VFL Women's Round 10 2016 - St Kilda Sharks v VU Western Spurs

Jun 27, 2016
3 min read

St Kilda have moved a step closer to a top four spot after downing the VU Western Spurs by 34 points in a tightly wound battle at Peanut Farm Reserve.

Coming off a run of five straight wins with an increasingly fluent game plan, the Sharks welcomed back key position player Phoebe McWilliams. McWilliams was pivotal in holding the away team at bay in the first quarter as the Spurs adjusted well to the cold conditions. The Spurs pushed their forward line up to give them space to turn and run into: Jess Francke and Alex Quigley converted goals early before the Sharks hit back through Tilly Lucas-Rodd and Jasmine Garner to hold a 15-point lead at the first break.

The Spurs went into the match as underdogs after full-back Lauren Senserrick, who held Shark Mo Hope to two goals in their Round 3 clash, was ruled out with a season-ending broken nose. In her place was Amy Harrison, who resolved to play from behind and stop Hope’s dangerous ground-level play. The tactic ensured that the pair’s joust was always entertaining, but Hope nonetheless won three one-on-ones to extend her side’s lead to four goals halfway through the second quarter. Aside from Alyssa Mifsud in ruck, the Spurs were being beaten in the air by the taller, stronger St Kilda. Their faith in their leg-speed was rewarded with Quigley’s second goal, generated by a brilliant line-breaking play from Bronwyn Gell, who was holding her own in a run-with role on the Sharks’ brilliant (but clearly injured) Brianna Davey. When Jess Francke roosted a team-lifting goal from forty into a nagging breeze, the Spurs went into the main break with more than a hint of momentum and the wind at their back.

Ironically, St Kilda sealed the match during a third quarter in which they didn’t score. The Spurs dominated with their forward running and had the ball in their forward line for nearly the entire quarter with Sarah Lampard and Francke barging their way through the reputedly dogged Sharks’ midfield. However, during that time the Spurs failed to make the most of their chances while the Sharks’ backline showed their composure and structure. The Spurs failed to establish a marking target and their leads repeatedly criss-crossed, making their forward line a quagmire. St Kilda defenders Mia-Rae Clifford and Penny Cula-Reid (who took no fewer than six marks on the last line of defence) displayed their football smarts as their side conceded just 1.4 under a torrential siege to preserve a 16-point lead going into the final quarter.

The wind had almost entirely dropped off by the time the teams hit the field for the final quarter but any hope of the Spurs storming home died when Hope converted her fourth after Jess Francke had missed a relatively gettable set shot. St Kilda repelled every shuffle the Spurs made to have the four points well within their grasp before winger Emily Gilder kicked a spectacular final minute goal. Gilder broke three tackles and looked increasingly likely to tumble with every step before she curled through a goal to bring a roar from the freezing Peanut Farm crowd.

St Kilda coach Shaun Smith, whilst applauding the efforts of his defenders, admitted his charges had “some things we need to work on during the week”, particularly as they face Melbourne Uni in a huge top four clash.

“Harro did a really good job,” said Spurs coach Debbie Lee of her makeshift full-back, who may have unexpectedly found a home in the last line of defence. “And we’re not worried about the scoreboard – that will all come together later.”

St Kilda 4.3 7.8 7.8 11.9.75 VU Western Spurs 2.0 4.0 5.4 6.5.41 Best – (StK) Cula-Reid, Clifford, Lucas-Todd, McWilliams, Whitehead, Hope. - (VU) Myfsud, Harrison, Lampard, Gell, Francke, Quigley. Goals – (StK) Hope 4, Garner 2, Gilder 2, Portlock, Whitehead, Lucas-Rodd. - (VU) Quigley 3, Kemp, Francke, Myfsud.