Top five continue to separate as Caulfield and Old Scotch remain dominant 

Round 12 of the William Buck Premier Women’s competition saw the ladder leaders continue their dominant campaigns, while Old Brighton consolidated their place inside the top four and Old Geelong returned to the winners list with an impressive defensive display. 

Caulfield Grammarians 5.13 (43) def St Kevin’s 2.3 (15)

Caulfield Grammarians maintained top spot with a hard-fought 28-point victory over St Kevin’s. 

The Fields were made to work for all four quarters by a determined SKOB outfit but again relied on their defensive system and midfield strength to grind out another win.

Five separate goal kickers highlighted Caulfield’s even contribution in attack, while Ebony Angelopoulos, Matilda Mottram and Milly Hines were outstanding. 

Caulfield coach Danielle Di Stefano said it was another strong test for her side. 

“Another tough game. It was good to grind out the win, but we will look to improve our efficiency in front of goal over the coming weeks,” Di Stefano said. 

“Ebony Angelopoulos led in the midfield, and our backs stood tall once again, with Milly Hines improving every week. We are in a good place heading into September, but we will need to continue to improve each week.” 

Sarah Cameron and Devina Lai kicked St Kevin’s goals, while Bianca Vuetibau, Ellie McLinden and Sarah McMaster were among the visitors’ best. 

Fitzroy 1.1 (7) def by Old Geelong 3.9 (27)

Old Geelong snapped their recent run of close defeats with a deserved 20-point win over Fitzroy. 

After several weeks of being unable to convert competitive performances into wins, the OGs controlled the contest through strong defensive pressure and limited Fitzroy to just a single goal. 

Jessie Gleeson, Tarni Magyar and Claudia Petrie each kicked majors, while Lily Nast, Alexandra Kirkwood and Amy Halaby led the way across the ground. 

Fitzroy coach Nathan Jumeau found positives despite the defeat. 

“I was pleased with our last quarter. A fair few things started to click and we played some good footy,” Jumeau said. 

“Bronte Arnott through the middle and Lilly Nolen in the ruck both looked comfortable in their first senior games. We’d love to have one or two more wins next to our name, but our best footy is still there, we just need to find it more consistently.” 

Westbourne Grammarians 5.6 (36) def by Old Brighton 6.5 (41)

Old Brighton continued their impressive first season in William Buck Premier Women’s with a thrilling five-point victory over Westbourne Grammarians. 

The Tonners burst out of the blocks before Westbourne fought back to level the contest, but Old Brighton showed composure late to secure another valuable four points. 

Renee Saulitis continued her outstanding campaign with two goals, while four teammates also hit the scoreboard. Eloise McCrae, Saulitis and Lily Tait were again among the best. 

Old Brighton coach Pat Malone admitted it wasn’t his side’s most polished performance but was pleased with their resilience. 

“Overall, it wasn’t our best performance, but we were able to do what good sides do and find a way to win,” Malone said. 

“The biggest area for improvement is our consistency. We started strongly but then allowed the opposition back into the contest. Maintaining our intensity and structure for four quarters will be a key focus.” 

For Westbourne, Temeika Cathery and Elsie Conroy each kicked two goals, while Sarah Dickie, Mia Graf and Hannah McMahon were influential throughout another competitive performance. 

Old Scotch 12.12 (84) def Kew 3.0 (18)

Old Scotch continued their unbeaten season with a convincing 66-point win over Kew. 

Jordan Mifsud starred with five goals as the Cardinals took control early, before withstanding an improved second-half effort from Kew. 

Georgia Fraser-Smith, Mifsud and Isabella Griffin were among the best, while the reigning premiers finished with seven individual goal kickers. 

Old Scotch coach Dean Anderson was particularly pleased with his side’s first-half connection going forward. 

“Our start was strong and when it mattered most, we produced our best footy to set the game up early,” Anderson said. 

“Our connection to the forwards in the first half allowed us to kick a damaging score.” 

Despite the defeat, Kew coach Mannie Di Parsia praised his side’s response after half-time. 

“The scoreboard tells one story, but the second half tells another,” Di Parsia said. 

“We restricted Old Scotch to just 23 points after the break while adding 18 ourselves. More importantly, we proved we can adapt, make changes and respond when things aren’t going our way.” 

Lauralee Rinaldi, Eloise Burdett-Moore and Alexandra Schuller were Kew’s standout performers as the Bears produced another spirited display against one of the competition’s benchmark sides. 

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Looking ahead to Round 13, Old Brighton host Caulfield Grammarians, Old Geelong do battle with Westbourne Grammarians, St Kevin’s take on West Brunswick and Kew play Fitzroy. Old Scotch have the bye.