Old Yarra Cobras exact their revenge as stalwarts of the competition continue to take charge

Lauren Atkinson

Round 2 in William Buck Premier Women’s saw Old Yarra Cobras get their revenge in the Premier B Grand Final rematch against Monash Blues, whilst two teams, Caulfield Grammarians and West Brunswick, were held goalless.

Proceedings kicked off on Saturday morning, with Kew travelling to Glen Huntly Park to take on Caulfield Grammarians. Kew came out of the blocks firing, kicking four unanswered goals in the first term. Caulfield did well to slow the attack from Kew in the second, only allowing the Bears one point for the quarter, but they failed to capitalise themselves, kicking just two behinds.

Kew took control again in the second half, stopping Caulfield from hitting the scoreboard, while extending the margin out to 39 points by the final siren. Charlie Anderson and Isobel Hartog battled valiantly for Caulfield, while Alana Sarec and Amelia Dawborn played key roles in Kew’s victory.

For the next match up of the day, Collegians hosted St Kevins at Ross Gregory Oval, where they were unable to trouble St Kevins, going down by 38 points.

St Kevins did damage early, taking a 23-point lead into the first break, however, Collegians fought back in the second term, winning the quarter by five points. Collegians were unable to maintain their momentum in the second half, only scoring another two behinds for the day, while allowing St Kevins another 22 points.

Ever-reliable Bree Doyle was the pick of the bunch for St Kevins, while Kate Stanton, Sarah Cameron and Hannah Smith also impressed with 2 goals each. For Collegians, Ash Bertagno and Aine Bennett did what they could to keep game from blowing out.

Meanwhile at Piranha Park, it was the fairytale ending for Coburg when they came from behind to beat Melbourne University by 21 points. The first three quarters were an arm wrestle with respective margins of 1, 2 and 4 points at each break, Melbourne University with the lead each time. Determined to not repeat the previous week’s mistakes, Coburg turned things around in the final term, scoring four unanswered goals to seal the win.

Julia McArdle and Mia D’Agostino led the comeback for Coburg, while Kayle Peake and Brooke Randall got the coach’s votes for Melbourne University.

Over at McAlister Oval, Old Scotch put a dampener on West Brunswick’s ‘Westival’ festivities, toppling the home side by 43 points.

It was an impressive performance by the Stars, whose defence proved impenetrable, disallowing the Magpies a single goal for the day. It was only in the third term that the Magpies managed to match Old Scotch, with both sides registering just one behind.

Nadia von Bertouch is proving to be a very handy addition to Old Scotch’s side, while Millie Fraser-Smith (2 goals) and Eloise Defina (3 goals) continued to show their prowess in front of goals.

Despite being a tough day at the office for West Brunswick, co-captains Kristy De Pellegrini and Sophie Stewart stood tall at opposite ends.

The final match of the round saw Old Yarra Cobras host Monash Blues for the 2023 Premier B Grand Final rematch, with the Cobras coming away with the chocolates on this occasion.

Old Yarra had the upper hand all day but were able to really bust the game open in the final term, doubling their three-quarter-time score to win by 64 points.

Cecilia Baldassarre was clearly best on ground, ending the day with a haul of six goals, but she was well supported by teammates such as Erin Woodford, Belinda Wriedt and Mikalya Lee. For Monash, Eliza Grills had a standout performance, while Alicia Myers was solid again in defence.

The absence of 2023 Premier B Women’s best and fairest winner, Ainslee Elliott, has left a noticeable gap in the Blues side so far this year, asking the question of who can step up in her place.

Round 3 in William Buck Premier Women’s comprises of five fascinating match ups, with similarly placed sides all scheduled to meet.

To kick things off, Caulfield will host Collegians, with both sides having lost to top teams in Round 2. Caulfield will be desperate to hit the scoreboard after not managing a goal this week, however, Collegians’ defence won’t make it easy for them.

Next up, Kew will travel to TH King Oval to battle it out with St Kevins in the Grand Final rematch. This promises to be the match of the round, with both teams looking unstoppable again this season. Which side will be the first to fall short? You can catch the action live on KommunityTV with the double-header being live streamed from 11:40am on the Herald Sun website.

Meanwhile at Camberwell Sportsground, Old Scotch will host Coburg. No team has looked to concern Old Scotch so far this year, but Coburg will feel better about their chances after turning things around against Melbourne University this week.

For the penultimate match, Monash Blues and West Brunswick will face off in a twilight classic at Frearson Oval, with both teams desperate to score their first win of the season. With more experience at the top level, the Magpies should feel confident going into this game, however, the home ground advantage could help to sway things in the Blues’ favour.

Finally, Melbourne University will host Old Yarra Cobras on the Sunday afternoon, in what is anticipated to be a tight contest. Melbourne University will be hungry to taste success after two close losses, however, Old Yarra should be propelled by their first win in the Premier Competition.