are promising signs for the season ahead. Sam Scott and Tim Vine along with Darcy Cresp in the forward made strong moves early on. Despite multiple injuries, there were plenty of positives to take away from teh game.
The Reserves flew out of the blocks in the first quarter kicking 5 goals with the breeze. Conor Schultz must have been unhappy with new coach Luke Summerhayes starting him on the bench with Schultz kicking 4 goals in 10 minutes once he came on to be the story of the quarter. New players Dylan Davies and Brad Parsons looked at home on the Kanga field with Todd Barker and Andy Rowan helping with the defensive line in the last quarter.
Ouyen Seniors were simply outclassed by a slick Mildura Outfit in a disappointing loss to start the season, It took a bit of Jesse Vallance magic to get the Kangas on the board. Returning stars Dallas Willsmore and Warrick Brady gave us some drive through half-back and midfield. Alex Morrish and Sam Mead made the most of their goal scoring opportunities and link up players Ryan McKay and Dean Staunton started to get their hands on the footy. Hayden Pyke (recruit) was Ouyen's best with a strong 4 quarter performance on ball. The Kangas left Mildura scoreless in the last quarter but unfortunately still went down.
Our netballers all had the nervous first game jiutters but it didn't take long for the girls to find their grooves. The Juniors showed great efforts in all games with great pressure and passes down the court. Although the scoreboard didn't show what we wanted it to, the girls all fought hard and played great games across all grades.
The C Res girls played a very close game throughout the whole 4 quarters and managed to get their first win of the season which was very welcomed after a not too successful 2019 season. The shooters were spot on under pressure and the defensive weren't letting Mildura get a look in.
C Grade had a confident start to the season with some great passages of play however the opponent slipped through with the win.
B Grade came out firing with emphasis on clean and composed passing through the mid-court. This team has great opportunity with the versatility of the players and could be in for another great year.
Our A Grades also come away with the chocolates Saturday as a solid start for the reigning premiers. The speed throughout the mid-court was definitely on display as well as Cat and Esther in defence not letting their opponents rest. Half time pep talk for the Coach urged the girls to relax and play their own game. Ash and Tayla worked well together in the ring to get the goals up. Great game all round for the team.
We have some very strong teams this year that are looking like they will all be very competitive and hopefully we'll be able to get a couple more wins on the board in our next match against Merbein.
