Sport
17 April, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Netball Round 2 Preview — Harcourt vs Dunolly
With an impressive Good Friday victory under their belt, the Dunolly Eagles will take a long flight to Harcourt to play a fellow rebuilding side that showed major promise in their season opener.
While star veterans Ashlee Lierich, Mel Schodde and returning player-coach Lara Clements played brilliantly, it was Dunolly’s young guns who stole the show in their round one victory over Maldon.
Following the departure of Lillie Wrigley, Chloe Goodwin was promoted to A grade after being the Eagles’ leading scorer in B grade last season. She immediately made an impact with a game-high 28 goals.
Ruby Lang and Stevie Collins assisted Lierich and Clements in restricting the Bombers to 24 goals by cutting the passing lanes in wing defence.
Collins’ play in defence is particularly exciting for the Eagles, showcasing versatility after leading the 15 and under squad in scoring last season.
While they eventually succumbed to Talbot might last weekend in a 33-goal defeat, Harcourt showed incredible strides against the 2025 runner-up.
Facing a top-flight offence that finished in the top five in goals scored last season, the Lions kept the Hawks to 25 goals in the first half, only trailing by six at the main interval.
The arrival of Laura Suckling has already made an impact on Harcourt’s defence, which already consists of Morgan Howorth and Carly Chaplin. If they can maintain that first-half momentum, the Lions could be a tricky opponent to come up against this season.
Adding to the intrigue of tomorrow’s clash, nothing could separate the Eagles and Lions in their 2025 clash, ending in a 39-39 draw.