William Buck Premier Women’s Preview: Round 2

Alisha Min

After their 16-point loss to Old Trinity in Round 1, Marcellin will have an immediate opportunity to rebound at Bullen Park West Oval this weekend when they play host to West Brunswick. The Sheagle’s Shaylee Taylor begun her defence of the William Buck Premier Women’s leading goalkicker title the best way possible last week, slotting three majors, while the able support of Magdelene Antypas, Megan Chadwick and Tea Stepan (1) will be crucial again this week if they hope to secure those elusive premiership points. Coming off the closest of contests in their season opener, the Westies will be primed to beat a losing Marcellin line-up after their draw result from the week previous. In their first tousle in VAFA Wilson Women’s highest section, Donna Yeatman and Annie Mack were solid all game. This weekend, senior coach Josh Mellican will look for his side to apply the same pressure seen in their third-quarter performance against Kew, which enabled them snag three consecutive goals from multiple avenues (Yeatman, Mack and Sarah Kenny (2)).

Old Trinity will prepare to emulate their disposal dominance, as shown in their second-quarter performance against Marcellin last week, if they want to remain on the winners bandwagon and scalp reigning premiers, Melbourne University, at Hudson Oval. Despite the newness of the squad, Stephen Maus’s OT chargers have demonstrated skill around the contest, evident in their superior hit-outs from Round 1 (55 over Marcellin’s 10), and good forward line penetration (29 forward 50 entries). For Matt Ogilvie’s Mugars, there was clear improvement across the ground as their Round 1 encounter against St Mary’s Salesian wore on, but they’ll need to start strong and make the most of any forward fifty entries here if they want to compete with Trinity; the highest scoring side for the section to date.

Look out for our top of the table clash in Round 2 as SKOB Saints (2nd) are set to welcome St Mary’s Salesian (1st) at Righetti Oval. SKOB’s, and specifically Margy Gleeson’s, fourth-quarter supremacy over the Roy Girls in Round 1 was the main attributor to their eventual 14-point triumph, but it’ll be imperative they showcase this ability earlier in the piece against the Saints if they hope to usurp their top-of-the-table position. Sitting on a desirable 306.67%, and with up to eight players potentially returning to the senior side this weekend, St Mary’s evidently have good depth which could just prove vital to their first season in William Buck Premier. With undeniable talent scattered throughout the SKOB side, it’ll be Tayla Nichols fresh off her Rising Star nomination, who’ll undoubtedly be on the Saints radar.

With neither team able to claim those four premiership points in the opening round of 2019, both Kew and Fitzroy-ACU have the prime prospect to do so here when they face-off at Victoria Park. The Roy Girls were impressive at Brunswick St Oval in their Round 1 efforts, particularly in reference to Teresa “Razor” Zampaglione’s (1) work rate up forward and Tash Ross-Harris’s undeniable presence around the ground, but it’ll be difficult to accumulate wins in William Buck Premier if they do not build upon their 2.3-15 final score. Buffeted with senior captain, Tara Donnan, in their ranks, as well as the enviable recruits of Tina Higginson (South Yarra) and goalkicking star Eilish Boyd (Whitefriars), the Bears have the elements needed to take William Buck Premier by storm in 2019 – could that start this weekend against Fitzroy?