Close battles play out for round eight

Three of the round eight A grade matches played out in tight on-court battles with the final margins being less than four goals.
To the other extreme, Longwarry recorded the strongest win of the round, with a 19 goal win over Catani.
The Crows began the game strongly, with Holly Stephens a standout early through her defensive pressure and ability to create turnovers.
In the second quarter, Catani made some positional changes which challenged Longwarry and resulted in a very even contest.
Both teams worked hard to gain momentum, with neither side able to break away.
The third quarter saw the Crows transition the ball smoothly through the court, while maintaining strong defensive pressure.
Wet and slippery conditions slowed the game down, making clean ball movement and decision-making more difficult.
In the final quarter, Longwarry produced a strong team performance, continuing to apply pressure and capitalise on opportunities. The group worked well together to gain control of the game and build a solid final score.
Holly Stephens was a standout for her ruthless defensive pressure and impact on the contest while Rachael Cuckson was consistent in centre for the full game.
The Battle of Waterloo played out between Trafalgar and Yarragon, with the home side Trafalgar just falling short in a tight battle.
It was a goal for goal game with neither team able to take a lead for long. The match came down to the last minutes, with Yarragon just slipping past to take the cup.
For the home team, it was an impressive display of netball from a very young team with a best on court performance by Tessa Sneddon while Piper Albert and Lucy Coulthard were strong.
Top team Neerim South continued its winning streak at home to Nyora with a 15 goal win in a game that was a high intensity, fast paced battle.
Both teams contested every possession making for a great, competitive game.
Neerim South was the first to settle and play with composure under pressure while mounting full court defensive pressure that proved a winning formula.
It was another tight battle at Buln Buln who played host to Nilma Darnum with a two goal win for the Bombers.
Buln had a strong first quarter, going into the first break with a six goal lead .
Nilma came out strong in the second quarter and managed to reduce the gap to just two goals in Buln's favour at half time.
In a high pressure contest at all points of the court, the third and fourth quarters were very even between both teams.
However, it was Nilma Darnum who took the lead at the crucial time to win by two goals, 48 to 50.
Ellinbank's dominance in the first quarter set the tone for their contest against Poowong.
While Ellinbank went into the last term with a 19 goal lead, their opposition was not done yet.
Poowong's experienced players continued to keep Poowong in the contest, allowing them to win the last quarter.
For Ellinbank, Rhi Haines was at her instrumental best throughout the entire game, as was Lily Sheehan in attack.
Lang Lang recorded a four goal win over Bunyip.
The first two quarters saw neither team giving an incih with only a gol separating the two teams at the quarter and half time breaks.
But Lang Lang settled in the third, building its lead to seven, which proved to be enough for a strong Bunyip final quarter.