CALDER Cannons got on the board at the third time of asking in season 2020, hitting form emphatically in a 43-point win at Epsom Huntly Reserve on Sunday. The 2019 grand finalists shut out the Pioneers for over half of the 7.8 (50) to 1.1 (7) victory, with reigning league best and fairest Georgie Prespakis playing a starring role.

The Cannons edged ahead in the early stages of the hotly contested match, with repeated stoppages and the ball spending large chunks of time in dispute playing right into the hands of their classy ball winners. Prespakis dominated the opening term in her trademark long sleeves, getting first hands on the ball and feeding it out to teammates on the move. But it was NT prospect Freda Puruntatameri who could lay claim to having the most important impact on the quarter, booting the first two goals of the game. In a glimpse of her overall potential, the Palmerston product burst through traffic at a forward 50 stoppage on route to her first major, while later clunking a strong contested mark to set up a second. Already behind the ledger, the Pioneers began their game of catch-up at 16 points down and in need of some greater forward penetration having been kept scoreless.

After dual blows from Puruntatameri, it was Elizabeth Snell who delivered arguably the biggest of the second term – crunching Prespakis in a marking contest to see the leading ball winner helped off the ground and out for the remainder of the quarter. A 20-minute period of play ensued, with the ground-level arm-wrestle dragging on to make it a scrappy half amid windy conditions. A late Kayley Reid goal over the back was the only trouble for the scorers in terms of goals, with the 3.6 to 0.0 scoreline at the main break indicative of the state of play and Calder’s greater ability to penetrate once forward of centre. With Prespakis off, 19-year-old Grace Dicker and Emelia Yassir took over at the stoppages, working hard to spread from the contest and keep the ball rolling forward for Calder.

A quickfire goal to Calder fresh out of the sheds meant signs were beginning to look ominous for the scoreless Pioneers, with Puruntatameri having another hand in a Calder six-pointer – this time gathering from her own smother and handing off to Abbey McDonald for an ideal start to the term. But both sides were able to maintain their previous pressure around the ball, making it hard to create clear scoring chances. That changed when Dakota Villiva, who was enjoying time in the midfield, got just that, marking close to goal moments after seeing an initial set shot skew wide and into the arms of Natasha Kelly. The number 38 put through the Pioneers’ first goal with over seven minutes on the clock, but there would be no more majors for the term despite Calder hitting back late by cranking up the forward pressure. The game was all but put beyond doubt given the 26-point margin heading into the final break, but there was plenty still to play for given both sides came in 0-2 and have plenty of catching up to do.

With the final term somewhat of a formality, the Cannons still set out to pretty up the scoreboard, doing so with three unanswered goals to dissipate their earlier waywardness in front of goal. Dicker and Prespakis were the catalysts with their line-breaking abilities and breaches of the forward 50 arc, helping three new scorers get on the board. Another to generate that run-and-carry was Ella Nickolaus, who booted a classy goal on the move in her first game for the year in one of the highlights of the day. A Tahlia Gillard snap proved the cherry on top of a grinding Calder performance, with the Cannons taking home a well-earned first set of four points for 2020.

Prespakis’ 32 disposals, eight tackles, and seven inside 50s were made even more remarkable by the fact she missed a quarter of the game. Not far behind was Dicker (20 disposals, three tackles, four inside 50s), with her speed on the ball imperative as Calder maintained its steady lead in the second term. Puruntatameri’s two goals set the tone, while Yassir and Jessica Zakkour (both 16 disposals) were busy early, and Nickolaus helped in breaking the game open late. For Bendigo, the returning Snell (17 disposals, 10 tackles) was terrific around the ball, supported well by Annabel Strahan (18 disposals, eight tackles) and Villiva (16 disposals, eight tackles, one goal), while the defensive combination of Jemma Finning and Rachael Stubbings kept the Pioneers in the game.

BENDIGO PIONEERS 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 (7)
CALDER CANNONS 2.4 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 7.8 (50)

GOALS:

Bendigo: D. Villiva.
Calder: F. Puruntatameri 2, K. Reid, T. Gillard, A. McDonald, S. Meyers, E. Nickolaus.

ADC BEST:

Bendigo: J. Finning, E. Snell, D. Villiva, R. Stubbings, A. Strahan, H. Stewart
Calder: G. Prespakis, G. Dicker, F. Puruntatameri, E. Nickolaus, E. Yassir, T. Gillard

DC Medal:

5 – Georgie Prespakis (CC)
4 – Grace Dicker (CC)
3 – Jemma Finning (BP)
2 – Elizabeth Snell (BP)
1 – Freda Puruntatameri (CC)