With results ranging from one sided affairs to a draw, Round 2 of the Northpark NFLW competition certainly delivered a little bit of everything.
The Division 1 competition kicked off with the match of the round, with two of the opening week’s winners producing a great contest in which Melbourne University went down 2.6 (18) to 5.9 (39) to Bendigo. The Thunder kicked away in the last quarter, to turn an eight-point lead into a 21-point win. Bendigo’s Andrea Walsh proved to be the difference, kicking four goals to add to her seven-goal haul in Round 1, while Kerryn Harrington also put in another strong performance. Sian Wilson and Kira Price were Melbourne University’s best performers.
Darebin put in a dominant display on its home deck to defeat La Trobe University 17.10 (110) to 0.3 (3). Georgia Hammond and Nikita Magriplis kicking four goals apiece and Shannon Egan got plenty of the footy as the Falcons notched their first win. Stefania Velona and Kate Bond tried hard for La Trobe, who will be searching for its first win against fellow winless side Pascoe Vale in Round 3.
VU Western Spurs backed up its great win last weekend with a 16.12 (108) to 3.4 (22) victory over Pascoe Vale. The Spurs kicked six goals unanswered goals in the last quarter, with Alexandra Quigley and Madison Lister putting on a clinical display. Aimee Whelan was among the Panthers’ best.
Diamond Creek Women’s ensured it remained atop the ladder with a 12.3 (75) to 2.2 (14) win over Kew. Jessica Provan and Alexandra Morcom put in best on ground performances for the Creekers, while Shazi Cappello was handy with three goals. Kew was right in the contest until three-quarter time, but couldn’t contain the Creekers in a five-goal to zero last quarter.
Whitehorse grabbed its first win of the season with a 9.11 (65) to 3.0 (18) victory over Deer Park. Despite solid efforts from a number of Deer Park players including Teresa Casser, Whitehorse proved to be too strong across the field with great performances from Tarynn Barrie and Natalie Pearce.
In round 2 of Northpark NFLW Division 2, some teams continued their winning starts while others got their first win of the season.
Darebin backed up it strong Round 1 win with a 7.2 (44) to 0.1 (1) victory over La Trobe University. After a tight opening half, Darebin kicked away in the third and fourth quarters to put the game out of reach. Emma Gianelli and Lauren Hartshorn were mighty for the Falcons, while Keeley Murrihy and Kaitlyn Ritchie tried hard all day for La Trobe. Darebin will face Montmorency in Round 3 in a bid to remain undefeated while La Trobe will play Laurimar on its home deck.
VU Western Spurs made their intentions for the season clear with a dominant display against Laurimar, resulting in a 66-point win. The Spurs showcased their defensive abilities, holding an ever-trying Laurimar scoreless as Jessica Heath produced her second fantastic performance of the year and Tamara Cole also stood tall. Laurimar’s best were Courtney Dark and Tammy Richards.
Diamond Creek Women’s and Kew put on an excellent display of gallantry, battling out a 2.8 (20) to 3.2 (20) draw. The Creekers fought back hard in the last quarter, coming back from a 10-point deficit and holding Kew scoreless to take away two points from the match. Kristie-Lee Mcclure and Sheree Moore were brilliant for Diamond Creek while Danielle Gills and Laura Ayres shone for Kew in a tight contest.
West Preston-Lakeside grabbed its first points of the season with a 12.17 (89) to 2.0 (12) victory over Whitehorse in a reversal of the clubs’ result in the season opener. With the majority of the match played in their forward half, West Preston-Lakeside played superbly and opened up a 52-point advantage in the opening half. Despite the pressure Whitehorse was under for much of the day, Briana Holland and Ashley Johnson were great for their team.
In what was a low-scoring affair, South Morang got reward for effort with a 1.3 (9) to 0.6 (6) victory over Montmorency. Montmorency will lament missed opportunities, in particularly after a dominant first quarter that produced five behinds. Both teams held firm defensively but South Morang’s Brittany Del Romano’s goal in the second quarter proved to be the match winner. Jacinta Campbell was fantastic for the Lions while Nicole Blythe produced another stellar performance for the Magpies.
