Yarrawonga came out firing in the first round to get its premiership defence under way.
In a dominant display, the Pigeons outclassed the new-look Tigers 17-59 at the Albury Sportground.
The experienced Pigeons retained the majority of their players from last season whilst also welcoming premiership coach Laura Davis and Hannah Symes back to the court in the opening clash.
Kaliesha Pell landed 31 goals for the Pigeons, while Madeleine Allan and Bridget Cassar shot 14 goals each.
Sophie Hallam racked up 10 goals for the Tigers, with Harrison shooting seven on debut.
B Grade
Albury 19 def by Yarrawonga 57
What a start to the season it was for the B Grade Pigeons.
It took a few minutes to settle the nerves and then they were off.
B Grade is a solid group this year with the perfect balance of youth and experience.
First game jitters were no problem for Dee Moon and Ellie Dickins who shot sublimely from the get-go. Nothing but net and minimal opportunity for rebounds for the Albury defenders.
Staying true to accuracy and class welcomed Sophie Coghill rotating into goals. A rising star and one to watch showing age is no barrier.
The job for our goalers was made easy by the skill and poise of Yarrawonga veteran and superstar Sarah Davis.
Throw Millie Flanagan into that midcourt and the Albury players were left shaking their heads. New club – no worries, this girl appeared a part of the furniture, another exciting addition to the Yarrawonga Pigeons.
What felt like a game of ping pong with one of the strongest ever line-ups down back, the girls just kept sending the ball back as quick as it came in.
They say you can’t teach experience and Anna Grinter and Alisha Leslie were the perfect examples of this.
Grace Stillard and Keira Dickins were given countless opportunities to attack all game with the pressure applied by the duo. They didn’t hold back taking intercept after intercept.
Referring to a duo, It was really a trio with Emma Sinclar forcing her opponents to the sideline for a breather with her physicality and speed hard to compete.
A season starter message was sent loud and clear with the girls taking out the win 57 – 19.
C Grade
Albury 18 def by Yarrawonga 72
C Grade got off to a huge start with a win over the top of the ladder side from last year, Albury Tigers.
The C Grade side only has half of the team from last year with some new inclusions who slotted in seamlessly.
They never missed a beat from the moment the first whistle blew and were up and away and leading by more than 10 goals at quarter time.
This allowed co-coaches Helena and Bree to make some nice rotations as they work out the best combinations moving forward for what seems to be a promising season.
The final score ended with Yarrawonga winning by 54 goals.
Best - Angela Schofield and Sophie Wilson.
Under 17s
Albury 28 def by Yarrawonga 48
The Under 17s have kicked off the season with a great win.
A four-quarter team effort resulted in a 20-goal win and the biggest 17's win in recent years.
Leni, Sophie and Mylah all combined well in goals, putting up plenty of shots to reward their teammates.
Miley, Jedda, Stevie and Lily had a huge work-rate throughout the midcourt and made the most of fresh legs each quarter, a luxury to have in the heat.
In defence, Maisie, Kendall and Emily showed fantastic grit to gain plenty of ball to send into attack and give the young Pigeons so many extra opportunities.
Awards: Players Player - Emily Buerkener. Coaches Award - Maisie Pell.
Under 15s
Albury 17 def by Yarrawonga 35
What a cracking start for the Under 15s girls.
The girls battled the heat on Monday but came out firing for their first win of the season.
The girls have had a great preseason, working hard on all aspects of their game.
It was great to see it all come together for their first game, topped off with a 17-35 win over the Albury Tigers.
Awards: Coaches award - Winnie Heffernan. Players player - Sienna Clarkson
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