The competition heats up as six sides become acquainted in a new look Div 1 Women’s

The Division 1 Women’s ladder is looking a little different after regrading shook up the competition, leaving just six competitive sides to do battle for that illustrious Premiership flag. The division said goodbye to Old Xaverians and the combine Old Camberwell/AJAX and welcomed in the like of Collegians. Whilst it is Old Brighton who continue to lead the pack, Marcellin are looking to make a top 2 bid with a convincing win over the newly elevated Collegians side.

The Round kicked off at Elsternwick Park, the home of the VAFA and the home of Old Melburnians who hosted fellow south-east rivals Old Haileybury. It was a low scoring affair on an early Saturday morning, only indicative of the evenly matched nature of these two sides. A tight tussle makes for exciting football and in this matchup, every goal counted.

Old Melburnians kicked off their campaign early thanks to the likes of star player Clare Fraser who kicked the Omelettes two goals for the first quarter. She finished the match with further accolades, booting 3 goals and outright earning best on field recognition for her side. Old Haileybury responded with three of their own straight kicks in the opening term.

The Omelettes fought their way back into the contest to trail by just 1-point at half time. This was followed by a scoreless third quarter with everything to play for heading into the fourth.

Both sides were hungry for the four points and despite OM’s firing to take an early lead in the fourth quarter, it was Haileybury who turned the table in the dying minutes to steal the game by a mere 2 points.

One half of the Haileybury captain duo, Isabella Scaunich, led from the front for her side and was aptly in the best for the day finishing with a goal of her own. The ever consistent in front of goals, Serene Vudiniabola kicked 2 majors, and Ella Gown was once again best on for the winning side.

Parkdale Vultures had their work cut out for them coming up against the undefeated Old Brighton and their game plan was evidently to hit the scoreboard hard and early to give themselves a buffer. This attacking style of play saw the Vultures take a lead into the first break, but with 5 scoring shots to Brighton’s one, the lead reflected only 4 points.

Brighton came back in the second to get the game back on their terms with a 1.5 to nil quarter. Before the Tonners could settle into their lead, the Vultures swooped in to get their nose in front with a dominant premiership quarter, only from Brighton to come back over the top in the fourth to walk away 10-point victors. This back-and-forth tussle showed promise for the Vultures in their ability to compete with the top of the table and should give their young side confidence heading into Round 6.

Isabella Daddo had another stellar performance in the forward line for the second consecutive week kicking Parkdale’s only 3 goals for the game. At the other end, Lily Tait slotted 3 goals for the Tonners supported by Lucy Grant with 1, which ultimately made all the difference to the final score. The two leading goal kickers were deemed best afield alongside Round 2 Rising Star nominee, Shaedyn Aylen from Parkdale, and Shanelle Hodgkinson from Brighton.

In contrast to the close contests that defined the first two matches of the weekend, the clash of Marcellin and Collegians told a different story. The third Collegians Women’s team has been recently promoted after delivering a string of dominant performances. Their first match in Division 1 Women’s was always going to be a challenge coming up against new competition.

Collegians managed their sole score for the game in the first quarter thanks to a goal off the boot of Rising Star nominee, Isabella Allan. Unfortunately, that’s where the highlights ended for the Lions and a determined Marcellin outfit took off, with an onslaught of goals headed up by the ever-reliable Zoe Glascott.

Zoe kicked 7 goals for the afternoon, bolstering her well into top spot in the race for the competition’s leading goal kicker. Collegians struggled to defend the Marcellin rampage, succumbing to a 67-point defeat. This win propels Marcellin into third spot after five rounds.

Let’s take a look at what Round 6 has in store for the Division 1 Women’s competition. Old Haileybury will host Old Brighton at Princes Park after narrowly holding on in a 2-point victory over the weekend. Will Haileybury be the team to finally get the better of an undefeated Brighton side?

Collegians will face Parkdale Vultures at home, with both sides looking to bounce back after a loss. While over at Marcellin College, Old Melburnians will travel to take on Marcellin, where the Omelettes are looking to bank their second win of the season.