There was no rain in sight this week as Macleay Netballers took to the courts on Saturday.
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After the first week of the competition was unfortunately washed out, all junior and senior teams were keen to get onto the courts to kick off their seasons.
Mother Nature definitely turned on the fine weather for this week's games with the players enduring some scorching heat on and around the courts.
The junior divisions kicked off from 10.30am with many youngsters, some brand new to the sport, enjoying their chance to experience Netball for the first time.
"Numbers are always thriving in the junior divisions and it's great to see so many playing and umpiring the game in the Macleay," Macleay Netball Association president Karen Lambley said.
One of the standout games in the junior competition was between two Under-15 division teams from the Frederickton netball club team, the Gems and the Fireflies.
Games between two sides from the same club are fun and always great to watch, with a little bit of healthy interclub rivalry no doubt.
The game started off close with some great turnovers coming from both sides. Goal shooter for the Fireflies, Estella Rosten, started strong and sunk all of her shots to get her team off to a great start.
With some great defence and attacking skills, the fireflies began to dominate the game coming off convincing winners 40 points to 21.
The Gems played a good game and should be proud of their efforts also.
They will be able to get some more games under their belts each week and be ready to take the fireflies on again in round two. If they work hard they might be able to turn the tables on their club mates.
In the senior competition, Division 1 had some great games on show and proved it will be a strong competition this season.
In the 1.30pm game, the South West Rocks Corals took on the Crescent Head Vipers in a battle of the beaches.
The Corals always field a good and tough to beat side each year and this year seems to be no different.
The Vipers were up there also last year in the finals and will no doubt be out to improve on their position in this year's competition fielding an even stronger team.
The game started out strong with the Corals dominating their opposition early in the first quarter of the game. But the vipers clawed their way back in the second half showing they weren't about to let the game slip through their fingers.
The Vipers stepped up with standout player of the game, youngster and Macleay Under-17's representative player Sarah Buls dominating in her shooting position for the Crescent Head team strengthening her end of the court.
This boosted her side and helped them maintain the lead to take the win against their beach rivals, 33 points to 26.
South West Rocks played a great game but seemed to lose their confidence a bit, which allowed their opposition to take out the game. This game will surely be one to watch next time the teams meet.
Overall it was a great start to the season across the board for the Macleay Netball Association with some fantastic games of netball played and umpired. It looks to be a promising and exciting season ahead for everyone involved.
The association will play their next round of games this Saturday April 13 and will then break for the Easter School Holidays for two weeks, returning to competition on Saturday May 4.
