Round 9 sees the cream rise to the top in Division 3 Women’s

Parkdale 7.15 (57) def Old Yarra 3.0 (18)

Parkdale has returned to the winners’ list after a 39-point victory over the winless Old Yarra.

It was a tight first quarter with the Vultures taking a 10-point lead into the first quarter break. Plagued by inaccuracy, the Vultures had 13 scoring shots to the Cobras two, but were only able convert four in comparison to the Cobras two straight goals.

It was the second half where the Vultures took control holding the Cobras to one goal and kicking a third of their own.

Old Yarra coach Bree Pascoe was proud of her team’s efforts.

“Under all sorts of adversity, I couldn’t be prouder of the performance from every single player.”

“We held our heads high, showed up for each other, and every player played their role. The girls played with heart, grit, determination, and resilience from the first siren to the last. We played the Cobs way and wore our jumpers with pride.

“Our hard work was finally rewarded on the scoreboard, reflecting the effort and commitment the group has continued to put in week after week. While the result didn’t fall our way, the girls walked off the ground like winners, knowing they had given everything for each other and the team.

“This was our best all-round performance of the year and a clear sign of the growth and belief building within the group. We’ll continue to build on this performance, take confidence from what we achieved, and keep moving forward together.”

This week sees Old Yarra play Caulfield at home. Parkdale face Prahran/Collegians as they look to solidify their place on top of the ladder.

Old Haileybury 8.15 (63) def Caulfield 1.1 (7)

Old Haileybury continued their winning streak with a commanding performance against Caulfield.

After a close first quarter, the Hearts held an 11-point lead. However, the Grammarians were unable to add to the majors column for the rest of the game with the Hearts defence only letting through a single point for the remainder of the match.

Hearts vice-captain Gypsy Fowell kicked five goals as inaccuracy plagued the Hearts, kicking at 32 per cent efficiency for the day.

It didn’t matter in the end though, with the Hearts taking away a 56-point victory and equalling Parkdale on points, only trailing by percentage.

Grammarians coach Lachy Worthy reflected on what was a tough game for his team.

“It was a tough day at the office as Old Haileybury were too strong in the air and too clean with their ball movement. We stuck with them in the first half but couldn’t put scoreboard pressure on.”

He also highlighted some individual efforts from Olivia Keyte, Lilly Ellis and Jas Conrad, who “battled hard all day”.

“It’s back to the training track to continue working on our fundamentals and our game sense as we look towards next week,” he said.

This week sees Caulfield play against Old Yarra as Old Haileybury come up against Hawthorn in a second versus third game.

Hawthorn 8.10 (58) Def Prahran/Collegians 0.0 (0)

Hawthorn has taken third place on the ladder after a dominant performance, winning by 58 as they continue to prove they are contenders.

Hawthorn had an even spread of goals throughout with six individual goal kickers, both Tessa Bodin and Emogen Johnson kicking two goals.

Hawthorn Coach Aaron Miller described his pride in his team’s performance.

“A fantastic win over Prahran with the discipline and composure we showed throughout the game,” Miller said. “Prahran were missing some key players from our previous match up, but we stayed focused on our own footy and played the way we wanted to play.”

He also mentioned some individual efforts. “Our rucks were terrific, with Molly and Hutchy giving us first use of the ball and setting up our midfield with some great stoppage work. Our forwards applied consistent pressure all game making it difficult for Prahran to rebound, while our defence stood up brilliantly, especially in the third quarter when they were pushing hard and desperate to score. Another great team performance where everyone played their role and contributed. I also thought the umpires did a fantastic job for the game.”

The Hawks have an interesting match up this week playing second place on the ladder in Old Haileybury, in what shapes up as a match up we’re likely to see come finals. Prahran/Collegians play top of the ladder Parkdale.