Buoyed by their maiden victory the previous week, the mighty U16 girls were keen to make it two wins on the trot when we hosted the Highett Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at Castlefield Reserve…aka The Cauldron.
Even with 2 game day ‘outs’ with Mia Hanna and Imogen Livitsanis both succumbing to the flu and Jamie Mawkes recovering from a Rd 2 finger fracture, Coach Adams had a full complement of players ready to go with 6 on the bench. Fair to say we picked up where we left off the previous week with the girls led by Greta Robertson, Lucy Grant, Tamsyn Higgins (on debut) and Maegan Miller dominating possession and getting the ball into the forward line….or should I say Tessa “The Target” Beech who was simply outstanding as our full forward, quickly slotting 2 first quarter goals and putting us up at quarter time.
The second quarter opened the game up somewhat with our midfield, half forwards and forwards receiving a constant supply of good quality football with many excellent contributors. Phoebe Landy and Elisha Pickering were controlling the ruck and the fleet footed mids in Kim Docking, Tayla Jones, Jess Bowen, Amelia Stewart and Makenzy Taylor had the poor girls from Highett running ragged.
4 more goals were kicked with Greta and Lucy adding to their tallies for the year and maiden goals in Rovers colours to Shae Raywood and Caity Schwarz
The back line was left to contemplate their unfinished homework or what amazing Mother’s Day gifts they still needed to pick up as the opposition remained scoreless to half time!!
We “donated’ a couple of players to support the girls from Highett as a couple of injuries had left their bench bare – thanks to Sophie Lever, Jaida Ilhan, Gab Nicholl and Tessa Beech for willingly donning the Bulldogs uniform for a quarter each. Your efforts and attack on the ball did not waver even though you wearing a foreign jumper!! The third quarter welcomed Ali Coyne and Georgia Gleeson to the goal scorer’s column and another major each to Greta and Tessa and we were well in control. Scarlett Adams was desperate to add to her goal tally for the year and with both Holly Moss and Jaye Thomas (on debut) had plenty of the ball setting up their team mates and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
The final quarter delivered a memorable highlight as Ava Hales grabbed the ball from a centre bounce, evaded 3 tackles took 2 running bounces and slotted a beautiful goal from 30 metres out on the run – brilliant stuff.
The other highlight for those on the sideline near the bench was to observe the impassioned plea from Holly to Coach Adams to put her back in the forward line to break her first goal duck for the club…it was an ‘A’ for effort Holl but all to no avail…next week perhaps?
Overall a really strong team performance against an understrength team played in great spirit. Perhaps the most pleasing out take of the game was the fact we had 8 individual goal scorers with a total of 11 goals.
Well done girls and here’s looking forward to next week for our last grading game.
