THE best of the best women’s football teams in Tasmania have been decided, with the Southern Football League (SFL) premiers Glenorchy taking on the Northern Women’s Football League (NWFL) premiers Ulverstone this weekend. The Magpies defeated Claremont in the SFL Grand Final last weekend despite only having 15 players onfield, and will be looking to take out the entire statewide trophy with a win as favourites against the Robins. Ulverstone has earned its place in the decider following a 29-point win over Launceston in the NFWL-NTFA Preliminary Final.

GLENORCHY vs. ULVERSTONE
Sunday, September 19 @ 1:00pm
North Hobart Oval

Ulverstone is yet to lose a game all season, going through 12 matches undefeated in the NWFL as the clear benchmark tea, finishing five wins ahead of second placed Penguin, and then knocking off the Wynyard Cats by 45 points in the grand final. The Robins have some former AFL Women’s talent in Libby and Chloe Haines who have been reliable talls for them. Libby has played every game in the red and black, booting 26 goals in 14 games for the Robins in the NWFL, leading the goalkicking by six from talented top-ager Amy Bissett. The crafty small forward has booted 20 from eight, and added another one to her tally in the preliminary final, with Hannah Martin (15 goals) and Haines (14) other key goalkickers.

Ruby Mitchell won the NWFL Women’s Best and Fairest for her season, and was one of a number of outstanding players for the winning side last week. Teaming up with Devils duo Candice Belbin and Meghan Gaffney, they controlled the midfield against Launceston and had the damaging forwards to do the rest of the work. Whilst the accuracy was not always there, they had enough about them to get the job done and constantly look dangerous as captain Meg Thompson, and forward Georgia Anderson (two goals) were others who caught the eye.

Glenorchy will be tough to beat though with a star-studded outfit. Having had experience at North Melbourne VFL Women’s and impressing, Sarah Skinner is a player the Robins simply have to find a way to contain. She is among a host of Tasmania Devils talents, with Jemma Webster, Georgia Clarke and Brooke Barwick among other names on the list. This season Tiarna Ford has been the crucial goalkicker, slotting 29 majors in nine games in the SFL, 15 more than her next highest teammate in Elise Barwick and finishing third overall in the goalkicking. Molly Mitchell (12 goals) rounds out the top three for the Magpies.

Like Ulverstone, Glenorchy has not lost a game all season, going through the season undefeated from 11 games, and finishing eight points clear of Clarence. To further show their stranglehold on the on the competition, they won by 67 points over Clarence in the first week of finals, then six goals last week against Claremont. With greater exposure to the top level in VFLW this season, the Magpies will be deserving favourites, though the fascination will be when the Devils players go head-to-head with the likes of Webster and Gaffney, whilst the Haines twins will be that elite level experience for the Robins.

Picture credit: The Mercury