NDNA 2025: Williams take close victory over Wickepin as Kelly Steere enjoys A1 game on court with daughters

Round four of the Narrogin and Districts Netball Association A1 competition was a show of great netball as old foes the Wickepin Warriors battled the Williams Cats.

Williams 1 won the day 46-39 in a hard-fought game against Wickepin Warriors 1.

Yielding teams from two of the smallest communities in the district certainly doesn’t dilute the quality of netball from these clubs, both fielding teams of developing young guns, talented and emerging leaders in their 20s and a few quality stalwarts.

The Warriors produced a rare triple, with club life member and legend Kelly Steere playing this season with two of her daughters —Tyler and Abbey.

A rare and special feat for any sport but especially impressive that they have all made it to the premier level of netball in our region and that Kelly has maintained her consistency and level of skill over 23 seasons at A1, patiently waiting for her girls to come through.

With one daughter Marley still in the junior division, Wickepin are looking forward to many more years enjoying the talent that the Steere family seems to produce.

The game was shaping to be a tantalising one with both teams having notable outs. The Cats pulled from their impressive A2 side and the Warriors called up the ever reliable Helen Wyatt.

Williams got the early jump on the Warriors from the first whistle as exciting defender Jaimee Medlen got an early intercept on a Wickepin attack and young sharpshooter Bella Logie made them pay at the other end.

A couple of early fumbles from Wickepin had them down midway through the first quarter but then their dynamic defensive trio of Jayeisha Bolton-Ford, Asha Slawinski and Hilary Wittwer started to get some tips and intercepts which kept them in the game.

Georgia Dawes in goal attack for Wickepin was enjoying a tight battle with Williams’ fill-in Sienna McDonald, who was exceptional.

Dawes was pushed wide and high with her shots but the young gun from Yealering didn’t disappoint.

Abbey Steere’s technically beautiful and accurate shots early in this game helped claw back Williams’ early lead.

The second quarter was a cat attack though as their classy mid-court led by Megan Hardie with her poise and precision controlled most of the play and she was backed up beautifully by Ellie Cook.

Claire Hardie and Logie were causing all sorts of headaches with their attacking and rebounding as Williams stretched their lead to more than 10 goals into the long break.

Wickepin had to think quick in the third quarter as defender Asha Slawinski went down with a wrist injury, but it was the exciting 16-year-old Isabella Budby for Wickepin that rose to this challenge in the position change into centre that breathed some life back into the Warriors.

Her defensive pressure and vertical range was just what the Warriors needed in the second half, giving goal attack Dawes every opportunity to improve the score deficit.

Bolton-Ford was starting to exert some dominance in the defensive circle and the Warriors were coming home strong, but ran out of time ultimately with Williams winning by seven at the final whistle.

Best players were Wickepin’s Dawes and Williams’ McDonald and Megan Hardie.

In the other A1 fixture, Wagin 1 were dominant 73-28 winners over Pingelly 1.