Round 5 – Melbourne Vs West Coast Eagles

Liam Chambers

Sunday’s win was a great result for Melbourne. It was a hugely important game in the highly contested Conference B. A loss would have severely hurt our chances of qualifying for the finals in April. Honourable mention goes to Karen Paxman who has been a huge inspiration in driving the Dees’ success this season.

The Eagles came out firing but Melbourne took control early on thanks to a free kick awarded to debutant Sarah Perkins. By the way welcome to the Dees Sarah. We were on the receiving end of some of her brilliant goals in the first two seasons of the AFLW, so it’s nice to have her on our side now. Welcome also to Brenna Tarrant. Perkins perfectly placed kick to Eden Zanker was marked and dispatched for Melbourne’s first goal.

As usual the breeze played a big part at Casey Fields. Melbourne had the advantage in the first term but struggled to make the most of it. Despite dominating inside 50, the Dees were unable to make West Coast pay until Sinead Goldrick crashed through the Eagles’ defence and hand balled the sherrin to compatriot Niamh McEvoy. McEoy ran on to kick Melbourne’s second with two minutes to go in the term.

West Coast knew they got off lightly in the first quarter and started the second determined to take advantage of wind which now favoured their side. That determination paid off when Maddy Collier’s running kick from forty five metres hit the ground in front of goal and bounced over nicely to give the Eagles their first score.

After that Melbourne was able to hold off their opponents but struggled to extend their lead. That was until Shelley Scott marked near the Eagles’ inside 50 and similar to last week kicked it to Jacqui Parry who was uncontested. Parry passed to Kate Hore who passed to Sarah Lampard who kicked the Dees’ third for the match. Melbourne went into the half time break with an eleven point advantage.

The Dees were nicely settled in the drivers seat at the start of the second half. Within a minute, Melbourne had cemented their advantage when a well placed kick from Kate Hore gave them their fourth goal. After that, the major scores started piling up with Zanker getting her second from a free kick in front of goal. Melbourne then applied relentless pressure to the Eagles’ defence which paid off when Shelley Scott’s set shot launched from thirty metres out ended in a perfect goal.

Chantel Emonson got her first when a well placed kick from Tyla Hanks found her unmarked about twenty five metres to the right of the Dees goal. Finally, Tegan Cunningham got her second for the season with a wind assisted kick from forty metres out. Cunningham’s game has been improving recently and looks promising coming into the latter part of the competition.

Melbourne started the last term with a forty four point advantage but were determined to build on the superior percentage count. Tyla Hanks had a chance to score her first major but unfortunately put it wide. Once Hanks gets her goal scoring to match the other aspects of her game, she will be unstoppable. Aliesha Newman also had a chance to goal tally several minutes later but sadly put it through for a minor score.

With three minutes to go, Sarah Perkins kicked a beauty which was disallowed as the Umpire had awarded a free kick for high contact on Jacqui Parry.
Parry made sure of the goal though with the ensuing set shot. In the dying seconds of the game, Lily Mithen dived to mark the ball twenty metres in front of goal. Her kick was unfortunately touched and rushed behind for a point.

The drama wasn’t over yet as a Maddy Gay’s kick from the edge of inside 50 was again marked by Mithen. This time Lily opted to kick wide to her team mates and the ball fell into the waiting arms of Sarah Perkins. Having being denied a couple of minutes prior, it seemed like poetic justice that Perkins should get a second chance right on the siren. She didn’t disappoint. With a perfect kick from thirty five metres out and against the wind, she iced the cake with Melbourne’s tenth goal of the afternoon.

This week is arguably (I would say definitely) the Dees’ most important game of this campaign. If we beat Carlton, we will have gone a long way in securing a spot in the top two. As we play competition favourites Fremantle in Perth in Round 7, we cannot afford a lost in Alice Springs. We are well capable of beating Carlton as we are even with them on points but they will be just as determined to get the win on Saturday night.

Go the Fantastic Dees!!!

Round 4 – Collingwood Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

After last week’s somewhat erratic performance, the Dees had rediscovered their winning ways.

It started well with Harriet Cordner on the receiving end of a good run of play from the Dees; her shot sadly bouncing the wrong way for a behind. The Pies piled on the pressure for the first half of the term but then Melbourne found a way back down the field when Shelley Scott was awarded a 50 metre penalty. Scott kicked to new recruit Jacqui Parry who marked it on the edge of inside 50. Parry is no stranger to the big sticks having averaged five goals per game in the Canberra League last season. Her job was made easier by another Collingwood encroachment and Parry kicked her first goal from five metres out.

Kate Hore doubled the advantage a couple of minutes later when she launched a spectacular kick from thirty metres out. Collingwood managed a point late in the quarter but the Dees went to the break up twelve points.

The Pies’ got a boost at the start of the second term when Sharni Layton was awarded a free kick after a push in the back from Eden Zanker. Layton converted from forty metres out to score Collingwood’s first goal. Lambert got the Pies’ second a minute later when a free kick was given for a high tackle twenty metres from goal. Suddenly the outlook was less rosy for the Dees with their advantage whittled away in a matter of minutes.

Luckily Eden Zanker wasn’t paying attention and got one back for Melbourne before anyone noticed that the Pies were trying to take control. Collingwood kept attacking but the Dees defence handled the pressure well and almost scored a fourth with a Tyla Hanks’ effort on the back of some clever play via Chantel Emerson and Shelley Scott. Finally though, the out of form Tegan Cunningham marked the ball forty metres out and kicked a beautifully executed goal to extend Melbourne’s lead to thirteen points; where it stayed until half time.

The Dees went in to the second half determined not to let Collingwood regain the advantage. The quarter remained scoreless until a Kate Hore shot was touched on the line. Then some great play from Melbourne gave the ball to Casey Sherriff who kicked it to an empty goal from thirty metres out to get the Dees’ fifth of the night. Sarah Rowe reduced Melbourne’s lead a few minutes later with a free kick in front of goal. However the amazing Shelley Scott restored the Dees’ twenty point advantage with a minute to go. Unfortunately the Pies suffered a second injury for the night when Ash Brazill was stretchered off with a suspected damaged ACL.

The Dees were well and truly in the driver’s seat at the start of the fourth but they didn’t rest on their laurels. The sight of Zanker hobbling off after a couple of minutes was a worry but it turned out to be just cramp. Despite some high pressure play neither side was able to add to the scoreboard until a minor score from the Dees with five minutes to go. Then a beautifully taken mark by Jacqui Parry from an Elise O’Dea kick had the fans excited. Her ensuing shot across the face of goal was incredibly plucked from the air by Maddie Gay. Incredible because she was surrounded by several taller Collingwood players. Maddison didn’t disappoint when she tapped it in from five metres to extend Melbourne’s lead to twenty seven points.

The Pies did get one back with a minute to go. This marginally reduced our percentage count but overall it was a very pleasing display from Melbourne who now have three wins from four. We still have some tough games ahead, especially Carlton in two weeks time and then Fremantle in Perth in Round 7.

No point in getting ahead of ourselves though as it’s West Coast at home next week. Complacency is the greatest enemy of the ambitious so we can’t take anything for granted. The Eagles just won their first game in Round 4, against an underachieving Bulldogs. West Coast will get a boost from the win but so far are not regarded as a threat in Conference B. However, we don’t want them to soar at Casey Fields.

Interestingly, Melbourne have conceded the least amount of goals of any team in the competition. We may not always hit the target but we are difficult to score against. Just saying.

Go the Incredible Dees!!!

Round 3 – St Kilda Vs Melbourne

Despite a valiant effort, the Dees were unable to emulate their terrific Round 2 performance. Pre season Commentators had modest expectations of Melbourne but their strong showing last week put them firmly in the ones to watch category. Unfortunately St Kilda had other ideas and their standout player of the night Caitlin Greiser delivered the winning goal in spectacular fashion.

The Dees dominated early in the first quarter and made the Saints work in defence. No matter how hard Melbourne tried though, St Kilda managed to keep them at bay. The Dees play was less fluid this week and they missed opportunities to take advantage of the breeze which favoured their goal in the first term.

Tellingly, the first chance the Saints had to get the ball to Melbourne’s inside 50, St Kilda’s Kate McCarthy was able to kick the ball to Greiser who marked it close to goal. Greiser converted to put the Saints in front. Luckily, one of the Dees’ star players, Shelley Scott got one back just before the siren to put Melbourne in front going into the break.

The start of Q2 added to Melbourne’s woes as promising new recruit Sinead Goldrick was taken off due to the concussion rule and sat out the remainder of the game on the benches. In addition, Maddie Guerin hobbled off with a suspected ACL injury. Aliesha Newman had a chance to replicate her goal of the year from a couple of seasons ago but was only able to score the single point.

St Kilda looked a lot more confident as they started to take the game to Melbourne in a low scoring quarter. Then Greiser showed her influence when she got the ball to Darcy Guttridge in front of goal, who tapped it through for the Saints’ second.

In the second half, St Kilda continue to look increasingly assured. The Dees were going to have to dig deeper to break through. Another minor score from Zanker left the girls frustrated at their lack of points on the board. The longer the scores remained level the more the Saints seemed to be taking control of the game. The Dees defence was were being tested more regularly.

Melbourne did have some serious surges later in the quarter but St Kilda remained calm in defence. Some great opportunities to stretch the lead went begging as the Saints were able to thwart Melbourne’s best efforts. The Dees were clearly dominating the inside 50 tackles, leading by 19 to zero but their kicking kept letting them down. Karen Paxman in particular was ferocious but to no avail. A great mark by Tegan Cunningham failed to make the distance when converted and seemed to sum up the Dee’s night.

St Kilda started Q4 with a belief that their first win was in sight. Greiser almost put the Saints in front with a brilliant kick that just landed wide. Then the combination of the Saint’s McCarthy and Greiser again saw Greiser mark the ball on the inside 50 edge. With a superb kick she secured her second and the St Kilda’s third goal.

Melbourne were now struggling to contain the Saints. As the quarter continued St Kilda looked like the team to beat, despite the best efforts of Paxman to drive the troops forward. Unfortunately it proved too difficult for Melbourne regain the lead and the Saints got their first win.

Melbourne will certainly have learned some harsh lessons. They’ll need to use the loss to their advantage when the take on Collingwood at Marvel Stadium on Friday night. The match will be a double header with Victoria Vs All Stars in the bush fire relief game. There will be a full house and an electric atmosphere so I’m sure there will be more than a few nervous players.

We need to win that game to have a chance of finishing in the top two of the very competitive Conference B. Round 3 will have shaken the Dees a little but I’m confident they have the character to put the loss behind them and come out swinging against the Pies.

Go the Awesome Dees!!!

Round 2 – Western Bulldogs Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

After last week’s close contest, the Dees showed that they are shaping up to be genuine contenders for the premiership cup.

From the opening siren, Melbourne were off and running. Wave after wave of intense pressure was applied to the Bulldogs’ defence. A shell shocked Dogs finally succumbed when a long kick from debutante Niamh McEvoy was picked up by Aliesha Newman and handed to Chantel Emonson who opened the scoring for the Dees.

Comeback Queen Daisy Pearce was right at home at half back with an almost telepathic connection to the brilliant Karen Paxman. The accuracy of their marking and kicking has reached new heights. A rebound effort from Elise O’Dea was cleaned up by Paxman who then scored Melbourne’s second with ruthless efficiency.

At the other end, Sinead Goldrick made an unfortunate rookie error when she dropped the ball both literally and metaphorically, giving away a fifty metre penalty. It gave the Dogs’ player Deanna Berry a chance to put her team on the scoreboard with a free kick right in front of goal.

Melbourne kept up the momentum in the second quarter with impressive confidence; marking, passing and kicking skillfully in increasingly wet conditions. Shelley Scott showed her immense talent by marking and placing herself in goal kicking positions. Unfortunately she was unable to convert her scoring opportunities.

In the second half Melbourne continued to impress with Eden Zanker showing her skills with two behind points in quick succession. The Dees could easily have been four to five goals in front at this stage of the game. Scott continue to mark well inside 50 and was instrumental in Melbourne’s third goal when she strategically kicked the ball towards goal giving Casey Sherriff the chance to run down the sherrin and soccer kick it between the uprights.

The Dees were now in a commanding position. That was cemented when Maddi Gay kicked her first and Melbourne’s fourth to stretch the margin to twenty six points. Maddi Gay was able to do what all great players do in set shot situations; kick the ball accurately in understandably tense conditions. The fact that it was raining and she was the best part of thirty metres out made it even more impressive. Melbourne looked unbeatable from that point.

The final quarter saw the Bulldogs take the fight to the Dees but Melbourne remained competitive in defence. Some impressive tackling held the Dogs at bay until Bonnie prove “too good” for the Dees’ defence. Apologies for the terrible pun. Even though Melbourne remain scoreless in the final term, they continued to soak up the pressure before moving up the field to put themselves into potential scoring positions.

Unfortunately victory came at a cost for Ainslie Kemp who injured her knee just before the final siren and looks set to miss the rest of the season. Apart from that it all bodes well for Round 3 against St Kilda. Melbourne’s biggest threat will be their own complacency but from what we saw this week, I’m sure the girls will be careful not to pop the champagne quite yet.

Go the Insanely Good Dees!!!

Round 1 – Melbourne Vs North Melbourne

First game of the season and expectations were modest. Last season was disappointing after getting so close to qualifying for the finals; especially having secured more points in Conference A than the two top sides in Conference B. A win for Melbourne was vital therefore as the AFLW has decided to keep the Conference system for the 2020 season.

It was a forgettable first quarter for the Dees. They conceded two goals. The second as a result of an encroachment. The umpires were unforgiving in their determination to enforce this sometimes confusing rule. There were opportunities for Melbourne to score but they didn’t take their chances and were down by thirteen points at end of the term. Definitely not an ideal start to the campaign.

The second quarter was much better with Kate Hore slotting home two goals. The second one came right before the siren. Eden Zanker calmly kicked the sherrin across the face of goal to Hore who was then able to score from point blank range. As a bonus, the Kangaroos were kept scoreless for the quarter.

The pendulum swung back to North Melbourne in the third quarter when it was the Dees’ turn to remain scoreless. A chance for Tegan Cunningham to score went behind for the point. The wind didn’t favour either side but it was frustrating at times to see potential chances thwarted.

The final quarter saw the Dees in the driver’s seat after Eden Zanker found herself in the perfect position when Ainslie Kemp kicked down the field towards goal. A favourable bounce and Zanker was able to collect and run with the ball ultimately kicking Melbourne’s third for the afternoon. The Dees maintained control of the game from that point. North tried to seize back seize back the initiative but Melbourne held on to secure the win and get the points on the table.

With strong wins for four of the teams in Conference B, the Dees will have to keep winning to ensure a top two spot. They travel to Whitten Oval to face the fancied Bulldogs on Friday night. A loss there would be a huge set back. However, Melbourne will feel confident after their first round victory in a game they were not expected to win.

Daisy Pearce played well in her first game back after a two year sabbatical to raise her twins. Silvie and Roy made an appearance at the end of the game to congratulate their mum on a job well done.

Other debutantes included Sinead Goldrick from Dublin’s fair city. It’s nice to see some Irish players in the side, though the other Hibernian Niamh McEvoy was unable to play due to injury. Hopefully we will see both players on the field together in the near future.

Go the Mighty Dees!