CYs defeat Old Geelong in “gutsy performance” as Premier Women’s finals race tightens

Round 10 of the William Buck Premier Women’s competition saw some battle-hardened sides in St Kevin’s and Old Scotch separate from the pack and solidify top four positions, with a new contender in West Brunswick emerging – continuing their hot form with a win to sit alone in fourth place.

The weekend of Premier Women’s footy kicked off bright and early with Kew travelling to face Old Scotch at Camberwell Sportsground. The Bears were gallant in defeat but could not contend with the Cardinals’ firepower in the second half, going down 7.8 (50) to 2.2 (14).

The Cardinals set up the victory with a three-goal-to-one third quarter and piled on another three in the final term to cap off the 36-point win. The 2024 premiers were severely inaccurate to start the game, kicking one goal from eight scoring shots in the first half, but were able to turn the tide after the main break.

Old Scotch coach Dean Anderson noted the inaccuracy and highlighted areas for improvement in the coming weeks.

“Our forward-half conversion was poor early but improved significantly in the second half. Our ball use in offence still needs work, as does our stoppage structure.”

Nevertheless, experience shone through for the Cardinals, with Mia Cowan, Maggie Wilson and Katie Hunter-Scott leading the way.

Despite the loss, Kew coach Emily Avery took several positives from the performance and wants to utilise contests against top competition to propel the Bears into the top four by September.

“There are definitely positives to take away. We showed that our brand of footy stacks up. It’s about continuing to refine the way we want to play and ensuring we sustain our effort across four quarters.”

West Brunswick were looking to make it four wins in a row and sew up a potential top four spot with a win over Beaumaris at Boss James Reserve. The Magpies—one of the form teams of the competition—were well held in the first half by the Sharks, who showed strong character and refused to lay down.

West Brunswick, however, came out of the changerooms a different side, putting together a scintillating third term to stretch a seven-point lead at the main break to 40 by three-quarter time. The final score didn’t fully reflect the Sharks’ effort, with West Brunswick defeating Beaumaris 9.11 (65) to 1.3 (9).

Sharks coach Sam Calogero was pleased with his side’s efforts, particularly in the first half, but admitted there were key areas to review.

“In the third quarter, we allowed them more width and space, which they capitalised on. Our focus will be to maintain momentum in games and keep working towards our team goals.”

In contrast, Magpies coach Ryan Wandel was extremely pleased with his side’s second-half performance and referenced the halftime adjustments.

“Our first-half pressure wasn’t where it needed to be. We did move some magnets around at halftime to put our better players in positions to impact the game.”

Wandel also noted the need for a consistent four-quarter performance against perennial contenders St Kevin’s in Round 11.

“Heading into next week at St Kevin’s, we know we’ve got to be better in the first half than we were. It was a good sign that we were able to flip a switch, but we need to be playing that way earlier.”

West Brunswick’s opponents next week, St Kevin’s, put in a strong performance, defeating Fitzroy 5.4 (34) to 3.0 (18).

Belinda Woolcock and Emily Condon stood out for the Saints, who also blooded debutants Claire Lightfoot and Zoe Kritikides—both of whom impressed.

The win was a timely one after a rare defeat to Williamstown CYMS in Round 8, requiring a strong response from the 2024 grand finalists.

Fitzroy coach Nathan Jumeau was pleased with his side’s performance despite the loss and pointed out key areas of growth.

“I think if we take our faster ball movement into the next two weeks, it will put us in a good place.”

Lauren Atkinson and Jaime Nelson were among the Roys’ best and continue to build on strong 2025 campaigns.

Williamstown CYMS bounced back after a heavy defeat to Caulfield Grammarians last week to defeat Old Geelong 6.4 (40) to 4.2 (26). The CYs returned to their home at Fearon Reserve, with some of their young guns standing out once again.

Jacinta Eteuati, Ellie Palowski and Addison West led the way, with the CYs putting together a four-quarter performance to overcome the OGs.

CYs coach Xavier Smith labelled the win a “gutsy performance” and credited Fearon Reserve as a real rallying point for the team.

“The energy was really high from the beginning. Playing at home just gives us a little extra boost.”

Smith also referenced the lessons learned from last week’s defeat to the competition benchmark in Caulfield and how that impacted their preparation for the OGs.

“After getting taught a lesson last week, we put an emphasis on owning the outside—it was pleasing to see some improvement in that area, and it’s something that needs to continue.”

The win places the CYs just one win outside the top four, with 5th through 8th all equal on four wins and five losses.

For the OGs, Zoe Allen, Ciara Sexton and Brooke McKay were standout performers. They now face a tough challenge in Round 11 with a trip to Glen Huntly Park to face the undefeated Caulfield Grammarians.

Round 11 shapes as a pivotal round for the race for top four in Season 2025 of William Buck Premier Women’s with Old Scotch facing off with Fitzroy, Caulfield Grammarians hosting Old Geelong, Beaumaris travelling to Williamstown CYMS and in the game of the round, St Kevin’s will do battle with West Brunswick. As a result, Kew have the week off and will look to rest up and take the second half of the season head on.