Coming into this game we had never beaten the Saints… and coming out that was still true. Ford is poached by the Bin Chickens, but we still rest Nanscawen. This lets the Saints have sway for the day in the middle.
This is game 50 for the team, and the 50th VFLW game for Jesse Davies (20 with us). Somehow no one at the club notices the latter…
Julian also reaches 25 games.
It is a VERY windy day and in the first quarter we do not go full defensive when kicking into it.
I find it HILARIOUS that later on the Saints, of all teams, would let Frew run behind the mark to collect and goal from fifty in the Grand Final. See the below:
On the halftime siren we eventually work out the AFL changed the rules re: kicking out of bounds from a kick-out, after the Saint stepped outside the square and therefore make it legal.
We trail 32-46 at the final break… and then THIS happens.
I get COVID at the Midnight Oil concert, and so my sole insightful contribution to this game comes when perusing photos later:
Going in, North are the sole remaining team who has beaten us every time… but we win 13.10.88 to 2.2.14 despite “interesting” umpiring and a looooong sequence when we repeatedly fail to properly convert scoring shots.
Nalder is a late withdrawal, so I don’t miss her 50th VFLW/EFC game. Morcom does play, and reaches 50 games (44 with us and 6 with Diamond Creek).
Bella Ayre debuts for us.
The injury list reveals two un-announced players have joined our squad; Appleby and Ryan will play for us down the track.
For the third time, an EFC VFLW player kicks four goals in a game (all three were Frew). But in the literal closing seconds CBomb joins her.
Appleby and G.L.O.R.I.A. debut (Nalder misses a second chance to get to 50 games). COVID and other illnesses start rushing us, with Marshall the most notable OUT.
Clifford gives an on-ground eulogy for women’s footy pioneer Ann Rulton before the game, and after one of her goals.
We arrogantly rest Clifford, and the team falls apart (the score lies). Debuting are Teagan Williams (playing back, oddly) and Stephanie Asciak (wing).
It’s another (near) top of the ladder clash the next week, and the script is pretty similar: for much of the game the opposition aren’t allowed to score, and then rush us. We steady, and win 5.6.36 to 4.2.26
Crook plays her 25th EFC/VFLW game, and Morcom reaches 50 for us.
The third top-of-the-ladder clash in a row, and while we get beaten in the midfield we triumph 4.2.27 to 2.9.21
Casey didn’t stuff up their kicking as much as that score suggests: we just made it real hard for them, with a large proportion of those scores from far out or from the boundary.
The Hawks go scorched earth and drop most of their (to be) AFLW players (OK, two of them were poached during the week) including captain Tamara Luke. They do bring in our ex-Bomber and their ex-captain Jess “#1” Trend for her 100th game.
The Hawks stuck with us for a bit, and then… 8.12.60 defeats 1.1.7
In an equally implausible finals result we win 11.10.76 to 1.3.9
No changes for us, so last week’s changes are the changes since we last played Casey:
IN: Ashley-Cooper, CBomb
OUT: Ayre, Everist
Casey/Melbourne are not keen to win the VFLW premiership, and hurt themselves at selection. @Hoffy starts telling confident people to SHUT. UP. and then has to do so herself, thanks to the spicy cough.
Casey are right there with us to quarter time (we lead 1.1.7 to 0.3.3) but like last week it then falls apart, with 6 goals kicked in 14 minutes: captain’s goal to start it, then four kicked or set up by Fede…
… and finally Radford kicks her first VFLW/EFC goal…
I know many of you only came in more recently, but for me this is soooooo a story of four seasons across five years, a victory for the true believers. I still don’t believe it. We absolutely had the ability to stack the team this year, and we chose not to squib it at the pointy end, but it’s primarily a story of “the team is greater than the sum of its parts”. You don’t restrict teams to the scores of this year without a full-team dedication to pressure and sacrificing for your teammates.
Our Best and Fairest is on tonight, and I have been honoured with an invite (@Hoffy, another OG, is my +1). No inside reporting, sorry, but the rest of the season summary flows from tonight!
Hint: that means someone other than @Hoffy, @Catherine_Lio, and I needs to be live reporting tonight
Incredible write up David. So glad I jumped on the bandwagon this year and got to see a premiership in person. Now to retain that shiny thing for 2023!
Congratulations to all involved, it’s been an incredible effort from you guys building a wonderful program.