Round 3 – Melbourne v St Kilda

Jacqui Parry

Our Pride Round game against the Saints is always a tough one, and this year was no exception. The Saints really lift themselves for this game every year, and matched us on the score board for the first three quarters.

Lucky we had the coolest Pride Guernsey in the league – as the team needed a bit of cool to charge over the Saints in the last quarter. In 30+degree heat (again) our guernsey bobbed up like a refreshing slice of watermelon – I wonder if the team was thinking of that as they fought through the heat??

It was a tough game, but our forwards led by Tayla Harris and Kate Hore managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over – and who could forget that massive Lauren Pearce goal (celebration of the century) ?? A captains goal to Daisy really topped the day off. Sinead Goldrick teamed well with Megan Fitzsimon for her debut goal. Eliza West showed ferocity at the ball for four quarters.

Gabbi Colvin worked really hard with Libby Birch tp keep the Saints out of their goal and the Dees in the game as Karen Pxman and Sarah Lampard fired up the midfield. Tyla Hanks was in everything and deserved her two majors. Hoping Megan Fitzsimon bears no long term effects of her spectacular injury – I hope her parents were not watching the blood streaming down her face.

Next week will be a tough clash against top of table Crows. Hoping the squad recovers well from the heat of Casey Fields as they will need to be in the game from the get go to get over the Crows.

Wishing our women a safe and successful trip to Adelaide – hoping they have time to get their hair done a buy a new frock as Adelaide is a great place to do that!!

Tegan and Krstel did a great job on our Pride Guernsey. It looked fantastic on the ground and up close. I loved the addition of the fingerprints of the players, which ensures the guernsey is owned by every player who has the opportunity to wear it. This is such a great design, I am hoping that the men also adopt this concept for the Pride Round – different finger prints of course – but overall design is really great and looked fantastic on telly.

Great to see our Mascots supporting the team and the Ruby Dees at Casey – they really brought our team home in the last quarter.

Preliminary final – Melbourne v Adelaide

Liam Chambers

In the end, Adelaide’s experience in finals was invaluable in keeping Melbourne from scoring a goal until the final term. By then it was too high a mountain for the Dees to climb.  Even though we were the most consistent team in the latter half of the campaign, we were still considered the underdogs against a side that had won two Grand Finals.

For five hard fought games in a row, Melbourne had found a way to win. In fact, their Round 7 clash against Adelaide was arguably the best game the team had played in their short four year career. It was a must win game and the players took on the challenge with gusto. 

The following week they travelled across the Nullarbor to take on the competition favourites in the notoriously partisan city of Perth where they survived a second half onslaught to secure a spot in the finals for the first time (2020 season was abandoned before the finals began). Their final game against Brisbane was another nail biter with Melbourne surviving a last second (literally) attempt on goal by the Lions to ensure a home advantage going into the finals.

Having beaten the Dockers once away from home, the Dees were confident of causing another upset on home soil, having not lost a match at Casey Fields since 2019. Again, they dominated in the first half but Freemantle struck back in the third quarter to come within striking distance of Melbourne. Fortunately Melbourne steadied the ship in the last term but were unable to land the knockout blow until the final minutes.

Travelling to Adelaide Oval last weekend, though undoubtedly daunting, was also an invaluable experience. The Crows were determined not to be over run early and defended ruthlessly, denying the Dees the chance of early goals and momentum.  The team has gain enormous confidence from their experience this year and they will carry a sense of belief in their abilities into next year when they will be a force to be reckoned with.

The 2020 season was a break through year for the Demons. They had a mid season case of indecisiveness and uncertainty but came back stronger after that period of self doubt. With veterans Pearce, Paxman and Scott leading the way and young guns Hanks, Zanker and McNamara continually improving, the club has got a very bright future.

This year both the women and men’s sides have shown a team spirit not always present in past seasons. If they can maintain that cohesion, a Grand Final victory won’t be far away.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

I got to toss the coin at the women’s final at Casey Fields on Saturday!!!!!

Goodness how privileged am I?  And we won it!! Even better.

It was an epic journey on the train to get there, but had enough time for a brunch of Eggs Benedict and a lovely big coffee at Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre. Found some players parents wandering the streets and we conferred on how the hell to get to the ground (apparently few locals follow AFL).

After an extremely wild bus ride to Casey Fields, I met up with Matt from the club who was there to escort me to the gate just before the game started. He checked in on my coin tossing technique (which was pretty hopeless despite some considerable practice) and did I have a coin. ” Of course Matt” but to my horror I discovered that I had been practicing with the wrong coin…….. I figured being a finals match – surely it would be a gold coin, and had landed that on it’s rim four times in mum’s backyard (the epitome of even handedness). “No” says Matt!! “AFL regulations it has to be a 20 cent coin” (which is bigger, lighter and therefore harder to toss).

Bugga!! So more practice before the game….. getting worse with every throw.

Anyhooo – I had worn my lucky Daisy blouse and Jackie’s No. 19 guernsey – all of which worked. I did my very best Joe Biden run onto the field (as you have to be very quick at it – on the ground as soon as the National Anthem finishes) and managed not to fall over. A polite introduction to the Dockers Skipper and a fist pump to our Vice Captain “Go Get ‘Em Paxy!!”

Miraculously the coin toss went very well – a nice gentle flick and it spun up and down. The coin came down Tails – the Dockers way – but as I had lulled the opposition skipper into a false sense of security she unfortunately picked the “wrong end”. Our girls held them goal-less for the first half, in a stiff NNW breeze, and came home with the wind at their backs and Demon Supporters in the final quarter goal.

It was a hot 32 degree day and honestly I don’t know how they did it ‘cos I was ready for a Bex and a lie down after the coin toss!! The Dockers came at them in the Third quarter but our girls had their measure – and petrol in the tank because they are so fit. Mick, Jane and the rest of the coaching / fitness team have done such a great job preparing our women for this season and they are ready to roll through the finals series. Great work, and Mr and Mrs Stinear even managed to fit in having a little baby boy “Jack” just in time for Mick to take his place in the coaching box for Saturday.

I really enjoyed the match and met many of the players’ families, player sponsors, board members and staff. At the end of the match a gentleman approached me and asked if I was “Jacqueline Parry” – yes – turned out to be Jackie’s dad Frank Parry. So I was able to catch up with Jackie Parry 19, and her family. Judging by the height of them I clearly come from the “midget” arm of the Parry family, but they are lovely and I have prepared the papers to adopt them all – as their elder aunt from NSW!!

Go Dees!!

Got the lucky Daisy blouse on!!

It was a great game to watch and a great result for our hardworking team.

So now we are in the Preliminary Final against the Crows in Adelaide. Go get ’em Girls!!

MELBOURNE 1.2 3.3 4.3 5.10 (40)
FREMANTLE 0.2 0.2 3.5 3.5 (23)
GOALS
Melbourne: Scott 2¸ Bannan, Tarrant, Gay
Fremantle: Sharp, Duffy, Houghton
BEST
Melbourne: Paxman, Gay, Scott, Mithen, Cunningham
Fremantle: Bowers, Miller, Sergeant, Cain, Seth
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

Round 9 – Melbourne V Brisbane

Liam Chambers

When the final three AFLW Rounds were announced almost a month ago, most punters and even die hard Demon fans felt the task was almost insurmountable for Melbourne. Fast forwarded to Casey Fields last Saturday and even top of the table Brisbane suddenly seemed less daunting.

The Dees confidence was high and they now believe they can beat anyone. Even though the Lions kicked the first goal thanks to Jesse Wardlaw, Melbourne wasn’t phased and went on the attack, exerting major pressure to keep Brisbane in their defensive half. The Lions fought back, but the Dees kept forging ahead. When Alyssa Bannan outran her pursuers, she was able to get the sherrin inside 50 where Shelley Scott kicked a brilliant shot on goal, bending it towards the target and sealing her first of the evening.

When the rains came down, the wet conditions seemed to favour Melbourne even though they couldn’t add to the scoreboard. Their defence was in top form, especially Meg Downie who is playing great footy after her return from injury. Unfortunately the inspirational Daisy Pearce suffered an knee injury in the first quarter and may miss playing in the finals. We wish her a speedy recovery and know she will still play a pivotal coaching role for the Dees.

After an even sided first term, the Lions took hold of the reins early in the second. First Dakota Davidson, then Courtney Hodder kicked goals to push Brisbane’s lead out to eleven points. Hodder’s goal was particularly spectacular after a great run; even kicking the ball to herself before scoring. Just when things were looking grim for the Dees, Karen Paxman put on a spectacle of her own, scoring from 40m out (ably assisted by Tegan Cunningham).

Demon joy was short lived however as Dakota Davidson got her second from a set shot and the Lions were again in the ascendancy. That was until the in form Shelley Scott showed Brisbane how it’s done. First with a one handed pickup and then with a burst through the Brisbane defence to kick another superb bender that sailed through the uprights to double her tally. However jubilation turned to sorrow for the fans right on the siren when Taylor Smith landed another for the visitors.

Brisbane started the second half determined to put the Dees away . Nearly all the play was in Melbourne’s defensive half for the first five minutes. They defended well but the Lions kept up the barrage and finally Lauren Arnell broke through to score Brisbane’s sixth. The hill had just got a little higher for the Dees but they didn’t panic and continued to fight for the game. It was a hard battle. Even when Melbourne was able to spend some time inside their own goal area, Brisbane kept pushing them back.

Finally the Dees got their reward when Cunningham kicked the ball to inside 50 where Paxman collected it with a diving mark. Her set shot was knocked down before being collected by Scott who slipped behind the Lions’ defence to claim her hat trick. The Lions attempted to hit back straightaway but Melbourne’s defence frustrated all Brisbane efforts.

The Dees began the last quarter trailing by eleven points. They would need to pull out all the stops to topple the league leaders and secure a home final berth. Brisbane were equally determined to retain their top spot on the ladder. It was Brisbane who blinked first when Alyssa Bannan’s lob from forty metres out sailed through the uprights and reduced the margin to one goal. Within a minute, Tyla Hanks was chasing the sherrin through traffic, twisting and turning before snapping one off the outside of her boot and giving Melbourne the lead.

There was a brief period of confusion when Paxman marked the ball but the Umpire called play on, giving Brisbane the advantage. Then almost immediately there was a free awarded to Brisbane on the 50m line; another dubious call. I had to quickly check that the Ref hadn’t secretly donned a Lions’ guernsey. Brisbane tried to seize the momentum but the Dees defended valiantly.

Lauren Magee was having the game of her short AFLW career, tackling brilliantly and denying Brisbane several times. Then Dee after Dee tackled and fought to get the ball out of their defensive 50. The last ten minutes were frenetic with both sides fighting ferociously for the honours. Shelley Heath made some great tackles to keep the pressure on the Lions.

When Maddie Gay marked from forty five metres out, her kick didn’t quite make the distance but the Dees were able to scramble another point. Brisbane almost had a game winning chance but Melbourne again played clever defence to deny the favourites. The last fifty seconds was hard fought and there was still one more twist to come. Greta Bodey was awarded a free right on the siren and the crowd held it’s collective breath. Fortunately her kick didn’t make the distance and Melbourne secured a famous victory.

The win means the Dees have a home final. It won’t be easy though and Fremantle will want to avenge their loss from Round 8. On current form though I feel comfortable having a flutter on Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 8 – Melbourne v Fremantle

Liam Chambers

The temperature was high at 30C but the stakes were higher. If Melbourne could win in Perth, they were in the finals without worrying about anyone leapfrogging them next week. Fremantle have gained a reputation as slow starters so the Dees needed to make the most of their early chances in front of goal.

The first opportunity came early when Maddi Gay kicked from the 50m line to Kate Hore who marked and converted to take the points. When Shelley Scott was held, Kate Hore had her second look at the uprights, substituting for Scott who ran off the pitch for treatment to a hand injury. Two in a row for the talented forward.

Since Daisy Pearce has taken up her new position up front, she has been even more influential and inspiring. Her mark and intelligent kick to Eliza McNamara set up the third Melbourne goal.

Up the other end Gabby O’Sullivan scored for the Dockers but the goal was disallowed due to free given for an off the ball push in the back incident. Kate Hore almost scored a fourth for the Dees in the last seconds but it drifted wide in a let off for Freo.

Melbourne started the second quarter tackling hard and limiting the Dockers’ chances. Karen Paxman and Jacqui Parry shots on goal only resulted in minor scores. Then Daisy again showed her footy smarts when she curled the ball brilliantly towards goal. The sherrin took a couple of lucky bounces before crossing the line to put the Dees 28 to 1 in front.

Of course Fremantle were always going to come charging back but their efficiency let them down. They peppered the goal with shot after shot but couldn’t land the crucial six pointer. Luck was definitely a lady to Melbourne and they finished the first half with a twenty three point margin. After the break the Dockers continued their fierce attack on the visitors but again failed to reduce the gap on the score board.

Finally Gabby O’Sullivan was awarded a free and scored from the set shot with two minutes to go in the quarter. Melbourne just needed to hold on and not do anything silly. Unfortunately a lapse of concentration in defence allowed Roxy Rous to scoop up the ball and run it through to score for Freo with ten seconds left on the clock. To add insult to injury, Rous got all up in the faces of the Melbourne players and there was quite a bit of pushing and pulling as tempers flared.

The Dees, who seconds earlier looked to be going into the final quarter with a nineteen point lead, now had a more precarious two goal margin. The Dockers were now brimming with confidence and the home crowd were cheering them on with a partisan passion unique to the west. Even in a small footy ground that crowd can be quite intimidating.

Melbourne just needed to forget the mishaps and focus on winning the game. Their victory against the Crows last week would strengthened their believe that they could withstand the immense pressure from a side used to finishing strongly. That belief was seriously shaken when Roxy Rous got her second and the pressure was all on the Dees.

Fremantle had the momentum and there was only one goal in it. When Gemma Houghton scored from a set shot and put the home side one point in front, the Demon fans were hiding behind the couch, occasionally poking their head up to see what was happening on the field. There was eight minutes to go but it felt more like eighty to the nervous faithful watching in Perth and across the country.

Daisy Pearce didn’t seem worried though as she took a contested mark in the middle of the ground. While she was looking for a Dee to kick to, she was awarded a 50m penalty for a Freo infringement. You can’t teach instinct and when Daisy spotted Maddison Gay in a great position 30m to the left of goal, she didn’t wait to run the full fifty metres, instead kicking the ball to Gay who obliged by taking the mark. The set shot needed to be perfect and it was.

Suddenly Melbourne were five points ahead and the pressure was back on Fremantle who lost some of their confidence. The Dees pushed forwarded and the Dockers made mistakes in their attempt to win back the lead. Melbourne remained composed and calmly got the ball out of danger again and again.

Fremantle threw everything at their opponents in the last minute but the Dees were equal to the task. When the final siren sounded, they knew they’d scored an historic win.

Next week it’s back to Casey to take on the Lions. I wouldn’t bet against Melbourne.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!