Banyule made it back-to-back convincing victories in their NFNL senior women’s clash with St Mary’s, winning by 52 points at N.J. Telfer Reserve.
The Burra were yet to taste defeat leading up to the match, but it was the Bears who produced a strong four quarter display, keeping the home side goalless on their way to an 8.4 (52) to 0.1 (1) triumph.
The forward pressure brought by Banyule was immense and when they conceded territory, they were able to quickly rebound, often making smart decisions whenever they moved it from defence to attack.
Leading the way through midfield was Drew Barnes who fought hard all day and was looked to when the Bears needed someone to break open a run of stoppages.
Forward duo Brieanna Musgrove and young gun Daisy Getson led the way up forward with three goals each, Musgrove’s constant pressure inside 50 symbolised her side’s performance throughout the afternoon.
It was a difficult game for the Burra, who just couldn’t keep possession of the ball for long periods of time.
But the positives came through both Jessica Ryan and Caitlin Kreuzberger who both put in terrific efforts throughout the game. Georgia and Megan Girolami also showed glimpses of brilliance.
In their first meeting since last year’s Division 2 preliminary final, Banyule made their intent known in the first minute of the contest, with a quick centre clearance resulting in a Musgrave major.
Following an even few minutes which saw St Mary’s gain some territory and kick what would be their only score of the game, the Bears then transitioned the ball swiftly from the backline, with Ally Gunstone on the receiving end to kick the Bears second goal.
From there, Banyule took control throughout the remainder of the term, as Chloe Sheean added a major, now making it 12 goals this season for her, to give the visitors a 19-point quarter time lead.
Whilst St Mary’s gained the first centre clearance of the second quarter the Bears were quick to regain possession and press back.
Eventually they were able to kick the first goal of the term through a Getson set shot conversion. She found her second just minutes later to balloon the lead out to 31 points.
The Burra did press hard towards the end of the quarter to ensure no further score from their opposition came during the first half.
St Mary’s tried to gain the ascendancy in the opening minutes of the second half through their clearance work, but it was Banyule’s threatening transitions that continually put the Burra on the back foot.
Getson soon had her third major for the game as the Bears continued to break away from the home side.
Banyule had no issues in gaining territory, they had the ball locked in their attacking half but did miss some opportunities to extend their advantage. Eventually they find the big sticks again through Musgrave who had goal number two for the game.
St Mary’s didn’t put their heads down throughout the final term despite being 45 points down, but an eighth Banyule goal, which would be Musgrave’s third, sealed a comfortable 51-point win for the visitors.
