AFTER taking the long road to the top, Woodville-West Torrens coach Narelle Smith and her playing group can cash in that reward for effort after securing the club’s first-ever SANFL Women’s flag following the defeat of Norwood on Saturday. The Eagles won 9.4 (58) to 3.8 (26) off the back of a five-goal haul from best on ground and leading goalkicker Klaudia O’Neill, while she was supported by a host of teenagers who starred across the four quarters.

htWith the exception of Norwood’s back-to-back goals either side of half-time – cutting the deficit back to as little as 13 points after a couple of behinds – the Eagles never really looked in danger with O’Neill’s fourth major followed by Ruby Lynch nailing one off her trusty left making it a 26-point lead at the final change.

Norwood needed an early goal to be any sort of chance, and when Amelia Rusden streamed into goal from 15 metres out, it looked to be that opportunity. However, the speedster could not believe her luck when it cannoned into the post. The Eagles held sway, got it up the other end, and Kayla Ilett slotted the match-winner after being infringed in a tackle from opposition skipper Steph Simmonds, enabling the Northern Territory bottom-ager to boot her second of the match from close-range, icing the game.

It was fitting that O’Neill would boot the Eagles’ last goal, slamming home her fifth and making it a game-high 39 points in the 12th minute of the final term, and while Rusden got one back to make up for the attempt she missed, it was ultimately a consolation goal as the Eagles won by 32 points in front of a strong crowd at Alberton Oval.

O’Neill deservedly won best on ground, mainly for the fact she gave her team the breathing space, booting three goals in the first term – including two in the first four minutes – and could have had a fourth on the quarter time siren, had it not been for a rare set shot blemish which drifted to the right. She was the finisher – making up for just three behinds in the Eagles’ loss 12 months prior – while the likes of Lucy Moore, Maia Freemantle and Anika Tran all fed the competition’s dominant goalkicker at different points.

The Eagles piled on the first five goals in the match across the opening 30 minutes, with Ilett and Tran both booting goals to make it a 27-point buffer before the Redlegs had even scored a major. They had peppered the goals early in the second term with a couple of near-misses and a behind from Sophie Arkun, before the Eagles’ teenagers booted their two majors against the flow.

It was just a day for the minor premiers who stood up when it counted. Freemantle was next in line behind O’Neill for the best on ground with 22 disposals, four marks (three contested), four tackles, four clearances and four inside 50s, almost adding a goal to her name in the second term had it not being for O’Neill’s creative handball out of the ruck contest being deemed a throw.

Likewise, Moore had 20 disposals three tackles and six clearances, while Julia Faulkner (18 disposals, five marks, five clearances and three inside 50s) and Ilett (17 disposals, five clearances and two goals) were not overawed by the occasion. Former Redleg Tahlita Buethke was an intercepting machine behind the ball, notching up 21 disposals, six marks and five rebound 50s, working in tandem with skipper Annie Falkenberg (15 disposals, seven marks and six rebound 50s).

Few deserve a flag more than the Eagles’ captain, having stuck with the club through the tough times and watched players come and go, but alongside Smith, believed in the process and now have tasted the reward of that patience. Falkenberg is far from alone in that regard with a host of others who have been there and seen the club go from bottom to top.

For the Redlegs, league best and fairest winner Jade Halfpenny won the first centre clearance on the match and battled on throughout the contest with 18 disposals, four marks, 12 tackles, eight clearances, five inside 50s and three rebound 50s. Coby Morgan (17 disposals, four marks – two contested – four tackles and five inside 50s) was also a standout, while Lani Cocks overcame a slow start to record 16 disposals, three tackles and three inside 50s. Emily Bartsch was fierce in defence, while Ashley Baker had her moments.

WOODVILLE-WEST TORRENS 3.1 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 9.4 (58)
NORWOOD 0.1 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.8 (26)

GOALS:
Woodville-West Torrens: K. O’Neill 5, K. Ilett 2, R. Lynch, A. Tran
Norwood: S. Simmonds, A. Rusden, A. Klaebe

RMC BEST:
Woodville-West Torrens: K.O’Neill, M. Freemantle, T. Buethke, L. Moore, K. Ilett
Norwood: J. Halfpenny, C. Morgan, L. Cocks, E. Bartsch, A. Baker