Round 8:
Premier Division – Darebin Falcons vs East Burwood Devils
In muddy conditions at Eley Park the Falcons were prepared for a tough encounter against the Devils. FF Jane opened the goal kicking with a difficult set shot and applied forward pressure throughout the day (just to impress Max Walker). The Falcons aimed to be first at the ball and were so for the first three quarters, feeding the ball out the back of the pack and providing run behind the ball, all areas of focus at training. Aasta and Schwagger consistently won the ruck contest, and despite the difficult conditions, managed to put the ball to the midfielders’ advantage, with Hammo, Woody, Steph, Daisy and Loz providing plenty of run out of the middle. As a result the Falcons dominated the first quarter, stifling the Devils’ best efforts.
The second quarter saw the Falcons continue to win the ball at the contested possessions. Bec kicked a huge goal on a difficult angle and the back line continually repelled the ball out of danger. KD repeatedly cleared the footy when under the pump and Emma Kerry laid huge tackles and kept the pressure on all the Devils’ forwards. Spanna silenced her opposition and on more than one occasion took on multiple Devils to kept the ball bottled up. The backline pressure and the rolling zone forced Burwood to take hurried shots at goal and kept them to one goal for the first three quarters.
As the condition of the ground deteriorated throughout the afternoon it became more and more challenging to keep the ball off the ground. However, with Sammy pushing up the ground, Roey laying huge bumps and Shivers dominating the backline, the Falcons extended their lead.
The final quarter saw the Devils finally find a bit of traction and kicked two well-earned goals. The Falcons, however, had set the game up early and enjoyed a well-earned win in the mud.
Special Mentions:
– The umpire who requested the ball be hand delivered and wiped clean.
– The opposition coach who, perhaps overestimating the sound-proofing that concertina doors in the locker rooms can provide, tried to rev up his charges by screaming: ‘Why are you so intimidated by this team? This team is nothing!’ … Noice.
– To Hammo who definitely understands now that picking up the ball is exactly the same as ducking your head.
– Shivers’ mouthguard.
Darebin 4.2, 6.4, 9.4, 10.5 (65)
East Burwood 0.3, 1.4, 1.5, 3.8 (26)
GOALS, Darebin : Jane Lange 5, Aasta O’Connor 2, Anna Schwager 1, Victoria Pettit 1, Rebecca Hickmott 1
East Burwood : Samantha McGeoch 1, Robyn Foster 1, Aimee Legault 1
BEST, Darebin : Shevaun Hogan, Anna Brown, Jane Lange, Natalie Wood, Emma Kerry, Sarah Hammond
East Burwood : Lou Wotton, Jessica Foster, Shelley Beggs, Sarah D’Arcy, Meg Downie, Aimee Legault