Gets to the bench, exhausted. You know itâs Kendra because her socks are ALWAYS up.
The photo probably didnât need any commentary but she felt the need to provide some.
Itâs true, and that is what 
should be.
THANK YOU CELIE.
(my bold at the end)
by Celie Hay
The VFLW Bombersâ maiden finals series has ended after Geelong ran away with a 28-point victory in Saturdayâs preliminary final at Windy Hill.
It was a tale of two halves as the Bombers were level with the Geelong at the main break, but the Catsâ experience proved too strong in the 6.9 (45) to 2.5 (17) win.
Geelong came out firing to kick the opening major, but the Bombersâ intensity lifted as they fought hard to maintain possession.
It took until the last minute of the opening quarter for the Bombers to hit the board through No.2 AFLW draft pick Georgie Prespakis, who broke through a contest to snap a goal.
Star midfielder Georgie Prespakis gets busy in the engine room. (Photo: Celie Hay)
Like the first quarter, Geelong opened the second term with a quick major, but the Bombers continued to fight hard and took control of the game.
A long kick from Zali Friswell found Alana Barba in open space and she weaved through multiple opponents before waltzing into an open goal square.
The two sides couldnât be separated heading into the main break with a late behind from Barba levelling the score.
After the main break, Geelongâs intensity lifted and it broke away with consecutive goals.
But the Bombersâ defenders in Tamsin Crook and Eloise Ashley-Cooper stood strong under immense pressure, cutting off multiple Geelong forward entries.
Momentum turned in the final minutes of the third term with the Bombersâ locking the ball in their forward half, but unfortunately they couldnât convert.
Geelong dominated the final quarter, but the Bombersâ intent didnât waiver as the home side fought hard to reduce the deficit.
Essendon conceded multiple goals in the final minutes, sealing the Catsâ 28-point victory to advance to the VFLW Grand Final.
The VFLW Bombers can hold their heads high after an outstanding season. (Photo: Celie Hay)
Tale of two halves
Despite waiting three weeks in between games, both sides started the game with fast ball movement and clean skills.
While the Bombers kept up with the Geelongâs intensity for the first half, the Cats stepped up after the main break and took control of the game.
Essendon captain Georgia Nanscawen said the Bombers started the game well but struggled to stop Geelongâs momentum throughout the second half.
âIt was a pretty tight for first half and I think we matched it with them really well. They got off to a bit of a start and we pulled them back extremely well. I thought we were actually on top of the contest, feeling really good going into half-time,â Nanscawen said.
âI think their class just showed through in that second half. They got a bit of a run on and a bit of momentum, and it was hard to stop. In the end credit to them, theyâve had a great season and played the game really, really well.â
Nanscawen said the Bombers struggled to overcome the pressure from the Cats which meant they couldnât utilise their own structures and capitalise on their outside speed.
âWe looked at the stats at three-quarter time and they started to get on top in the contested possessions,â Nanscawen said.
âThey use the players around the back of the stoppage really well and we werenât able to number off as well as we would have liked, so they were able to get that bit of a run on and unfortunately we didnât have the answers to them today.â
Disappointing end to a historic season
Although it was a disappointing end to the season, the VFLW Bombers can reflect on the season with pride as they were a part of the team which led the club to a maiden finals series.
Nanscawen said her side never gave up throughout the season and embraced any challenge that came their way, including the disruptions caused by COVID lockdowns.
âObviously Iâm extremely proud of the group, proud of the club and I think the clubâs proud of us as well,â she said.
âOne thing is weâve never backed down and weâve always enjoyed doing it as a group. Iâm extremely proud to be part of this group and proud to stay with the Bombers going forward and developing us to hopefully go one step better next year.â
ESSENDON 1.1 2.2 2.5 2.5 (17)
GEELONG 1.2 2.2 4.4 6.9 (45)
Goals: Prespakis, Barba
Best: Prespakis, Nanscawen, Gillard, Barba, Crook, Ashley-Cooper
Disposals: Nanscawen 26, Barba 18, Prespakis 17, Heil 13
It hurts, a lot, but better that than a world of âmehâ.
At the end Kendra was looking after both the oldies (Mia-Rae above, as seen on the stream) and the youngsters (below).
P.S. And a happy 21st for Eloise Ashley-Cooper today.
Good to see a lot of non-essential team mates were allowed to attend (no one is pretending Quigley right now is an emergency) and that I got a cameo appearance.
Still not announced?