SWNFL 2023: Eaton, Harvey Brunswick Leschenault look to continue dominating competition

They pulled off convincing victories last weekend, now competition leaders Eaton and Harvey Brunswick Leschenault will be looking to continue their dominant run in their respective matches this weekend. The South West Netball Football League is set to acknowledge its Indigenous round on Saturday just before NAIDOC Week kicks off for 2023 with a double-header of league matches. Eaton Recreation Centre will set the stage for a clash between Eaton and South Bunbury, while the Leschenault Leisure Centre will see Harvey Brunswick Leschenault and Bunbury go head-to-head. Fresh off the back of an 18-goal win against Busselton last weekend, Eaton continue to fly high over the competition, sitting atop the ladder with a 10-0 record for the season so far. While there was plenty to like about their collective performance on the court last weekend, Jessica Knight’s domination within the goal circle saw her deemed the best on the court for Eaton. Another talking point for Eaton was the impressive development of players from other grades, including a solid league debut from Reserves player Mikayla Williams, who held her own against Busselton’s Felicity Watson throughout the second half. On the other hand, South Bunbury have continued to show plenty of fight and determination on the court after holding off Augusta Margaret River by nine goals last weekend. While they found themselves trailing by one goal at quarter-time at the Margaret River Recreation Centre, South Bunbury turned it around during the second term, scoring 16 goals to the Hawks’ 11 to take the lead by half-time. With several young guns on the court, South Bunbury proved they had what it takes to roll within the league competition and kept the Hawks quiet during the final term to seal the win. Strong defensive performances seemed to give South Bunbury the edge in the contest, with defenders Zoe Bajaky and Tanika Dunlop judged the Tigers’ best on court. The last time Eaton and South Bunbury met was in round three, where Eaton dominated the court to win 63-25. Meanwhile, Harvey Brunswick Leschenault will be looking to notch their sixth win on the trot after defeating Carey Park 63-44 last weekend. After a relatively even start, the Lions started building a lead by outscoring the Panthers 17-9 during the second quarter. It wasn’t until the final quarter when HBL really put their foot down, dominating in attack to score 21 goals to help seal the win, with Katie Martin praised for her performance in the goal circle. HBL will look to maintain a dominant presence during their round 14 match against Bunbury, who will be returning from a bye after previously defeating Carey Park by 20 goals in round 12. The last time that they met, HBL pulled off a convincing 65-34 win against the Bulldogs in round three.