VFL Women's Round 7 2016 - Diamond Creek v Darebin
- May 29, 2016
- 3 min read
Darebin made it seven from seven against old rivals Diamond Creek at CT Barling Reserve, but had to pull out all stops to overcome the gritty Creekers by 17 points.
The Falcons were wrong-footed by Diamond Creek’s ferocious attack on the ball and bold style of play early and were slow to acclimatise to the unexpectedly tight contest. However, their accurate disposal saw them find avenues to goal and eventually outlast their opponents in an exciting match. Champion Falcon full-forward Katie Brennan stood up when her side needed her, finishing with five goals (including all four of Darebin’s second half majors) to continue her white-hot 2016 form.
Darebin captain Daisy Pearce was rested for the Round 7 clash but the Falcons were still expected to comfortably claim their eleventh straight win over the out-of-form Diamond Creek. However, from the outset it was clear that the home side had come to play. It’s hard to remember a side playing against Darebin as if they expected to win but the Creekers had a point to prove after their humbling loss to Seaford.
Although Darebin were unable to execute their hard-running, forward-moving game plan in the pressure cooker contest the Creekers brought, their skills remained sharp all day. Elise O’Dea was nigh-on best on ground in her fiftieth match while the Falcons could always rely on the inside grunt of Sarah Hammond and the dynamic Lauren Arnell. Darebin had five players who represented Melbourne against Brisbane at the MCG last Sunday – depth like that is hard to contain all match. Brennan, well held by Kirby Hicks early, slipped the leash in the second half. With her hard leading, strong hands and pinpoint goal kicking, she only needed five shots to see her side home. Whenever Diamond Creek got close – and when they cut the gap to five points after having the run of play, it got very interesting indeed - Brennan found a way to keep them at bay. Her fifth goal halfway through the final quarter finally sealed the topsy-turvy contest.
Led by a sterling ruck performance by Al Downie against her much-vaunted opponent Norieul Kinross, Diamond Creek’s midfield fought all day to win the clearance contest. The hard-nosed Shae Audley and Millie Barden were excellent excavators. The Creekers had also clearly done their homework with defenders Karly Cobern, Lauren Morecroft and Laura Attard tagging key Darebin playmakers out of the contest.
In the first quarter Creeker forward Christina Bernardi put her side two goals ahead after fifteen minutes of control before Darebin were able to respond through Georgia Hammond. It became the story of the day: Diamond Creek needed to maintain scoring pressure through their scrap at the coalface but they couldn’t kick enough goals. Darebin may have been frustrated for much of the contest but hadn’t lost two months’ worth of dominant form overnight. Meghan McDonald converted from a tricky angle in the final minute of the half to push her side’s lead out to nine points, despite having spent much of the match up to that point on the back foot.
Although Darebin playing coach Jane Lange conceded her side had struggled without the on-field leadership of Daisy Pearce, she was quick to point out that the win was the fourth time this season the Falcons have overcome challenges to steady.
“In that last quarter, our girls took it upon themselves to stand up,” said Lange. “And Katie Brennan, she gets everything, defenders just batter her and she comes through. I can’t fault her.”
Although the loss is Diamond Creek’s third on the trot, coach Tanya Hetherington called the performance her side’s “best four-quarter effort” thus far. “As far as a four-quarter effort, believing we could win, shutting them down goes,” says Hetherington, “that’s now our barometer. I said that to the girls, we don’t fall below that standard now.”
Darebin 2.3 4.6 6.8 8.10.58 Diamond Creek 2.2 3.3 6.3 6.5.41
Best – (D) Brennan, O’Dea, Arnell, Smith, S Hammond, Hogan. - (DC) Downie, Audley, Brazzale, Barden, Cobern, Smith. Goals – (D) Brennan 5, L Pearce, G Hammond, McDonald. - (DC) Bernardi 3, Cappello, Cameron, Brazzale.
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