Wild and woolly conditions give rise to weekend of blowouts

Round 18 was a weekend plagued with lopsided results, as three sides went goalless. In a year of snakes and ladders, Caulfield Grammarians were the last team to climb, while the Old Yarra Cobras were able to push Melbourne University Women’s down the final slide.

The scene was set for a blockbuster match at Glen Huntly Oval, with Caulfield Grammarians and West Brunswick meeting in what was effectively an elimination final, with the winner to claim the last ticket in finals.

Disappointingly, the game turned out to be a fizzer, as West Brunswick were outclassed by the Grammarians in a one-sided affair.

Kylie Lynch picked up where she left off last week, kicking the first major of the day for Caulfield within the opening minutes. Sarah Kenny also continued her hot streak with their second later in the term.

It was only Caulfield’s inaccuracy in front of goals (2.6.18) that kept West Brunswick in the game in the first half as the Magpies barely had a sniff at goals, only registering the one behind.

Caulfield put the foot on the accelerator in the second half, adding another 7 goals while holding West Brunswick scoreless, to win by a whopping 61 points at the final siren.

Molly Denahy Maloney was instrumental in the victory, dominating the ruck while also able to act as an additional midfielder, while Georgia Foran impressed with her skilful ball use.

Taylah Watson was the clear standout for West Brunswick, bursting from the pack again and again.

While it was a heartbreaking end to the Magpies’ season, they should be proud of the charge they made for the coveted top four spot, winning 8 of their last 11 games to only fall at the final hurdle.

For Caulfield, it was a day full of celebration, as they not only locked away their spot in finals, but also celebrated Pride Round as a club. The team also toasted to dynamic duo, Sarah Kenny and Kylie Lynch, who shared the goals in their milestone 50^th game, taking home three each. The celebrations didn’t stop there when the club found out during the week that the Round 18 Anytime Fitness Women’s Rising Star was one of their own; none other than Charlie Anderson.

In their final game of the season, Coburg hosted St Kevin’s, who were vying with Old Scotch for the minor premiership, separated only by percentage.

It has been a difficult season for Coburg, with wins hard to come by as they struggled for numbers and experienced a change of coach mid-way through the season. The Lions would no doubt be disappointed to have not made a greater impact on the competition in 2024, however, they should be buoyed by the progress and development of their young stars who look set to pounce in 2025.

St Kevin’s made an inaccurate start, booting 5.8 (38) in the first half while Coburg were unable to trouble the scorers. The second half was much of the same, as the Saints eventually ran away 54-point victors.

Sarah Cameron and Tess Cattle booted two goals apiece for St Kevin’s, the latter walking away with best on ground honours. For Coburg, Sarah Jolly and Dallas Rowland finished with one each.

Over at Harry Trott Oval, Collegians put up a good fight against ladder leaders Old Scotch, ultimately falling by 22 points.

Old Scotch got off to a strong start, as Billie Holloway lit things up with two goals in a minute to earn her side a 13-point lead going into the first break. However, Collegians dominated the second term, scoring two majors of their own to bring the margin back to 2 points.

It was star forward Eloise Defina’s turn to shine in the second half, stretching Old Scotch’s lead back out with another three majors. While Collegians were able to get the ball into their forward 50 on several occasions, they struggled to get any clean possession, only kicking one behind for the half.

It has been a disappointing end to the season for Collegians, however, Maddi Shaw can go into the off-season with her head held high knowing that she continuously put her body on the line for her team.

For Old Scotch, Bella Gray was terrific, intercepting every ball that came her way. Lambert-Pearce medallist Jordan Mifsud was also at her best, hitting up her teammates with pinpoint accuracy.

The win locks in the minor premiership for Old Scotch, with the team making history in just their second season in the William Buck Premier competition.

For their final match of the home and away season, Kew travelled to take on Monash Blues, whose position at the bottom of the ladder had already seen them confirmed as wooden spooners prior to the round commencing.

The match was a reflection of both sides’ respective positions in the competition; however, Monash would still be disappointed that they were unable to register a score for the day.

Kew were comfortable heading into half time with a 30-point lead, which stretched out to 76 points by the end of the day.

Claire Dyett kicked three goals in her best game of the season, while captain Rachel McDonough booted two, as did vice-captain Alexandra Fitridge. Grace Osborne was named best on ground, while Ella Stephenson was the Blues’ best.

All eyes turn to finals now for Kew who have a showdown with Caulfield awaiting.

Finally, Old Yarra Cobras hosted Melbourne University Women’s at Doncaster Reserve in a do-or-die relegation battle.

Coming into the game, MUWFC were the favourites being two points clear of Old Yarra Cobras with a superior percentage. Having not recorded a win since Round 6, the Cobras were desperate to find their early season form that saw them go 3-3 in the first six rounds.

The formula was clear for both sides – percentage was irrelevant; a win would guarantee the right to remain in William Buck Premier competition for another year.

It was a tough first term as both sides adjusted to their nerves and the blustery conditions. Only Cecilia Baldassarre managed a goal which provided Old Yarra a 7-point lead at the first change.

With the wind on their side, Old Yarra unleashed in the second term, kicking four unanswered goals to make things extremely difficult for Melbourne University going into the second half.

The major break did not help the visitors, as the Cobras continued to dominate in the second half. The compelling 9.7 (61) to 0.0 (0) result proves that Old Yarra Cobras are deserving of a place in William Buck Premier, while MUWFC will have several areas of improvement to focus on in Premier B next year.

Despite the grim result, Angelena Roan and Isabella Robson impressed for the Mugars, while Evie Lee and Erin Woodford were instrumental in getting the Cobras over the line.

Looking ahead to this weekend, two fiery contests await. First up, Kew and Caulfield will face off in an elimination final at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday, with Kew seeking revenge for the 1-point loss they were dealt in Round 16. On Sunday, Old Scotch and St Kevin’s will meet at Elsternwick Park, with the winner to book a spot in this year’s Grand Final.