By STEVE MENZIES
Splitting the eight KFC Alice Springs Netball Association team into two divisions has the potential for four even contests in this age group every afternoon for the rest of the season.
It begins on Saturday.
Some teams in the age group are made up of players at the top end of the age range while others are coming up from the 15s.
Giants Bark’n’Bath, Federal Red, Wests LinkUp and Seasons ASYASS are in Division 1 with Rovers Ravens, Rovers Raptors, Sundowners Elders Insurance and Neata Glass Giants in Division 2.
Three of the games will be at 1.30pm and the other at 4.30pm. Throw in the KFC A-Grade game at 3pm and it is an afternoon full of free entertainment.
Giants Bark’n’Bath are undefeated through the first six rounds and will play Seasons ASYASS, with four wins from its six games, from 1.30pm.
The other games at 1.30pm are Federal Red against Wests LinkUp and the two Rovers Division 2 sides. Sundowners Elders Insurance will play the winless Neata Glass Giants in the 4.30pm game.
Giants Bark’n’Bath has conceded the least goals of the four teams in Division 1 and this will give it favouritism in the game against Seasons.
But it has only scored 17 more goals so it is likely to be a close contest.
Federal has been the highest scoring team in the first six rounds and while it has conceded more goals than Wests it will go into this game as favourite.
Games between sister teams always have the added attraction of inter-club rivalry and Saturday’s clash between Rovers Ravens and Raptors will have plenty of this.
Sundowners players will be keen to record their second win for the season to keep ahead of Neata Glass Giants.
But Giants players will be just as keen to score their first win.
Molly Southam, and her Rovers Complete Construction KFC A-Grade team, will hope her good form from the weekend’s NT Link Championship continues.
Throw in another young in-form player from the weekend in Lucy Nicolai, Lauren Parai and Wendy Stafford and Rovers has too much attacking power for Wests Gillen Club in their game from 3pm.
Wests’ captain Katie Hannah will have the big job of not only stopping the Rovers’ centre court but starting her team’s attacks.
While her team is improving the longer it spends as a group, it has a long way to go to catch Rovers.
Wests has shown tenacity in fighting games to the end but it has not won yet this season and will not open the ledger against Rovers on Saturday.
Federal Club Eastside KFC A-Grade team will play Wests Epilogue A-reserves team from 4.30pm.
Games begin at the Pat Gallagher Netball Centre at 9am with the 8-and-under and the 10-and-under grades and are non-stop until 5.45pm.
There plenty of parking space available across Undoolya Road if the carpark at the courts is full. There is no need to park on the yellow lines on roads in the area and risk fines.