WITH the end of the season quickly approaching Round 5 brought plenty of action with both Geelong Falcons and Northern Knights remaining undefeated. The Bendigo Pioneers also stamped their authority on the competition with a 62-point win to keep them in the hunt for a finals spot.

Western Jets 6.7 (43) defeated Greater Western Victoria Rebels 3.3 (21)
By: Sophie Taylor

WESTERN JETS 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 6.7 (43)
GWV REBELS 1.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 (21)

GOALS:
Western: L. Wright 3, J. Goodman, P.Ozols, C. Sargent
GWV: S. Nolte, C. Leonard, E. Friend

BEST:
Western: I. Grant, L. Wright, I. Pritchard, E. Georgostathis, C. Sargent, T. Kolevski
GWV: S. Molan, I. Robson, K. Harris, L. Condon, M. Ciavarella, L. Sykes

It was a tight contest between eleventh and twelfth on the ladder as the Western Jets hosted Greater Wester Victoria (GWV) Rebels on Sunday at Williamstown. It was a tough slog all round from the start but it was the Jets’ composure in the final quarter that ultimately got them their first win for the season, with a three goal to nil final term gifting them a well deserved 22 point win. Both sides started well defensively, with the likes of Nyakoat Dojiok (GWV), who returned to the side this week, and Isabelle Pritchard (Western) holding ground off half back, not allowing the ball to enter their defensive 50. Even in the early stages of the match it looked like the Jets had the upper hand, putting pressure on every stoppage and making it hard for the Rebels to clear the ball out of the pack. Some missed opportunities early saw the sides head into the first change even on 1.1 (7) apiece, proving the intensity of both sides’ backlines.

The Rebels showed some great footy smarts at ground level scooping up the footy, but were unable to hold onto it with the constant pressure applied by the Jets. Some clean kicking through the guts saw some great play but more missed opportunities from both sides, before the Rebels took a five point lead into half time with a beautiful kick after the siren. The Rebels’ good fortune ended there, unable to convert in front of goal for the second half credit to Western’s ability to trap the footy in their forward 50, with the likes of Pritchard and Isabella Grant continuously feeding the ball back. The Rebels showed great signs early, but could not compete with the intensity and pressure in their forward. Pritchard was not only a constant moving the ball back forward, but also held her ground well on GWV’s Isabella Simmons, getting the upper hand on a number of occasions and preventing her from having a big influence on the match.

Repeated forward 50 entries proved key for scoring opportunities, a tactic that clearly worked for the Jets against GWV’s punishing defensive structure. On return Rebels’ half back, Dojiok limped off midway through third term, diminishing the Rebels’ backline which had held strong for most of the match. Though Dojiok did not take the field to start the final quarter she did return midway through at full forward, however the side missed her influence defensively after a stellar first half. Despite a falcon in the final quarter, the likes of Elisabeth Georgostathis stood up to make the match count, being a constant asset through the midfield and feeding into the forward line. The Jets cemented their first win of season with a strong final quarter, kicking 3.4 (22) to 0.2 (2) to take home their first win for the season.

Calder Cannons 9.7 (61) defeated Murray Bushrangers 5. 4 (34)
By: Taylah Melki

Calder Cannons 3.1 | 4.1 | 7.4 |9.7 (61)
Murray Bushrangers 0.0 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 5.4 (34)

GOALS:
Calder: A. Barba 2, G. Prespakis 2, G. Elarmaly, M. Muller, A. Magri, T. Gillard, G. Patrikios
Murray: S. McCarthy 3, M. Quade, M. Jones

BEST:
Calder: A. Barba, G. Patrikios, G. Prespakis, Z. Hardiman, K. Delia, Z. Friswell
Murray: M. Quade, S. McCarthy, A. Smith, M. Jones, M. Brown, L. Sharp

The Calder Cannons impressed with a 27-point win against the Murray Bushrangers. The Cannons looked hot from the get go nailing three goals in the opening term and they did not look back applying plenty of attacking pressure throughout the game. Their slick ball movement and ability to hit a target while under pressure was impressive while they were able to control the flow of the game with ease. Murray had some good passages of play credit to some cleve ball movement but it was simply not enough to compete with Calder who dominated from start to finish. The Cannons were led by the likes of Georgie Prespakis and Georgia Patrikios who starred through the midfield and slotted a combined three goals. Their clean hands and ability to win one on ones allowed the Cannons to push hard throughout the game. Alana Barba was solid up forward for the Cannons finishing the afternoon with two majors and collecting her fair share of touches. For the Murray Bushrangers, Sophia McCarthy impressed with her attacking flair up forward nailing three goals to keep the Bushies in it. Meanwhile Millie Brown had some moments of magic aided by teammate Abbey Favell who used her speed, good vision and strong kick to propel her side forward. Mindy Quade also chipped in with her one goal and timely touches around the ground for Murray.

Bendigo Pioneers 8.15 (63) defeated Gippsland Power 0.1 (1)
By: Peter Williams

BENDIGO PIONEERS 1.2 | 2.13 | 5.14 | 8.15 (63)
GIPPSLAND POWER 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 (1)

GOALS:
Bendigo: E. Snell 5, H. Stewart, G. Barton, E. Bell
Gippsland: Nil.

BEST:
Bendigo: H. Stewart, E. Snell, B. Hards, J. Jolliffe, A. Strahan, M. Tupper
Gippsland: M. Van Berkel, M. Fitzsimon, C. Abrahams , C. Robinson, S. Beaton, M. Shaw

Bendigo Pioneers made it back-to-back wins and their third victory for the season, with an impressive 62-point win over Gippsland Power at Epsom Huntly Reserve on Sunday. In what was arguably their best performance in their short history, the Pioneers controlled the game from start to finish, finally adding the scoreboard pressure in the second half that they had trouble with in the first thanks to blustery conditions. Kicking against the wind in the first term, the Pioneers could only manage the one goal, before piling on 11 behinds for one major in the second term as they headed into the break with a 25-point lead and Elizabeth Snell with both goals. Snell would finish with five for the game, as the Pioneers ran out 8.15 (63) to 0.1 (1) winners, with Gippsland scoring a late behind to ensure they got on the board, while the Pioneers manoeuvred through the strong breeze in the second half, booting 6.2. Snell was the star up forward with her five goals from 14 disposals, five marks, four inside 50s and four tackles, while the midfield combination of Brooke Hards, Annabel Strahan and Hannah Stewart was dominant across the board. For Gippsland, Matilda Van Berkel tried hard in defence with 16 disposals and two rebounds while assisting in the ruck with 13 hitouts, while Chandra Abrahams laid eight tackles from 12 disposals, always in amongst it with Megan Fitzsimon, Cailin Robinson and Maddison Shaw.

Sandringham Dragons 5.7 (37) defeated Oakleigh Chargers 5.1 (31)
By: Michael Alvaro

SANDRINGHAM DRAGONS 1.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.7 (37)
OAKLEIGH CHARGERS 1.1 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 5.1 (31)

GOALS:
Sandringham: L. Enders, P. Staltari, C. Cody, E. Angelopoulos, C. Saultry
Oakleigh: A. Porter 2, E. James, B. Fox, S. Morley

BEST:
Sandringham: A. Burke, B. Arnold, A. Moloney, W. Laing, S. Hartwig, J. Stolz
Oakleigh: T. Morton, G. Lagioia, J. Lin, A. Porter, G. Larkey, N. Xenos

A first half blitz helped Sandringham Dragons get over the line for its first win of season 2019, defeating Oakleigh Chargers by a sole goal at Trevor Barker Beach Oval. The Dragons were wasteful out of the blocks, holding a four-point lead at the first break on the back of 1.5, but they made good on their dictation of general play with a more sure 3.2 in the second term to set up the win. While there were a few nervous moments in the final stanza after a goalless third quarter, the Dragons managed to hang on for an unlikely win – sealed late by a Chloe Saultry goal after Oakleigh’s Sarah Morley had levelled the scores. Alice Burke again led the way for Sandringham in the engine room, laying nine tackles and winning a heap of contested ball in a selfless display. Winnie Laing narrowly beat her out in the ball-winning stakes with 16, while middle-ager Sarah Hartwig was a force in the air down back, reeling in five marks – many of which were interceptions. Oakleigh’s Mimi Hill was arguably the best player on the ground, collecting 26 damaging possessions and buzzing around the stoppages well to push her side forward. Fellow Chargers Alana Porter and Amelia Peck also contributed nicely, with the former booting two impressive goals in the low-scoring affair. Suffering two losses in the last three weeks, Oakleigh will hope to bounce back against Murray at home next week, while Sandringham travels to Ballarat to take on GWV, hoping to start a winning run.

Northern Knights 7.8 (50) defeated Eastern Ranges 4.2 (26)
By: Michael Alvaro

NORTHERN KNIGHTS 0.3 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 7.8 (50)
EASTERN RANGES 1.1 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 (26)

GOALS:
Northern: N. Morris-Dalton 2, E. McKenzie 2, M. Papachristos, B. Gutknecht, M. Appleby
Eastern: S. Collard 2, I. Khoury

BEST:
Northern: B. Gutknecht, G. Newton, J. Fitzgerald, A. Bennett, N. Morris-Dalton, E. McKenzie
Eastern: N/A

Northern Knights charged home to a 24-point win against Eastern Ranges on Sunday to maintain its unbeaten season thus far. The home side started shakily as Eastern took advantage of a strong wind to lead by a goal early on, but the 2018 grand finalists hit back well in the second term to snatch a 13-point half time buffer. The Ranges looked to be making a game of it as they bridged the gap to seven points at the final break, but the Knights clicked into gear as they so often do to see out the game, keeping their opponents scoreless while pouring on 2.5 to almost double Eastern’s final score. Star Knights trio Gabby Newton, Britney Gutknecht, and Ellie McKenzie all lifted late on to seal the game and threatened throughout, with Nell Morris-Dalton again finding the big sticks to join McKenzie as Northern’s multiple goal kickers. The signs were promising for Eastern, with potential Collingwood father-daughter Tarni Brown living up to her pedigree, winning a good amount of ball alongside Tess Flintoff, with Serena Gibbs a handy tall presence in the ruck. The game was somewhat soured by injuries to players on both sides, with Marina Taverna suffering a nasty dislocated finger and Tayah Kelly very proppy in the second half, while Northern’s Mia Papachristos was helped off the field with a crook right leg. With changes imminent, Eastern hosts Calder next week in search of a win to sneak back into the top four, while Northern returns to Preston City Oval to face Gippsland.

Dandenong Stingrays 4.7 (31) defeated by Geelong Falcons 7.6 (48)
By: Taylah Melki

DANDENONG STINGRAYS 3.4 |3.5| 3.6 |4.7 (31)
GEELONG FALCONS 0.0 | 2.0 | 4.4 | 7.6 (48)

GOALS
Stingrays: G. Howes 2, H. Thomas, A. Liddle
Falcons: P. Schaap 3, P. Sheppard, R. Tierney, D. Moloney, M. Skinner

BEST
Stingrays: C. Bell, B. Vernon, G. Howes, G. Grimmer, M. McDonald, J. Radford
Falcons: L. McEvoy, R. Tierney, P. Sheppard, A. Chapman, E. Vella, P. Schaap

The Geelong Falcons continued their unbeaten stretch claiming a 17-point win against the Dandenong Stingrays at Robinson Reserve, Doveton. The Falcons worked their way back into the game after a quiet start, ramming it home in the last quarter nailing three goals. Dandenong were up and about early on but credit to the pressure of the Falcons the Stingrays were unable to maintain their composure and pressure falling away in the second half. Poppy Schapp led the way for the Falcons in attack slotting three goals to get her side back in the contest while Renee Tierney was sensational across the ground. Tierney chipped in with a goal and was helped out by teammate Lucy McEvoy who impressed through the middle of the ground with her clean hands, impeccable vision and good decision making. Abbey Chapman was also important for the Falcons with Paige Sheppard making her presence felt on the ground with her one goal and laying some strong tackles. For the Stingrays Georgia Howes was solid and proved to be a real target in the forward 50, slotting two goals for her side. Georgia Grimmer and Tyanna Smith led the way for Dandenong with their slick hands and work around the contest.