Reigning premiers remain undefeated whilst others fail to fire

Annie Ireland

It was a big Round 2 in Division 1 Women’s, with last year’s reigning premiers Marcellin remaining undefeated along with Old Brighton, after both teams had strong wins.

Old Brighton currently look like this year’s team to beat, backing up their 63-point Round One victory with a 103-point win over Brunswick this weekend.

At the other end of the ladder, Old Camberwell and Brunswick remain winless to kick off their campaign.

After a narrow eight-point win last weekend, Marcellin flexed their muscles on Saturday to remind everyone of why they are the premiers.

A 54-point victory over Old Melburnians was a well-rounded team performance. The tone was set early, Marcellin scoring 6.5 by half time compared to Old Melburnians 1.2.

A strong first half set up their win, with Jasmine Getson scoring three goals for Marcellin in the first quarter. Zoe Glascott also put on a stellar performance, kicking four goals in the second half to consolidate the lead. On the other side of the ledger, Ellen Williams was best on for Old Melburnians.

Next up, Marcellin will face Old Haileybury in an away game whilst Old Melburnians will host Old Xaverians.

Over at Gillon Oval, Old Brighton held Brunswick scoreless for the entire game, with a final score of 0-103. This marks another impressive win after last week’s 63-point victory over Old Xavs.

Captain Caterina O’Brien led from the front, kicking three goals for the match, whilst Lily Tait was the best on ground with three goals of her own. Jasmine Tait joined in on the fun, whilst Mietta Nolan, Sienna Courtney and Georgia Howard all had two goals apiece.

Whilst Brunswick might remain winless, that could change next week as they take on the other winless team in Old Camberwell. Old Brighton will play the third placed Parkdale in what should be a thrilling encounter on Saturday afternoon.

Parkdale Vultures also showed that they are a strong threat this season. Despite a narrow loss last weekend, morale was not lost but rather they were spurred on to an impressive showing against Old Camberwell, defeating them 0-135.

Whilst it was a strong game in every quarter for Parkdale, their last quarter was undeniably their most impressive, with tired legs kicking 8.4 to round out an impressive performance.

Jasmine Reeve and Meaghan Medcraft kicked five goals each, with Lucy Burgess kicking another four to be the best on ground. Vice-captain Isabella Daddo was also impressive.

Despite not having a lot to celebrate on the weekend, Old Camberwell will be walking away with some positives with Bec Kertes, Romy Klooger and Isabella Burke all putting in strong performances despite the scoreline.

Next week, Camberwell will host Brunswick in what will be an interesting match to see who can break through for their first win of the season. On the other side of town, Parkdale hosts a tough opponent in Old Brighton- a lot rides on this game as it will show if Parkdale can emerge as a genuine contender for this year’s premiership cup.

Old Haileybury versus Old Xavs was the most enticing game of the round- two teams who recorded very different results in round one- Old Xavs with a 63-point loss and Old Haileybury with a 58 point victory.

However, it was Old Xavs that came away with a one-point victory after a thrilling encounter over at Fisher Oval. A low scoring game, particularly after the second half, with both teams level at 4.5 headed into the final change.

Only a combined three behinds were scored in the final term, but it was Xavs who came out victorious after kicking two behinds.

Claudia Lacey had a game-high two goals, whilst Olivia and Annabelle Gangi rounded out the goalscorers for Xavs. Best players for Xavs included Amy Benifer, Alessandra Libertone, and Josie Stevens whilst Eloise McCrae, Alizza Hetherington and Ella Gown were Haileybury’s best. Rachael Hobley, Serene Vudiniabola, Eloise McCrae and Ella Gown were all goal scorers for Haileybury.

Next week, Xavs will play Old Melburnians in what looms as a chance to jump up the ladder with 6^th vs 7^th at Elsternwick Park in the Saturday morning fixture. Haileybury will come up against a tough opponent in Marcellin, but will be confident heading into the game after their narrow defeat on the weekend.