Netball: Trip achieves goals

Year 9 and 10 Hedland Senior High School students were afforded the chance to visit Perth for four nights recently as part of the V Swans Shooting Goals Netball program.

During the first day of the trip, students watched a closed training session which saw the Australian Diamonds take on the Western Australian Institute of Sport.

Before the game got under way, students met Diamonds’ former coach Jill McIntosh, the WAIS coach Michelle Wilkins and two of the players from the WAIS team, Josie and Alicia Janz.

The girls were also given the chance to play against two Perth high schools, Warwick SHS and Aranmore College, in two full games.

Despite losing, students picked up some great experience and learnt a lot from the clashes.

The group also watched Malawi record a win over South Africa and the entertaining game between Australian Diamonds and New Zealand Silver Ferns.

The game was tight, with the Silver Ferns a number of goals up during the first half.

The Diamonds narrowed the margin and took the lead by two goals, and it was neck-and-neck in the last five minutes.

The Ferns won out by a point, but this did not dampen the Hedland students’ spirits after a momentous trip with some top class netball.