Round 5 – Melbourne V Gold Coast
Liam Chambers
Big surprise; Gold Coast took a leaf out of St Kilda and Adelaide’s playbook. Again it was game on from the first bounce. The Suns were looking for three in a row and the Dees were looking to make amends for last week’s result.
The first quarter was all pressure. Melbourne were making inroads into their forward fifty but Gold Coast kept repelling them. After ten minutes, the Dees had been continually dominating territory but only had two minor scores to show for their efforts.
The Suns only had one foray to inside 50 late in the term but it proved fruitless with the margin remaining three points in Melbourne’s favour at quarter time.
When play resumed, Gold Coast had the wind at their backs and took full advantage early on. Again though the Dees were able to push back and get close to their own goal square.
Melbourne’s determination paid off when Eden Zanker, under pressure, launched a wildly accurate kick, picking out Tayla Harris, who took the contested mark. The Dees leading goal kicker then had a set shot 30m in front but the breeze carried the sherrin to the right for another minor. A minute later, Shelley Scott did the same.
Almost immediately Gold Coast took control and the game to their own end. They had several chances in front of goal but were unable to get the points on the board. They kept up the pressure though and the Dees finally succumbed when Sarah Perkins’ spinning high kick landed fortuitously into Alison Drennan’s lap. The midfielder took the set shot and slotted the Sun’s first of the night.
Melbourne have a habit of striking back quickly and it was Daisy Pearce who again provided the inspiration. Her initial tap down 25m out then allowed her to run on and gather the footy before chipping it behind the goal line.
A minute later and Eliza McNamara was awarded a free kick after being held 30m out from goal. McNamara took note, learning from her team mates’ previous shots on goal, before guiding her kick perfectly through the sticks.
That’s the way it stayed and Melbourne went in, leading by ten points, at half time.
After a sterling finish to the first half, the Dees needed to remain focused and continue to control the game. They maintained the pressure on the Suns and waited for the visitors to make a mistake. Eventually Megan Fitzsimon was taken high in a tackle and awarded a free kick front of goal. Fitzsimon read the breeze correctly and notched up Melbourne’s third of the evening.
Again and again the Dees pushed forward but Gold Coast managed to hold them off. Melbourne then had to confront an attack by the Suns but wrested back control before Lily Mithen took off back down the field. She stole a bounce along the way before hand passing to Eliza McNamara who tried to pick out Tayla Harris with her subsequent kick.
The ball sailed over the heads of the waiting pack, but Harris was awarded a free for a push in the back. The set shot was 25m directly in front and the forward had no problems in converting to score Melbourne’s fourth of the match.
The challenge now for the Dees was to maintain the momentum and not let Gold Coast back into the game. Unfortunately Ellie Hampson scored possibly the best accidental goal of the season when her stumbling soccer kick found a way to cross the line.
Then with the seconds ticking down, Daisy Pearce took a diving mark 15m out from goal. It’s well known that the captain is adverse to taking set shots so her seemingly inexplicit action in playing on is understandable. However the Suns’ fans everywhere would have been taking a big collective sigh of relief at having dodged a very late bullet.
As the teams headed into the final term, Gold Coast were thankful to be only trailing by nineteen points.
The tackling continued at a frenetic pace but the Dees looked comfortably in control. That confidence was boosted when Daisy Pearce took another contested mark inside 50. She immediately spotted Tayla Harris and placed her kick perfectly into the path of the key forward. Harris finished flawlessly and the margin stretched to twenty four points.
A few minutes later Kate Hore had an opportunity to hammer in the final nail but her running shot veered left for a minor score.
With ten minutes to go, Gold Coast wasn’t giving up as they managed to retake the ball before launching their own offensive. There was no one at the back for Melbourne and Jamie Stanton had the inside 50 area to herself as she ran into an open goal. The Suns sensed that there was still time and the Dees knew they had to maintain possession to slow down the game.
Gold Coast kept driving forward though and eventually Kalinda Howarth was able to gather, spin and kick the ball, watching it bounce across the square for another goal.
Melbourne’s lead was cut in half but the girls managed to hold off successive Coastal waves to claim an important two goal victory.
Today it’s the Giant’s turn. We’d be foolish to expect an easy competition just because GWS has had less game time this year. They’re a tough side and made the Bulldogs look ordinary in their last outing.
When we remain disciplined, we can beat anyone. We have the talent and have proved we can handle the pressure. The final part of the puzzled; the self belief and confidence is still a work in progress but I’m backing us to take home the goods in Round 6.
Go the Mighty Dees!!!
Round 4 – Adelaide V Melbourne
Liam Chambers
As we discovered last week, the Dees are vulnerable when the opposition play a high pressure game. Unfortunately Adelaide exploited this weakness mercilessly.
The Saints maintained the rage for three quarters but the Crows are made of sterner stuff. To add to our woes, we were facing possibly the tightest defence in the competition. Throw in the highly partisan Norwood Oval and Melbourne was going to struggle to play their favoured contested game.
The girls were under the pump from the first bounce. It didn’t take Adelaide’s top player, Erin Phillips, long to make an impact. The half chance in front of goal was all she needed to turn and snap the ball through for the Crow’s first. Up the other end, Tayla Harris was awarded a free kick on the 50m line. Her set shot sailed to the left of the goal square where Daisy Pearce almost took a contested mark before it bounced behind for a minor score.
Adelaide was relentless in their forward pressure. Melbourne kept absorbing the heat but eventually Erin Phillips broke through again with an opportunistic soccer kick along the ground of the goal square. Even though the Crows dominated inside 50 for most of the term, the Dees denied them several chances to add to the goal tally. Libby Birch in particular was stellar in defence.
The signs of frustration were evident in the second quarter with Melbourne giving away unnecessary free kicks. Adelaide was determined not to let their rivals settle and the Dees had everyone back trying to contain the onslaught. The tactic limited Melbourne’s options when they had the chance to plow forward so few territorial gains were made.
Even when we eventually arrived at our forward 50, the Crows’ defence was clinical. Eliza McNamara had one of the best chances of the term but her shot in front of goal veered left.
Having failed to score a goal in the first half, the Dees had at least kept Adelaide to a fifteen point margin. Still, it would be an uphill endeavor to claw back some momentum. We needed a goal and quickly. Unfortunately the next major was again off the boot of Erin Phillips.
Melbourne went all out but the Crows’ tackling was brutal, limiting any attempts Melbourne made to gain territory. Then Rachelle Martin made a mountain out of the previously difficult hill when her set shot from 35m sailed, like a poisoned arrow, through the heart of the Melbourne faithful.
Still goalless at three quarter time, the only glimmer for the Dees was the fact that Adelaide had wasted a multitude of chances to put the result beyond doubt.
Trailing by thirty two points is never good and our prospects were looking extremely bleak. However, Melbourne can usually be counted on for a rousing final quarter. It was desperately needed.
Right on cue Daisy Pearce managed to get a toe to the sherrin on the 50m line, placing it into the path of Tayla Harris and enabling the key forward to run on and score.
With Lauren Pearce off with an ankle injury, Eden Zanker took over in the ruck. The adjustment seemed to give the Dees more opportunities to go forward. Casey Sherriff launched a long kick from 55m to Daisy Pearce, who took the mark in the goal square before tapping it in for the second of the term.
Suddenly Melbourne had their tails up but had they left it too late? Adelaide didn’t give up but the Dees looked more in control, deflecting attacks with confidence. The counter attacks were more successful but finding additional goals proved elusive.
That’s the way it stayed until the dying seconds when Daisy Pearce took another contested mark. Her set shot and goal after the siren proved decisive to keeping Melbourne’s number three position on the ladder.
While overall, the Dees’ performance was unconvincing against the potential champions, there was some very positive moments in the final term. There’s a lot of work to be done regarding how we manage the high pressure game.
Undoubtedly, the Gold Coast Suns will take note and we can expect the same intensity at Casey Fields on Saturday night. We have a talented and experienced side but we need to adjust more quickly to the circumstances.
Go the Mighty Dees!!!
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
« Previous Page — Next Page »
Follow us on twitter
Join our facebook group