Premier B Women’s: Season Review

Josh Nevett

Melbourne University WFC

Simply the standout team of the season. While the likes of Beaumaris and Old Geelong were able to match the Mugars performances early in the season, it was a sustained rage that saw Melbourne finish top of the ladder 10 points clear. From there, they charged into the Grand Final and would have been hot favourites in that match if it went ahead. It is undoubtable that Asha Price had a significant role in this, kicking 24 goals in 10 games to win the division tally by 10 goals. Price’s average of 2.4 goals per game is a testament to her consistency, as she led the Mugars goalkickers in half of their games. Aside from Price up forward, Melbourne Uni shared duties across the field and had more than a dozen strong contributors. With an eye to the future, young livewire, Eve Sheehan, received the Anytime Fitness Rising Star Award as she exploded onto the senior football scene.

Old Geelong

Old Geelong earned themselves outright second place on the ladder with a 6-1-3 win/draw/loss record, highlighted by strong early season form. While they may have been thrashed by Melbourne Uni in the first round of finals, they set themselves up with a fighting chance at a Grand Final berth and can therefore consider their season a success. In attack, OG displayed their threat through flexibility in sourcing goals. Celia Cody kicked the most with 8, but scoring was always shared. Laura Hallam, Alison Youlten, Brooke McKay, and Isabel Currenti were standout performers.

Beaumaris

Melbourne Uni aside, Beaumaris were the scoring powerhouse of the league. They scored 376 points, 64 more than their nearest competitor and when they won, they won big. Zoe Barbakos and Simone Marinelli both cracked the 10-goal barrier, scoring 13 and 11 apiece, while also featuring in the Sharks best a handful of times each. Despite late season stutters, the bayside unit pipped Fitzroy in a close semi-final and would have fancied themselves in a showdown with OG in the penultimate final.

Fitzroy- ACU

The best of the rest. The top three of Women’s Premier B this year set the pace, but the dogged determination of Fitzroy earned them a finals berth. Despite going down in a thriller to Beaumaris, Fitzroy will take heart from standing up to ladder pressure late in the season to make the final four. Erin Gogerly was the season-long star, kicking a team-high 10 goals and featuring in the best four times. Cassie Blake – who came equal-second in the competition B&F with 10 votes – Alexa Madden, Billie Barton, and Jessica Hayes were also instrumental to the team’s achievements.

Monash Blues

The unlucky side of the competition. Monash missed out on finals by just the single win and put together a strong end to their home and away season, with two wins and a close loss to Melbourne Uni. Abbie Hansen was central to the Blues’ charge, featuring in the best in seven out of a possible 10 games. Ella Stephenson finished second in the league goalkicking charts, kicking 14 in a team that lost more often than not. It was all about Ainslee Elliot, however, with the Blues midfielder polling 14 umpire votes and taking home the Premier B Women’s Best & Fairest Award.

Old Camberwell

Old Camberwell were victims of a brutal end of season draw. Fighting for a possible finals spot, the Wellers faced the top three teams in their final three games and showed great fight to limit the combined margin to 24 points. However, it was these close calls that cost them a shot at finals glory. Despite not playing every game, Eloise Defina kicked the most goals with 7 and polled eight votes for the season. Sister Steph polled six herself. Alexandra Herrington was Old Camberwell’s most consistent, making the best players eight times in 10 games.

Collegians

Despite scoring and conceding the same number of points throughout the season, Collegians could only muster three wins from their 10 attempts. Big wins and big losses were the norm; a season highlight was thumping Yarra Old Grammarian’s by 55, but just a few weeks later Collegians would lose by 30 points to Melbourne Uni. Whether Collegians were flying or struggling, Hannah Singleton was always leading from the front, only missing the votes once in her eight games. Anuschka Reinhardt led the goalkickers with 8. Jessica Pham polled a team-high six votes and finished in the top 10.

Yarra Old Grammarians

They may have finished on the bottom of the ladder, but the Bushrangers still managed to sing the song three times. Sarah Kerr continued her rise as a star of the competition by finishing equal-second in the B&F count with 10 votes. When they were victorious, Iliana Zafiriou was often at her best, registering in the team’s best five times. However, it is impossible to ignore that Yarra both scored the least and conceded the most points in the league. This leaves them with plenty to work on for next season.