Shepparton co-captain Hannah Crawley has praised her side’s composure under pressure after a hard-fought 45 to 39 A-grade netball win over Seymour at Deakin Reserve.

In a round two Goulburn Valley League clash that featured strong momentum swings throughout, the Bears built an early buffer before being forced to withstand a spirited Seymour fightback in the final quarter.

Crawley said her side had to “ride the wave“ as the contest tightened late on.

“We definitely had to ride the wave a bit, there was a lot of ups and downs,” she said.

“I felt we did have control most of the time and it was a bit of our own missing of passes and things like that.”

The Bears made a fast start, jumping out to an early lead before holding a 24 to 16 advantage at half time and extending it to 35 to 27 at the final break.

Despite Seymour’s late surge, which was led by efficient shooting from Alyssah Chibnall and Olivia Pearce, Shepparton steadied in the closing minutes to secure the six-goal win .

Crawley said the result was particularly pleasing given the number of changes within the side.

“We had a lot of new combinations today and a lot of girls playing where they don’t normally play, so it was good to get the win,” she said.

The victory continues a positive start to the season for the Bears, who have been forced to navigate a disrupted pre-season and several personnel changes.

“We’ve had a few outs this year and we’ve had a few girls come in and they’re really finding their straps, which has been really good,” Crawley said.

“It’s been great to get everyone out on the court.”

Crawley admitted the group was still building cohesion after an interrupted lead-up to the season but said signs were emerging that the team was beginning to click.

“It’s been a little bit of an unconventional pre-season with some kids at uni and people injured, so it hasn’t been our best lead-up,” she said.

“But at the moment we feel like we’re starting to piece things together and getting more numbers at training.

“Hopefully we can build on the connection and also bring some structure into it as well — so it’s good to have two wins.”

Shepparton’s attacking efficiency proved a key factor in the result, with Kimberly Borger (26 goals) and Ruby Higgins (18) combining for a flawless shooting performance .

Crawley also highlighted the influence of key contributors across the court.

“I think Sophie [Harmer] going into the midcourt was definitely influential and her drive was second to none,” she said.

“We’ve got a few midcourters out today, and then we had Ruby [Higgins] - she did a really good job.”

Looking ahead to next week against Mooroopna, Crawley said the return of key players would provide a significant boost as the Bears continue to build.

“We will get some players back as we were obviously a bit depleted today,” she said.

“So we have two of our starting seven from last year’s grand final out, so having them back on midcourt will be a confidence booster, getting some more experience out on the court.”

The Bears will look to build on their early-season momentum as they continue to develop combinations and consistency across the coming rounds.

Elsewhere in the GVL A-grade division, Shepparton Swans recorded a dominant 75 to 22 win over Kyabram, while Echuca proved too strong for Benalla with a 59 to 12 victory.

Meanwhile, Mansfield defeated Rochester 52 to 45, Shepparton United fell to a 50 to 39 loss versus Euroa, and Mooroopna rounded out the winners with a 47 to 40 victory over Tatura.

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Thursday, 26th March 2026

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