WITH the Tallangatta and District Netball Association (TDNA) season still on hold for at least another week, Beechworth netballers will be eagerly awaiting a return in the latter half of the season.

Beechworth A grade co-coach Rachael Cavallin her team were eager to get back on the courts and train together.

“We’ll be back training this week, that’s juniors through to seniors, so that’s exciting, this’ll be our first week back,” she said.

“Last week we sent out a message asking everyone to stay fit and positive, and hopeful of a return in the not too distant future.

“This week it will be good to be on the court and training, and to connect with each other again. “Hopefully juniors will be playing on the weekend, fingers crossed.”

The A grade side are sitting at sixth place on the ladder with a single win, one drawn match, and five losses from the seven rounds completed before the TDNA postposed the season due to COVID restrictions.

“We’ve had a few tough matches and a few matches where I think we thought we performed better than we did, so that’s a bit disappointing,” Cavallin said.

“But on the whole I feel we’ve improved a lot since the previous season we played.

“Our defensive pressure, our whole-court defensive pressure has improved a lot, so we are getting a lot more opportunities for turnovers.

“The next step is to continue to develop that composure and that confidence in ourselves and each other to make sure that we can convert from those turnovers.

“So I feel like we’re competitive, we’re getting turnovers, we’re making it tough for our competition, it’s just that next step for us is to make sure that we’re getting the goals on the scoreboard to keep that scoreboard pressure on.”

One of the key factors of the side’s strong defensive pressure is young goal keeper Eadie Pfahlert, who is playing her first season in the A grade.

“She’s only 18 and she has been very impressive,” Cavallin said.

“She’s played goal keeper predominantly, she’s got a lot of determination, and she’s just a great person to have in your team, she’s very positive.

“She’s improved heaps and she’s got a great attitude, she’s very cool, calm and collected; her ability to get rebounds has been a real asset for us.

“Eadie gives her best every week, she’s very reliable; you know she’s going to go out there and give it her best shot.

“I think the girls have really enjoyed having her as part of our team this year as well.”

With no word yet as to when the TDNA season will resume, the Bushrangers will have to be content with sharpening their skills in pursuit of their second win.