By Treveen Page

The 10/U netball competition started with a thriller between the Little Saints and the Young Stars last Tuesday at Port Courts.

Both teams were strong in defence and attack for all 4 quarters ending in a 2 all draw with best players Hollie Le Griffon and Prudence Dean.

Pink Lightening played the Young Comets, the Comets kept the pressure up despite some great plays by Lightening taking the game 5-2 with best players Mercedes Ramsay, Bo Lily Jenkins and Lani Dickson.

The 12/U division started with the Young Sapphires playing the Pythons, the Pythons used their strength and experience to full advantage taking the game 24-4 with best players Jay Heidke, Kate Padovan, Koreena Minniecon and Hannah Durie.

The Young Gems played Fast Motion in a tough contest it was close for 3 quarters but The Gems persisted to take the win 19-12 with best players Ella Cairns, Heidi Pashen and Michaelyn Parkes.

In the Intermediate division the Superheroes played the 12 Reps in a fast contest with plenty of intercepts the Heroes were too strong on the day winning 14 goals to 6 with best players Taylor Jeffs and Hannah Durie.  Young Guns 1 played Young Guns 2, Guns 1 showed well timed and confident netball  despite a fantastic effort by Guns 2.

Final score 36-5 to Guns 1 with best players Jaime Thurtell, Sasha Lowenstein-Jones and Faith Kempster. 

The senior division 2 comp. saw Spot On play Young Guns 1, Guns 1 were in form after competing in the Marlin Coast Carnival over the weekend, they drove well to the ball with great timing took the game 42-12 with best players Chloe England, Sasha Lowenstein-Jones and Jo Van Ewyk.

The Ringins played the Bluebirds, the Bluebirds got off to a great start shooting 18 goals to 5 in the first quarter and never wavered despite a great effort by the Ringins defence.

Final score 48-33 with best players Daisy Hawkes, Sam Sherwell and Kristen Cambieras.  Division 1 played Dynamite against the Young Jets, Dynamite were explosive in the first quarter shooting 9-3, the Jets stepped up in the next 3 quarters to take the game 25-18 with best players Jess Eagle-Rowe  and Angela Pringle  Rattle n Hum 1 played Crocs 1 in a tight contest the Crocs managed to stay ahead despite a fantastic final quarter by Rattle, final score 40-36 with best & fairest Eryn Harold.

Douglas Netball will hold it's annual Junior carnival on August the 24th teams should have their nominaions in by the 8th August.  This year the Cairns representative carnival will be held at Port Courts on the 10th of August.  

In other news, The Douglas Netball Association travelled to Innisfail last weekend to compete in the Fowler’s Group Regional Netball Club Carnival.

This was the largest carnival yet with 95 teams competing in 10 divisions from Cairns, the Tablelands and the wider Cairns region.   

Douglas fielded 5 teams, a Senior side was made up of netball mums who teamed up for the weekend, Dynamite played in the 16/Under Div 4, Young Guns 1 - 15/Under Div 5 and the Young Stars and Pythons played in the 12/Under division 8.

Douglas proved to be strong contenders with 3 teams bringing home trophies, the Senior Mums came runners up, Dynamite - runners up, Young Guns 1 - winners, the Pythons just missing out on runners up and the Young Stars were fantastic competitors over the 2 days.

Douglas has attended many netball carnivals over the years, the results this year show how far we have come, especially with our talented juniors who put into play all the training they have learned over the years and produced some fantastic, disciplined and competitive netball.  

Well done teams!!  

The weekend was a huge success, special thanks to Heather & Les McLaren and the Innisfail Netball Association for hosting the event also to all the mums and dads, coaches, team managers and umpires who put in the effort to attend you all deserve a trophy!