![MAGS Hornets and Grace Power have had plenty of reasons to smile over the past two weekends, recording consecutive wins. Picture by Amy McIntyre MAGS Hornets and Grace Power have had plenty of reasons to smile over the past two weekends, recording consecutive wins. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/118079462/5a7549d8-ea20-4d4a-a2f2-9d67a28d247e.JPG/r0_936_7706_5266_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's been a disrupted start to the Dubbo Netball season but there is a strong positive vibe around MAGS Hornets after a pair of quality wins.
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The Hornets are one of several sides bunched up near the top of the ladder after the first four rounds of the competition, with two wins and a loss to their name so far in 2023.
As they have done in the past, Fusion Heat are well out in front and former foes Narromine have left the division, giving them a host of sides who are challenging to be the next best.
One of those sides is the Hornets, a team who took on the Heat in round two before following up the match with two wins in a row.
A 74-25 win of Fusion Fuze on Saturday now has the Hornets sitting equal third on the ladder, somewhere Grace Power admits they weren't really expecting to be.
"We did have a good win on the weekend surprisingly," she said.
"It's only surprising because we've had a few tough years with not many wins and now we have two in a row.
"We look like we should be sitting just behind Fusion Heat who won however many years in a row."
Round one of the competition was abandoned due to the wet weather before the sides in the courts the following week and Power admitted they took a lot out of their 68-33 loss against the Heat.
"We had four of our original players and then four new girls who hadn't even met anybody," she said.
"We knew we'd go down to them in round one because they are pretty much the opens rep side, they've played together for three or four years on top of their Saturday matches.
"We knew it was going to be hard but to score as many goals as we did against them, I think that gave us a bit of confidence for the next few games."
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The Heat have dominated the last six or seven seasons, often winning the title or at least making the grand final.
After losing the decider to Narromine last season, Power believes there are a few new sides who want to be up near the top this season.
"With Narromine leaving it means Heat are the favourites and then you've got the Trangie Fire who have come up," she said.
"Trangie drew with St Groovers but we beat them by 10 so it gave us a bit of hope.
"I said last year that I thought we'd make finals but this year I really think we will, we should come close to being second if not knocking Heat off."
MAGS will meet Trangie on Saturday for the first time this season and without too much knowledge of their opposition, Power still has full confidence in her squad.
"We don't know Trangie too much," she said.
"I think they've come from A Reserve, I've umpired them a few times and I know we have the ability to beat them.
"I think when they drew with Saints, it scared everyone to be like 'who is this team'.
"I'm pretty confident still just after the win we had last week and how we are building our combinations."
Elsewhere on the weekend, Fusion Mixtures defeated St Groovers 50-33 while Fusion Fierce forfeited their match against the Heat.
Trangie Fire had the bye.
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