HUME City Falcons kick started their Championship title defence with a strong win against Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels on Wednesday.

The round one Victorian Netball League clash at the State Netball Centre saw the Altona-based Falcons overcome a competitive Grammar team in the first half only to pull away for a 49-32 victory.

Falcons coach Marg Lind said it was good to come away with the win after fending off an improved Grammar side.

“It was a good win, pretty hard until about half time then we had a portion of the third quarter where we got ahead,” she said.

It was a shaky start for the Falcons who were moving well after the opening whistle but failed to capitalise on a few occasions, giving the opposition a one-goal lead at the first break. The second term was only marginally better but they managed to reel in the deficit to take a two-goal lead into half-time.

After the main break Lind’s charges pulled it together and kept the Ariels to just 10 goals for the remaining two periods as they pulled away to take the match.

Goal shooter Lara Hickmott stepped up in the third term to help lift the side, as did wing attack Jacinta Todd, Lind said.

Up forward goal attack Kristen Hughes and shooter Hickmott produced good opening performances shooting at 70 per cent or better to put 26 and 23 goals on the board respectively.

Next up on the Falcons hit list is the always competitive Monash University. The Falcons have built up a tense rivalry with the Centrals, and Lind expected tomorrow night’s match to be no exception.

VICTORIA University/Western Lightning did not get the ideal start it was looking for in its opening championship clash for the season, going down to North East Blaze by 11 goals.

The new-look Lightning side, with a host of debutants in the blue, white and red, went down to the Blaze 63-52.

The Lightning gave a four-goal lead to the Blaze after not capitalising on an intercept from the opening centre pass.

“Not the start we were after,” Lightning coach Joy Grubb said.

The Lightning will look to atone tomorrow night at the State Netball Centre when they take on Boroondara Genesis, which was thrashed in its opening encounter by 17 goals last week.