4 teams vie for 3 spots in Division 4 Women’s

Nick Armistead

With two rounds remaining in the Division 4 Women’s season, the final four is far from decided as Albert Park, De La Salle, MCC and Parkside vie for spots 2-5 on the ladder. Parkdale Vultures have already booked a second semi-final berth as they sit undefeated in top spot and will now look to clinch the minor premiership without loss.

The Falcons are in the box seat to face the Vultures in the second semi after they defeated Emmaus St Leo’s by 87 points on Saturday. Following the re-grading of the Animals earlier in the season, this was the only VAFA game played over the weekend, and it was all one-way traffic as the Falcons piled on nine unanswered goals in a dominant opening half. The Falcons’ final total of 13.9 (87) was their highest of the season as Niamh Kehoe (4), Bronte Wilson (2), Anna Townshend (2) and Claire Walker (2) shared the spoils in front of goal. Johannah Griffin and Townshend continued their dominant form through the Falcons’ midfield, with Griffin named in the best in all 10 games this season. With a return bout against the winless Elsternwick this weekend, the Falcons’ top two chances will likely depend on their final home and away match against the third-placed De La Salle. Ebony Ratcliffe and Dannielle Burden were valiant on an otherwise tough day for the Animals as they sit in seventh spot with the one win. They are currently fixtured to play Swinburne Uni this Sunday as they attempt to snap a four-game losing streak.

Dialling back to Round 12 and the other three sides looking to lock in a finals berth, De La Salle maintained third spot on the ladder with an 11-point win over Swinburne University at St James Park. The Guns led by just one point at three quarter time but rallied for two straight goals in the fourth on the back of standout performances from Emma Carson and Monica Ward. Sally Fyfield, Bridie McConville and Rachael McDonough have led the way for the Guns this season, and all will need to be at their best as they prepare for two tough home games against the top two sides, Parkdale (R13) and Albert Park (R14).

The MCC returned to form against Elsternwick AFC last weekend with a commanding 66-point win. Ellecia Baker (3), Aish Ravi (2), Anna-Lisa Harris (2) and Alex Clayton (2) were all among the goals, with Harris starring in her second game back from VFL commitments. Clearly one of the best players in the competition, Harris’ availability over the next two weeks will play an important role in their success. The Dees can just about lock in a top four spot with a win over Parkside on Saturday in a battle of 4^th vs 5^th given they face Swinburne in R14, and their percentage is far superior to the Red Devils’.

The Red Devils are making a seriously strong push for a finals spot after claiming their third consecutive win when they defeated Emmaus St Leo’s by 40 points last week. Kallyn Gent did the damage on the scoreboard with a season-high three majors, while Maja Beilke, Emily Rayment and Kayla Sutcliffe ran rampant. Like Harris, Griffin and Fyfield, Rayment is a standout in Division 4, and has been at the forefront of Parkside’s revival over the past three games. Sitting in fifth spot on the ladder and with a percentage of just 64.99%, the Red Devils will need to beat the MCC and the Wickers if they are to feature in finals.