Oakleigh and Therry Penola kickstart 2025 with a bang as others failed to fire

The Division 1 Women’s season kicked off with some big games on the weekend, with certain teams showing that they were here to compete for their shot at premiership glory. Oakleigh, Glen Eira/Old McKinnon and Therry Penola were hot out of the gates, all recording dominant wins.

After Round 1, Monash Blues looked the strongest side in the competition. Coming down from William Buck Premier, we knew they were going to be a strong side, with their first test against the Hampton Rovers no exception.

It was an extremely competitive match, with the Rovers leading by three points at the main break. Monash Coach Shane Chapman called out ahead of the season that there was a big focus last year on defending the opposition, but this year he wants his side to play an exciting and fun brand of footy, and that is exactly what they did in the second half.

The Blues scored 3.5 in the second half and kept the Rovers to just one behind, displaying their strengths both defensively and offensively. Tiarna Jericho was best on ground, kicking two goals for the Blues, whilst Maegan Miller was equally impressive for the Rovers with three goals.

Whilst it was not the start to the season that the Rovers would’ve hoped for after losing the Grand Final last year, they would be confident knowing they were able to compete against a team who was slated to be one of the premiership favourites this year.

Next up, the Rovers will host Power House on Saturday afternoon, whilst Monash will travel to play Whitefriars, with both of these looming as big matches.

Oakleigh have had the ideal start to the season, defeating Hawthorn by 96 points to sit atop the ladder and set their percentage up nicely for the year.  The tone of the game was set from early on, with a seven goal to none first half it was going to be difficult for the Hawks to come back. A rampaging Oakleigh went on to kick another seven goals in the second half, holding Hawthorn to a singular behind for the entire game.

Coming into Round 1, both sides were quite unpredictable given they both missed finals in 2024. It was an even match up going into the game, however the Krushers were the better of the two sides on the day.  Jasmine Ballestrin and Kaitlyn Sidopoulos both had three goals each for Oakleigh, whilst Marguerite Parker was best for Hawthorn.

The Hawks will want to quickly turn around their game play heading into Round 2 as they take on Therry Penola. Oakleigh will host Glen Eira in their first home game of the season.

The match of the round was definitely between Power House and Whitefriars, with the Friars coming out as 11-point winners. After both teams suffered heartbreaking finals exits at the end of 2024, you could tell they were both ready to move on and start their year off strong.

It was an even match right until the final siren, however Whitefriars ultimately secured their win in the third quarter. In a low scoring affair, their one goal lead coming into the final change proved the difference. Both teams scored another two goals in the fourth quarter as it went right down to the wire, but Whitefriars were able to close out the game.

Jessica Moloney, Ciara Knight and Hollie McCormack all impressed for Whitefriars, whilst Zoe Uwland, Grace Read and Georgia McHolmes were all gallant in defeat for Power House.

Whitefriars will host Monash in Round 2 in a huge matchup, whilst Power House will travel to play Hampton Rovers in the Saturday twilight slot in another massive game.

Old Haileybury have started in a precarious position, going down to Therry Penola by 59 points. The Lions came up two divisions this season, and on paper this game heading into the round looked like it was going to be a close and fierce battle.

In the second quarter, Haileybury fought back to go into the main break just 20 points down, with plenty of things to like with the game in the balance. However, their defensive play broke down in the second half as the Lions attacked the ball, scoring nine goals to Haileybury’s three.

Abbey Duggan was prolific, with five goals, whilst Ruby O’Halloran had four of her own. Charli Ratcliffe was impressive, whilst Serene Vudiniabola continued her strong run of form from 2024.

Therry will be extremely pleased with their start in Div 1 and will look to attack the footy again next weekend against the Hawks at home. Old Haileybury will play Richmond Central.

Finally, Glen Eira/Old McKinnon registered a 38-point victory over Richmond Central. The Div 2 Premiers looked at ease in Div 1, and all the skills which won them that premiership cup were on display once again. They were a cohesive team up forward, with 2024 Leading Goalkicker Zoe Rossiter launching her title defense in style, kicking three goals for the game. Captain Gemma Strangio was also impressive.

Vice-captain Laura Quinton lead from the front on a tough day for Richmond, whilst Ella Marsich and Jordyn Toms-Wedge were their only goal scorers. Much like the Hawks, Richmond will need to find further avenues to goal if they are to cement their place in Div 1.

Richmond will host Old Haileybury next weekend in what will be a great test to see where their skills are lying and some areas for improvement, with those looming as a crucial game. Glen Eira will travel to play Oakleigh on Saturday morning.