The team finished the round-robin section in fourth place with four wins from their seven matches to set up a battle with top placed Queensland for a spot in the gold medal match.
Queensland were undefeated heading into the clash with WA and took an early lead into quarter time after a couple of errors late from WA. WA fought back strongly in the second quarter to be down by one goal at half-time.
However, Queensland came out firing in the third scoring five goals in a row to put pressure on the WA team.
WA lifted in the last quarter and outscored the Queenslanders 11-5 to force the game into extra time. Nothing separated the sides after extra time, the match continued until one of the teams led two goals, and it was Queensland who rebounded a missed shot from WA and score off their centre pass to win the match.
The following day, WA faced off against Victoria for bronze and didn’t let the disappointment of the Queensland loss affect them. They jumped the Vics to lead by six goals at the first break off the back of converting five of eight positive gains.
The team looked composed and experienced in the second half especially when Victoria made changes in an attempt to disrupt the West Australians’ play. When challenged the WA side rose to the challenge to come away eight-goal winners to secure the Bronze Medal.
Coach Guy Keane said the championships showed the future of West Australian Netball was bright with the emergence of some future stars and strong development from the team over the course of the week.
“Young Halle Richards is only 14 years of age, she turns 15 in June, and she stood up all week against some strong assertive defenders who were two to three years older than her,” Keane said.
“Her Bronze medal match performance of 22/23 at 95 per cent was testament of her ability to compete strongly at this level.”
Keane also paid tribute to Captain Clara Wigley who was an elite presence over the whole tournament.
“Clara showed composure in attack, driving strongly to circle edge consistently and her relentless defensive pressure combined with an ability to intercept and win the ball just when her team needs her was vital for us all week.
“She is an inspirational leader on court and she had an incredible championship as a bottom age athlete who will only get better and better in the future.”
The WA Team in Darwin was made up of five players who were bottom agers and are still eligible for selection in 2024, which bodes well for the team’s campaign next year.
Day-By-Day Coverage
Day 1
WA 26 lost to VIC 31
WA opened the championships with a tough first up game against the 2022 Silver Medallist Victoria.
The first quarter saw WA controlled in attack and demonstrated strong one-on-one defence to end the quarter level. A poor beginning to the second quarter saw Victoria take the lead 21-10.
WA responded strongly in the second half with Rachel Kilchenmann coming on into GS with Halle Richards moving out GA, winning the second half by six goals wasn’t enough to win the match.
WA 55 defeated NT 16
WA’s second game for the day was a commanding win over the Northern Territory. All 12 players contributed to a strong performance with the goalers shooting at 90 per cent and the defensive end on top of their game to win 37 gains.
Day 2
WA 29 defeated TAS 24
WA had to work hard in the morning match against a determined Tasmania in Game 3. WA struggled to consistently convert off centre pass and positive gains. However, the young WA side show excellent resilience lead by experienced goaler Chloe Ramsay (16/20) to settle the team.
WA 33 lost to QLD 45
After a small lapse in concentration and a couple of errors late in the first quarter saw Queensland take the lead 12-5 at the break. WA locked into the game plan and just chipped away at the score line and played some disciplined netball to put some pressure on the experienced Queensland side.
Captain Clara Wigley was working overtime in defence winning ball back for her side but Queenslanders were too strong winning the match by 12 goals.
Day 3
WA 34 defeated SA 21
Just the one match for Day 3 but it presented as an important game for WA to potentially secure a top four position.
A consistent match from the attackers and a ball hungry mentality in defence saw the connection between the attacking and defensive unit grow. WA won all four quarters to win the match by 13 goals.
Day 4
WA 43 defeated ACT 17
The WA side come out firing with a 13-2 start against ACT. The defenders won plenty of ball and the attackers converted to apply scoreboard pressure early.
All 12 players took to the court and played their role in a game that was set up in the first half.
WA 32 lost to NSW 43
The last round match against New South Wales was a great chance to build confidence heading into the final series.
The team started strongly with both sides experiencing momentum swings during the first quarter which ended level. Unfortunately, a lapse late in the third quarter saw New South Wales take an eight-goal lead into the final quarter and WA weren’t able to wrestle back the score line going down by 11 goals to the second placed New South Wales.
