Sport
26 August, 2025
Redbacks fight to a prelim berth over Swans
Carisbrook have booked their place in the preliminary final after holding their nerve against Natte Bealiba, victorious by seven goals in a hard-fought match.
Natte have now suffered back-to-back defeats, hoping to get back on track quickly when they play Lexton in the semi-final.
Despite regularly using their bench to great effect in the home and away season, Carisbrook player-coach Jordan McClure said the continued effort of her starters compelled her to leave her team unchanged on their way to a key win.
“Overall, it was really a team game, I think we had really strong pressure all over the court and that’s part of what got us away with a win,” she said.
“We only played with the seven today, but the seven really put in a great effort and we felt like we couldn’t change it.”
With both teams looking to prevent their opponent’s high-powered offence from getting on a roll early, the first quarter was a relatively low-scoring affair.
The midcourters had to work extremely hard to find any space to receive the ball, leading to limited chances for shooters to build momentum.
After a tense first quarter, it was the Redbacks who held the early advantage, up by two goals at quarter time.
Abbey Nalder started the match in top form for Carisbrook, making 10 of her first 12 attempts. Nalder also did a brilliant job rebounding some early misses from McClure, who recovered to score four.
With the Swans still adjusting to their new shooting tandem of Emma Ryan and Ashlee McClelland, the ball was being funnelled to Ryan, who scored all of Natte’s 12 goals in the opening term.
While there was slightly more space for players to maneuver around in the second quarter, it didn’t translate into one team gaining a noticeable upper hand.
The teams traded mini breaks and strong passages throughout the period, which ended with Carisbrook slightly extending their lead to four goals at half time.
Nalder remained in good touch with 10 goals for the quarter while McClure developed a rhythm in the second quarter with six makes.
With Redbacks defenders Maggie Tranter and Finley Wagstaff doing everything they can to limit Ryan to 11 goals, McClelland began to show her shooting range with three goals.
Determined to assert control, the Swans started to chip away at the Redbacks’ lead in the third quarter, moving within one goal midway through the term.
However, Carisbrook quickly regained their composure with Tranter and Wagstaff in defence and Laura Hurse and Katie Bilton in the midcourt, allowing them to rebuild a five-goal lead into the final break.
Nalder continued to have a brilliant game with 11 goals in the period. McClure was a key distributor to Nalder in the third while also adding two.
Ryan kept the Swans in touching distance by netting 12 goals.
Looking to secure a preliminary finals berth, the Redbacks upped their defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, especially in their defensive third, forcing Natte to make several extra passes to find an opening in the goal circle.
Not only did this prevent their opponents from generating consistent offensive momentum, it also limited their opportunities to make a comeback.
Forced to take extreme risks late, the Redbacks pounced with several key intercepts to seal the victory over the Swans.
Defenders Ellie Martin and Bella Westbrook had a great last quarter for Natte, but McClure stepped up when her team needed it most, scoring all seven of her attempts in crunch time.
Ryan finished with a game-high 45 goals, closely followed by Nalder, who ended on 36.
McClure said the persistence of Carisbrook’s defence in the last 15 minutes was critical in sealing the result.
“Hurse and Bilton outside the ring and then Tranter and Wagstaff inside, they all put in an incredible effort and I think it makes a difference when you play teams like Natte,” she said.
“Ella Tranter is so capable of passing that ball in and as soon as we got that pressure, it sort of makes them hesitate, so I think that was the key down there.”