VFL Women's Round 4 2016 - Melbourne Uni v Eastern Dev

May 2, 2016
3 min read

“Obviously our fitness staff are doing their job,” quipped Melbourne University coach Andrew Jago after his side stormed home to take a comeback win against the previously undefeated Eastern Devils. Faced with a 10 point three quarter time deficit, the Mugars kicked 4.4 to nothing in the final term to cement their pace atop the VFL Women’s ladder.

In blustery conditions at Melbourne University, the Devils put a lock on Melbourne University’s best playmakers to force the contests into the congestion-riddled scrap that has suited them thus far. From the beginning it was apparent that the team who hit the contest hardest would be the winner.

Thanks to the courageous efforts of rover Jaimee Lambert and the defensive composure of Jess Sibley, Meg Hutchins and Elisha Murrowood, the Devils went into the break with a six-point lead. When Jess Foster goaled in the opening minutes of the second, the Devils’ camp really got a good sniff of an upset on a day when scoring chances would be hard to come by. The Mugars were looking unsteady in their attempts to move the ball forward, with their limitations exacerbated by Sophie Casey’s tag on the normally dynamic Ellie Blackburn. The spark they needed came from their talls: Catherine O’Bryan slammed through a goal on the run and a fantastic sustained effort by Alicia Janz gifted Kaitlyn Ashmore a score-tying major.

If that late burst had rattled the Devils, they didn’t show it. They locked the ball in their half in the third term and broke the stoppages without allowing Melbourne Uni rebounding run in what was arguably the most efficient play of the day. Sarah Perkins (two) and Lauren Tesoriero nailed goals to push the margin out to 10 as the Devils’ pressure and patient ball movement took a heavy toll on the Mugars’ control. The Devils were showing the superiority of a cohesive team unit that had adjusted better to the conditions and was not relying on any one player.

Needing to play against the course of the match to win, Melbourne Uni moved Ashmore, their most reliable on-baller, to the half-forward line and gave the heavily tagged Emma Kearney licence to follow the ball. Both moves paid off handsomely, but not easily: Sibley and Hutchins just got better as the match went on, refusing to allow marks near goal and soaking up some of Melbourne Uni’s best efforts. However sheer weight of entries from Ashmore, Kearney and running defender Nicole Hildebrand meant the Mugars were always going to find a way to kick goals. O’Bryan, who dominated in the ruck all day but was arguably more impressive on the ground, bridged the gap to three points and Chelsea Moscript threaded a brilliant goal from the forward pocket to put her side in front for the first time all match. After three quarters of ugly toil, Melbourne Uni were suddenly running all over the Devils. Kearney had stepped up when her side needed her most and forward Jess Anderson’s last quarter saw her take as many marks Inside 50 as the rest of her team combined.

Veteran Cecilia McIntosh kicked the sealer with four minutes to play and Louise Stephenson tapped through another from the goal square to ice the match. The Devils had just three forward entries for the quarter and sadly it was Lambert – whose gutsy attack on the ball had been crucial to her side’s early control of the midfield – who twice fluffed goal chances.

“We didn’t handle the wind well at all,” said Jago after the match. “But it was good to see our lesser lights stand out, as well as Catherine O’Bryan. Best on for mine, she’s the ultimate team player.”

For Devils’ coach Brendan Major, any idea of a ‘brave’ defeat was meagre consolation for the end of their unbeaten run. “At three quarter time we really needed to push the advantage but we didn’t quite capitalise Inside 50, I think we had three marks there all game,” Major surmised.

Melbourne University will travel to Geelong in Round 5 while the Eastern Devils face Seaford.

Melbourne Uni 1.2 4.5 4.5 8.9.57 Eastern Devils 2.2 3.3 6.3 6.3.39 Best – (MU) Ashmore, O’Bryan, Hildebrand, Croft, Janz, O’Mahony. - (ED) Lambert, Sibley, Hutchins, Casey, Nestor, Tesoriero. Goals – (MU) O’Bryan 2, Ashmore, Stephenson, McIntosh, Croft, Moscript, Anderson. - (ED) Perkins 2, Foster 2, Tesoriero, Ryan.