THE Darebin Falcons should be pleased with the overall results of the season taking out a number of wins. But they will be left ruing their missed opportunities, losing to two teams below them on the ladder in the last few rounds of the home and away season, keeping them out of finals contention.

Position: 5th
Win-loss: 8-6
Percentage: 110%

Results:

Round 1: Lost against Northern Territory by 54 points
Round 2: Defeated Richmond by 39 points
Round 3: Bye
Round 4: Defeated Casey by 69 points
Round 5: Defeated Carlton by 49 points
Round 6: Lost against Geelong by 15 points
Round 7: Defeated Melbourne Uni by 12 points
Round 8: Defeated Williamstown by 14 points
Round 9: Lost against Collingwood by 29 points
Round 10: Lost against Northern Territory by 40 points
Round 11: Defeated Essendon by 27 points
Round 12: Bye
Round 13: Defeated Hawthorn by four points
Round 14: Defeated Southern Saints by four points
Round 15: Lost against Carlton by 25 points
Round 16: Lost against Western Bulldogs by four points

Key players:

#7 Lily Mithen

The Melbourne AFLW midfielder had a strong finish to the season, accumulating plenty of the footy. She was efficient by foot and showed her ability to go in hard and win the footy at the coalface. Mithen applied plenty of physical pressure throughout the VFLW season and was a key cog in helping to get the midfield firing for the Falcons in times of need. She had one of her best games in Round 15, gathering 21 touches and laying five tackles showcasing her ferocity and willingness to win the footy.

#12 Jessica Dal Pos

The Greater Western Sydney (GWS) midfielder had another consistent season in the Victorian Football League (VFL) Women’s, playing an important role in the Falcons midfield make-up. Her use of speed and experience was pivotal to help create overlap run and provide an opportunity for her teammates to get into space. Dal Pos is a real playmaker across the ground for the Falcons and continued to display her high quality skills throughout the season, especially in Round 13, racking up 15 disposals and laying eight tackles.

#14 Meghan McDonald

She had an impressive season for the Falcons and displayed her array of skills down back, showing good composure while under pressure. Her ability to check her kicks and try and create space was important for Darebin. McDonald’s clean hands were a clear standout in the defence end, going back with the flight on multiple occasions and putting her body on the line to win the contested footy.

#30 Elise O’Dea

O’Dea was her ever reliable self throughout the whole season showing her experience and high footy IQ to really hurt her opponents. She starred in Round 13, amassing 26 possessions and a goal. O’Dea only managed to play the six games for the season but she played a crucial part in the Falcons side, providing strength and composure with ball in hand.

#43 Hannah Mouncey

Mouncey was the runner-up in the VFLW leading goal kicker award, showing her dominance and accuracy in front of goal, slotting 19 majors from 12 matches. She proved to be an integral part in the Falcons forward line, providing strong leads and taking a heap of good strong contested marks. Mouncey showed great composure with ball in hand and was relatively efficient, ensuring that she hit up a teammate on the lead. She really stamped her authority on the game in Round 4, kicking a bag of five against Casey, highlighting her ability to break games right open with her power and skill.

Season summary:

Overall, Darebin had a successful season, racking up eight wins. After a big loss in Round 1, the Falcons pulled themselves together and proved why they are a force to be reckoned with, putting sides to the sword with convincing wins over Casey and Carlton in consecutive weeks. The Falcons have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming 2019 season after establishing themselves as a dominant team, but will want to iron out the little inconsistencies that cost them the four points in the 2018 VFLW season.