Caulfield knock off minor premiers as Kew win thriller – William Buck Premier Women’s Finals Week 1 Review

The first week of the William Buck Premier Women’s finals delivered two thrilling contests, with Caulfield Grammarians producing a statement victory over minor premiers Old Scotch before Kew secured a dramatic one-point win over Old Brighton.

Caulfield now have a week off ahead of the Grand Final, while Kew will face Old Scotch in a do-or-die Preliminary Final.

Old Scotch 6.1 (37) def by Caulfield Grammarians 6.9 (45)

Caulfield Grammarians produced one of their best performances of the season to defeat Old Scotch by eight points, booking their place in the Grand Final.

Hollie Brodribb led the way in front of goal with two majors, while the Fields had four individual goalkickers.

Ebony Angelopoulos, Brodribb and Jade Hillas were among their best, while the ability to maintain pressure across the ground proved decisive.

For Old Scotch, Anna Vrsecky continued her outstanding season in front of goal with four majors, while Mietta Kendall and Anna Peers-Barlow also found the goals.

Ella Crump, Jordan Mifsud and Sophie McIntosh were among the minor premiers’ best performers.

Caulfield Grammarians coach Danielle Di Stefano was delighted with the pressure her side applied throughout the contest and their ability to maintain structure.

“I was incredibly pleased with our pressure all over the ground for almost a full four quarters, and our ability to stick to our brand despite the momentum swings in the game,” Di Stefano said.

Old Scotch started strongly through the centre, forcing the Fields to adjust in the midfield and limit the minor premiers’ quick clearances.

“We let Scotch get ascendency at centre bounce early which made life hard for our backline,” Di Stefano said.

“We made some adjustments in the midfield which allowed us to limit those quick clearances and get the game more on our terms.”

Ebony Angelopoulos and Jacinta Baxter led in the midfield, while Olivia Rundle and Tilly Mottram competed strongly in the ruck.

Di Stefano also praised her defensive unit for standing up against Scotch’s dangerous forward line, while Brodribb led the way in attack for Caulfield before Rosie Finster produced the decisive moment late in the contest.

Old Scotch coach Dean Anderson was satisfied with his side’s effort and defence but identified several areas that ultimately led to the defeat.

“We were reasonably happy with our effort and defensive pressure, but some key areas to work on. We hit our targets on tackle count, but our front half pressure was not at the level we expect,” Anderson said.

The minor premiers also struggled to contain transition from defensive half, with Anderson noting that missed contests allowed dangerous forward entries.

“Our clearance work was okay but what we did with the ball is our area for improvement,” he said.

“We were relatively poor with our possession efficiency, our ability to convert possession into scoring opportunity.”

Old Scotch now faces Kew in a Preliminary Final for a place in the Grand Final.

Kew 4.6 (30) def Old Brighton 4.5 (29)

Kew secured one of the most dramatic finals victories of the season, defeating Old Brighton by just one point, to advance to the preliminary final.

Krystal Shaw was the hero for the Bears, kicking two goals including the game-winning major, which started with some elite ruck craft from Laurelee Rinaldi.

Rinaldi, Katie Brown and Rachel Toose were Kew’s standout performers.

For Old Brighton, Renee Saulitis kicked two goals, with Tiger Doultree and Lily Tait also finding the big sticks.

Eloise McCrae, Bridgette Hagan and Sophie Grant were among the Tonners’ best.

Kew coach Mannie Di Parsia was particularly pleased with the even contribution across his side, with the team executing their plan to limit Old Brighton’s strengths.

“What pleased me most was that there were absolutely no passengers. Every player played their role and trusted the person next to them,” Di Parsia said.

“We had a really clear plan around taking away some of Old Brighton’s strengths — particularly their ability to get clearance on the outside and hurt us from turnovers coming out of D50 — and I thought the girls executed that incredibly well.”

Kew’s pressure was a defining feature of the contest, with Di Parsia pleased with his side’s ability to control territory and prevent Brighton to play their way.

“Our pressure was outstanding. We wanted to play territory, spread hard when we won it and get the ball into dangerous space, but most importantly we wanted to make Brighton uncomfortable and not allow them to play the game on their terms,” he said.

Despite the victory, Di Parsia acknowledged that Kew missed some big chances.

“We probably left some opportunities out there, but in a final like that you’re never going to get everything your own way,” he said.

The dramatic finish provided a fitting conclusion to the contest, with Shaw’s late goal sending Kew through to the next stage.

“To find a way to win by a point in the dying seconds says a lot about the character of this group,” Di Parsia said.

“We’ve spoken all year about having a never-say-die attitude, and yesterday wasn’t something we just talked about — the girls lived it.”

Kew will now face Old Scotch in the Preliminary Final, with a Grand Final berth on the line.

For Old Brighton coach Pat Malone, the narrow defeat was a difficult way for the Tonners’ first William Buck Premier season to end, but he was proud of the defensive effort produced by his side.

“I was really pleased with our defensive effort and the way we made it difficult for Kew to get clean, easy shots on goal,” Malone said.

Bibi Wallace, Sophie Grant and Bridgette Hagan were praised for their performances in defence, while Lily Tait was again influential in her ruck-forward role.

“Once the early finals jitters settled, I thought we were able to connect well and create some exciting fast breaks going forward,” Malone said.

Ultimately, Malone felt his side was unable to match Kew’s efficiency at crucial moments.

“The disappointing part was that we weren’t quite as clean or clinical as Kew at important moments,” he said.

“We gave them opportunities that a quality side like Kew was able to capitalise on, and ultimately that proved to be the difference.”

Despite the disappointment, Malone believes the Tonners’ first Premier campaign was an enormous success.

“This was our first season in the Premier footy, and it was an incredibly successful campaign,” he said.

“We wanted them to take the time to celebrate everything they achieved rather than allowing the disappointment of one result overshadow the progress the group has made.”

Old Brighton’s season may be over, but Malone believes the experience will provide a foundation for further improvement next season.

“We learn from these experiences, take all the positives and lessons with us, and get excited about what this group can achieve next year,” he said.

---

With Caulfield Grammarians now through to the Grand Final, the focus turns to the Preliminary Final between Old Scotch and Kew.

The minor premiers will be determined to respond after their first finals defeat, while Kew enters the contest full of belief following their dramatic victory over Old Brighton.

With a place in the 2026 William Buck Premier Women’s Grand Final at stake, another high-quality contest awaits.