EASTERN Ranges shook off a determined Tasmania Devils outfit to win by 57 points at the renovated Kilsyth Recreation Reserve in Round 3 of the NAB League Girls competition. In a fiery clash with plenty of fierce tackles, the Devils were much improved on their 102-point loss to Oakleigh Chargers last week, but the Ranges had a bit too much class with the last nine goals of the game, four of which came in the final term. The Devils had much to be pleased about too, keeping the Ranges to just one goal in the first and third terms during the 10.6 (66) to 1.3 (9) loss.

The opening term was a real tussle between the sides, with Eastern having more of the ball, but Tasmania refusing to allow them easy chances. Tahlia Bortignon set the tone early with a run-down tackle on an opponent to save a certain goal, while later in the term, it was Claire Ransom who received a huge roar from the Devils’ bench for stopping an Eastern opponent in her tracks. The Ranges were not to be outdone bringing the heat in the contest, led by captain Olivia Meagher who produced a front-on bruising tackle inside her defensive 50 to worry the Devils forwards into turning it over. Both Meagher and Tarni Brown were busy in the opening term, while Jorja Livingstone was peppering the goals. She could not get one to connect through the big sticks, but Matilda Hardy did after receiving a 50m penalty and kicking it from point-blank range. The Devils levelled the score with their first ever major in the competition with a memorable snap off a step from Perri King that sailed home without the goal umpire moving. A late push in midfield prompted a downfield free for the Ranges with less than 30 seconds on the clock, but the ball fell short and rushed through for a behind – the exact lead the home team held at quarter time. While Brown, Meagher and Livingstone were busy, so too was Bridget Deed who had a game-high nine disposals in the first quarter working hard around the ground. King and Meghan Gaffney shared the load for Tasmania with four disposals each in a real team effort.

Eastern Ranges found some better entries inside 50 in the second term, making it difficult for Tasmania to defend. Saskia Nannes had an unbelievable chance from deep in the pocket with her end-over-end snap bouncing over the one-on-one contest in the goalsquare but it kept bouncing out of bounds. Moments later a nice snap off the right from Kate Ridley gave the Ranges a relieving goal early in the term. Meagher continued to set the tone with a huge bump on Ella Maurer to help her teammate win the ball and deliver to Jess Grace who marked and converted the set shot straight after. Jemma Blair took a strong intercept grab as the danger signs from the week before were starting to show, but the defensive pressure of the Devils was still there with King having multiple defensive efforts at a stoppage to exemplify the work. A big clunk from Eloise Chaston and then a great set kick straight to Hardy who put through her second of the afternoon and all of a sudden the margin was out to 19 midway through the term. Brown was breaking the game open with her burst from a stoppage, and really creating scoring opportunities for her forwards. Isabelle Pollock had a running chance on goal by shrugging off a would-be tackler but pushed it wide at full speed. Just as it looked like the teams would head into the break with a 20-point differential, a density free kick in the dying seconds – which had a 50m penalty associated with it – handed Cassy Wilsmore a goal from the set shot and made the half-time margin 27 points.

A terrific blind-side run-down tackle from Kiara Mills set up Tasmania with an early chance, but it was smothered off the mark and cleared by the Ranges. Meagher was starting to get on the end of some fierce tackles herself, but the captain kept bouncing up and earned a free kick for her troubles early in the term. The Ranges were able to lock the ball in their forward half for a stoppage and the roving Isabelle Khoury pounced with a great clean take at speed to snap and put it through for the home team’s first of the half. A good piece of play down the wing for the Devils midway through the term led to another opportunity but the set shot from Amy Bissett went to the right. Angelica Clark had a nice piece of play through the midfield to burst away and kick deep but it went past the one-on-one and went over the line. The Devils were able to nullify the scoring however, and gain some serious territory locking it inside 50. The siren sounded with a bit of heat in the game as both sides were told to separate by the umpires going into the final break. Eastern had a commanding 32-point lead, but Tasmania had restricted them to just one goal in a much-improved defensive effort.

Tasmania’s momentum from late in the third term continued with the first inside 50 of the final term and the Devils managed to score an early behind to show they were not going to fade away. A terrific tackle from Gaffney at half-forward off the kick out signalled their intentions to keep the pressure gauge at extreme, but the Ranges were equally up for the challenge. A strong intercept mark on the last line by Deed stopped a likely goal playing at full-back, as the likes of Bissett kept attacking the forward 50. In their first meaningful entry for the term, a series of handballs ended up with Pollock who had a chance but missed to the left on the run. Moments later though, Khoury capitalised with a terrific snap around her body for her second almost identical to her third term major. For some icing on the cake, Nannes roved the pack well and converted a major running into goal, with Khoury giving the home fans an extra reason to cheer with her own running goal – her second of the term and third of the match – shortly after and the Ranges were now running away with the contest. As if fitting, Brown would finish off the huge last quarter with a towering contest mark and goal to cap off a best on ground performance. With the four-goal final term, the Ranges had blown out the margin from 32 points to 57 to register a win and bounce back from the disappointing Round 1 loss.

EASTERN RANGES 1.2 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 10.6 (66)
TASMANIA DEVILS 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 (9)

GOALS:

Eastern: I. Khoury 3, M. Hardy 2, T. Brown, C. Wilsmore, K. Ridley, S, Nannes, J. Grace.
Tasmania: P. King.

ADC BEST:

Eastern: T. Brown, O. Meagher, I. Khoury, M. Hardy, B. Deed, J. Livingstone
Tasmania: P. King, M. Gaffney, J. Webster, A. Crooks, C.Lovell, J. Blair

DC Medal:

5 – Tarni Brown (ER)
4 – Olivia Meagher (ER)
3 – Isabella Khoury (ER)
2 – Matilda Hardy (ER)
1 – Perri King (TD)