SCOTTISH schools more or less all used to have a netball court – usually it was outdoor, and the surface was an unforgiving tarmac.
It was perhaps not the ideal place to learn what has since become an athletic, graceful sport. Contrast this with the match between Australia and Northern Ireland, which was a display of fast passing with a purpose and a plan. They ball shot from one goal at one end to the other very quickly. The number of goals scored was hard to keep up with.
Inside the Hydro, netball was a refined affair with seven goals from Australia inside the first three minutes. Then Northern Ireland found their feet with one goal (quickly followed by an eighth from Australia however. The ease with which the Goal Shooter was able to score goals (and the lack of any kind of defensive moves from the Northern Irish team) means that with just 9:40 to go of Quarter 1 the score line was 12:2.
This is the ideal sport to encourage young women to take up sport or keep up a sport after school. The team is a tight affair, with players able to hold onto the ball for only three seconds at a time, so speed and agility is key to winning – although anyone with the ball has to stay still and pass or shoot (if they are in the semi circle near the goal.
The Australians were almost all taller than the girls in green, which had to give the some advantage. And they used it to the fullest during the four 15 minute quarters, all played to the sound of squeaking trainers on the wooden surface.
The Northern Ireland team started with Lisa Bowman, Magee, McCagherty, O’Hanlon, Cooper, Magee and goalkeeper Lauren Walshe
Australia starting 7 Cara Koenen, Sophie Swyer Georgei Horjus, Liz Watson, Joanne Weston, Matilda Garrett and Goalkeeper, Sarah Klau.
Australia 27:6 at the break.
At the break the audience were encouraged into some participation by using their lungs to “Gie It Laldy” – which really just meant screaming at the tops of their voices.
Then it was time to resume the match. (Had half an hour really passed?) and off the players went again racing around the court, shouting tactics to each other (even from the players on the bench).
The result was never in doubt, but when the scoreline was 35:8 the audience began applauding the underdog.
Netball was first played at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur and has featured in every games since, although it was only in 2014 that Scotland first had a team.
England scored a late goal in 2018 at the Gold Coast games to take gold, but New Zealand and Australia had previously won every gold medal.
On Thursday morning Scotland played Uganda, but sadly the home side lost their final group game 65-56, and have lost the opportunity to finish third. The Thistles play on Friday against Malawi in a play off to secure seventh position.
Later on Thursday evening England will play South Africa at the OVO Hydro – which has many empty seats available. Check at www.glasgow2026.com for tickets.
47:10 and 66:22 after three quarters but the match ended with a mighty score of 88:27 in favour of the Australians who may well be in the grand final.
