AFLW Review | Round 3 | Carlton V St Kilda
Written by Nathan Sepe
Followng two defeats to open the season, the Baggers have finally notched up their first win of the season, defeating the Saints 2.4.16 to the Baggers 6.4.40. It was an all round great team performance from the Baggers, with great offensive pressure and great contest awareness that helped the Baggers get the upper edge in three out of four quarters. Yet again it was a great game for Prespakis who managed to limit Patrikios to 20 disposals for the match, her lowest this season. It was a stand out game for Elise O’Dea who had 21 disposals having a huge impact off half back with transition and also ending up with one goal.
It was a hard contested footy for the first quarter, with the Blues kicking against the wind, struggling to make any real impact on the game, moving the ball up forawrd but the ball being easily taken out and moved into the middle. Whilst the Saints had the wind, they too also struggled to make a big impact, with Caitlin Gresier kicking the first goal for the Saints. It seemed to be a repeat of last week for the Blues with one quarter failing to make any scoreboard impact, but still the Blues found themselves going into the break down by 8 points, scoreless. It was a great quarter for Elise O’Dea and Maddy Prespakis.
It was a much better second quarter for the Blues, with much quicker ball movement and more efficient kicking resulting in a quick early goal for Elise O’Dea off of a push in the back free kick. The Baggers had great tackling pressure during the quarter, pressing the Saints defense. Bri Moody was great aerially and provided great rebounds back into our forward 50. There was great ground ball work from Grace Egan who provided Maddy Prespakis with a chance, in which she kicked a fanstatic goal, snapping around her body to put the Baggers in the lead for the first time in the game. Great defensive pressure from Wilson and Laloifi ultimately led to the Baggers third goal in the quarter, resulting off great run on handballs from Egan, McKay and Prespakis, a kick into the middle from Vescio and a finshing goal from Brazzale. A punishing quarter for the Baggers, which led them into the half time break up by 11 points.
With the Blues kicking into the wind in the third, it was important for them to maintain defensive pressure to stop the Saints going on a run and stopping them from coming back in the last quarter. It was a great start to the quarter again for the Baggers, with great offensive pressure from Vescio leading to a holding the ball decision, setting up Prespakis with a great run along the wing to set up Downie who slotted the goal from 15 metres out to get the Baggers out to a 17 point lead early in the third. It was a heavily contested ball for the next couple of minutes with Baggers holding up pressure well, although the Saints had kicked one bag through Sheirlaw. It was a shaky period for the Baggers, struggling to maintain the defensive pressure, with the Saints looking promising although nothing to show for it. Great pressure from Nicola Stevens led to a deliberate out of bounds, in range for the Baggers, in which Harris set the ball up to the top of the goal sqaure, which ultimately resulted in a great snap from Stevens, getting reward for her efforts. The Blues held this lead into the three quarter time break, leading the Saints by 15 points, with the wind in the last quarter.
Going into the final quarter the Baggers started strongly putting great defensive pressure on the Saints to stop any forward threats. It was great transitional work from Baggers such as Grace Egan and Charlotte Wilson that kept setting up repetitive inside 50s for the Baggers girls, which led to a couple of points but no goals through the main part of the quarter. This was the case for most the quarter with the Baggers holding off the Saints to make any threat of a comeback and were rewarded for their pressure and effort, with Stevens adding to her goal tally soccering home a late goal for the Baggers, solidfying their first win of the season.
Overall, a great game for the Baggers to put some confidence throughout the team and the younger girls to keep finals aspirtaions alive and not cut from early on in the season. Great midfield pressure and transition was a key in opening the game up and it will be on the girls to back up the effort next Saturday Afternoon 3:10PM against Richmond at Princes Park.
Goals: Stevens 2, Brazzale, Downie, O'Dea, Prespakis
