Gallery | Bears edge the Deakin derby, while Mooroopna mauls Swans in Goulburn Valley League netball action

Kim Borger’s outfit staved off a gallant charge from rival Shepparton United under lights, preventing a remarkable comeback as the Demons rallied from 10 goals down in the second quarter to bring it within two near the death.

But when push came to shove, the Bears held firm for a 53-45 victory.

“I’m obviously very happy with the win, we knew it was going to be a hard fought game and United are definitely a quality side,” Borger said.

“They’ve always been a team that just hang on and they have the ability to come back quite hard and which shows in the breakdown of the scores.

“We might’ve been up by 10 early on but then in the last quarter they got it back to two, so it just shows their grit and determination.

“But I think for us, it’s been a real work in progress for the last couple of years that when teams do start to push back, we also put the foot down and go as well.”

Shepparton utilised its full bench, with 10 players getting healthy minutes during a hotly contested match between the Deakin co-tenants.

The Bears’ strategy to pinpoint the individual battles and cash in off turnovers proved fruitful as a distance of seven or more goals was held at each break.

However, the Demons had plenty left in the tank late.

Hannah Onley and Abby Gilmore’s scoring spree in the last quarter saw United flirt with the idea of an 11th hour lead change, yet despite the heat, Shepparton was able to keep level heads as Borger put the game to bed at the death.

Borger was pleased with the collective Bears effort, but singled out Sophie Harmer as a difference maker for her industry in goal attack as well as through the centre.

“For me, Sophie Harmer was a standout, she played in that goal attack role and supported me in the circle quite well,” she said.

“She had a huge workload out the front, working with Caitlin Tuohey there as well, and she also worked in that centre role as well.

“She had a really big workload but she had great impact and she is that kind of person that whatever the team needs is what she does for the team - she’s a great team player like that.”

With a 3-0 start banked, Shepparton’s next test lies with Mooroopna.

The 2-1 Cats host the Bears under the lights on Saturday, and all fingers point to the round four match up to be an absolute corker.

“I personally love playing Mooroopna, they’re always a challenging side,” Borger said.

“Again, they’re a quality team and a very successful club too, so for us it’s very similar to what we’re doing now.

“We take each quarter as it comes, we don’t look too far ahead because things can change in the blink of an eye. We focus on us and execute our game plan.”

Meanwhile, Mooroopna goes in with its head held high after returning from Princess Park with a 34-goal triumph beneath its belt.

Di Hanslow’s charges shot out to a four goal lead at the opening break, but a 17-4 second term made it near impossible for Shepparton Swans to come back as the Cats kept the cogs turning to claim a confident 67-33 result.

Tatura consigned 2024 grand finalist Echuca to the ladder’s bottom half after shooting down the Murray Bombers 47-35 while Seymour blitzed Mansfield 73-25 to cruise into second on the ladder.

Euroa holds pole position thanks to its 67-46 victory over Rochester, and in the round’s other game, Kyabram got off the mark with a 40-32 win against Benalla.