VFL Women's Round 2 2016 - Darebin v Diamond Creek
- Apr 10, 2016
- 3 min read
Darebin have run away with a 63-point win over Diamond Creek in a match that, for all the hype surrounding it, was as good as over by quarter time.
In a highly polished display that reminded their competitors in State League that they are still very much 2016’s team to beat, the Falcons slammed on the first six goals of the game. Diamond Creek went into the match missing captain Stephanie Chiocci but their bigger problem was sloppy accounting in defence – Darebin procured four first quarter goals by catching the Creekers unawares with quick passes off to teammates closer to goal.
Diamond Creek mounted a comeback of sorts in the second quarter, with the frenetic attack of Millie Barden and Kirsty Lamb netting them three goals to bridge the gap to 27 points. However, that was as close as they got - the Falcons first halted the Creekers’ run and then ruthlessly made them pay for their mistakes. Lauren Pearce netted a pair in the final minute of the half to blow the margin back out to 39 points and render Diamond Creek’s best attacks redundant.
The contest fizzled out in the second half and the final term was most notable for Darebin’s Katie Brennan inflating the final margin to over ten goals as she kicked four in ten minutes.
Darebin had individual match-winners to burn but it was their cohesive linking that kept the Creekers at bay all day. Time and time again, the Falcons broke stoppages with quick, accurate handballs and then drove to their forwards with strong passes. Their dominance out of the centre clearances, engineered by an outstanding rucking performance from Norieul Kinross, was unabated except for Creeker bursts in the second and fourth quarters. Elise O’Dea was relentless in winning the contested ball all day while Darebin’s ability to spread in their en masse running forward left them spoiled for choices.
“We’ve been working on consecutive disposals,” Darebin playing coach Jane Lange said of her side’s freewheeling display. “It’s great when different players can step in and take the roles of that style.”
Diamond Creek coach Tanya Hetherington said her charges had maintained their structures and stuck to their game plan. “Pressure was the theme of the day, and we did that,” said Hetherington after the match. “Our run and carry when we won the ball back was something I was happy with as well.”
Given that they had control of the match in parts and fielded good performances from recruits Stephanie De Bortoli and Jess Cameron as well as the evergreen Shae Audley, Dianna Haines and Lauren Brazzale, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Creekers. However, they’ll certainly be spending some time this week working on winning the ball out of clearances and counteracting the Falcons’ speedy, bold game plan ahead of their next meeting in Round 7. Diamond Creek have now lost the last ten encounters against their fiercest rivals.
Darebin Falcons 6.2 9.3 13.5 17.7.109 Diamond Creek 0.0 3.0 5.1 7.4.46
Best – (D) O’Dea, Kinross, D Pearce, S Hammond, Lange, Brennan. - (DC) Audley, Cameron, Lamb, Barden, Haines, Brazzale. Goals – (D) Brennan 5, Vescio 2, D Pearce 2, O’Dea 2, L Pearce 2, Arnell 2, G Hammond, Lange. - (DC) Grech 2, Lamb, Bromley, De Bortoli, Cameron, Cobern.
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