St Kevin’s strike blow in Grand Final rematch revenge over Old Scotch

It was another entertaining week of football in William Buck Premier Women’s on Saturday, highlighted by a thrilling Grand Final rematch between St Kevin’s and Old Scotch, and a second straight win for newcomers Old Geelong in their debut season.

Last year’s Grand Final participants battled it out in an enthralling contest on Saturday afternoon, with St Kevin’s triumphing by thirteen points, 4.8 (32) to Old Scotch’s 3.1 (19). It was the usual suspects for St Kevin’s, with Hannah Smith and Kate Stanton contributing to the scoreboard—combining for three of their four goals.

Dean Anderson, coach of Old Scotch, spoke about the team’s focus on continued improvement throughout the season and the growing rivalry between the two clubs in Premier Women’s. “(We’ve got) lots of work to do, but we aren’t disappointed with the weekend. The rivalry continues to build.”

Old Geelong continued their impressive start to the season with an emphatic victory over Premier Women’s stalwarts Kew. The OGs delivered a strong four-quarter performance in their 36-point win, firmly cementing themselves in the top four. Among the best were two debutants that Coach Jack Crameri has high hopes for, in Charlotte Mackenzie and Sophie Gorton.

Kew coach Emily Avery was full of praise for her side, who have been struggling with injuries—particularly in the ruck department—and is happy to reach the Easter bye this week (and not just for the chocolates!). Avery was complimentary of her team’s spirit and effort in the contest. “I was really pleased with how the team stayed connected. The intent to contest was strong.”

Caulfield Grammarians moved to the top of the William Buck Premier Women’s ladder with a dominant showing against Williamstown CYMS. The 62-point victory was highlighted by a terrific four-goal display from Sarah Kenny, with the Fields also boasting seven other individual goal kickers on the day.

Williamstown CYMS coach Xavier Smith admitted his side has faced tough challenges early in the season, with back-to-back losses to the Cardinals and Grammarians. However, Smith says he’s seen improvement and is confident they’ll take the right steps to become competitive throughout the remainder of the season. “Moving forward, we’ll continue to focus on defending the whole ground, making it harder for teams to move the ball and score against us.”

After tough Round 1 defeats, both West Brunswick and Old Yarra Cobras were eager to notch their first win of the 2025 season. The Magpies emerged triumphant over the Cobras in a match that saw a flurry of second-half scoring, finishing 5.9 (39) to 2.1 (13).

Maria Constas and Jaimie Olorenshaw stood out for the Magpies in a midfield missing several senior players. Coach Ryan Wardel was thrilled with the performance and, when asked what he took from the win, said: “That our best footy is as good as anyone’s, and we can match it with anyone if we keep building and sharpening our game plan.”

Cobras coach Michael Talbot noted the growth within his group, which had to adjust to coaching changes just before the season began. He praised his team’s efforts over the first two rounds and their willingness to play attacking football. “Our intensity and effort were really good. We are trying to be brave when we have the football. At times, we looked dangerous moving the ball quickly.”

Concluding the Round 2 fixtures in William Buck Premier Women’s, newly promoted Fitzroy put together a dominant four-quarter performance, defeating Melbourne Uni Women’s 11.14 (80) to 0.0 (0) at W.T. Peterson Oval.

The Roys’ performance was headlined by Maddie Smith and Grace Painting—both former teammates recruited from country leagues—who provided run and carry throughout the game. Coach Nathan Jumeau was pleased with the performance but already has his sights set on Round 3’s challenge against the elite St Kevin’s outfit. “We will look to continue growing our offensive side of the game and test that against one of the best women’s football teams in recent years.”

On the other side, Melbourne Uni Women’s had some bright moments despite the heavy loss, with Lily Harris and Eve Sheehan winning contests and applying repeated pressure around stoppages. Coach Michael Goldsmith praised his side, acknowledging the current challenges, particularly on the scoreboard, but emphasising growth. “We’re under no illusions about where we’re at – this is a team in the early stages of a rebuild. The scoreboard doesn’t always show it, but we’re building something that will stick.”

Round 3 of William Buck Premier Women’s kicks off on Saturday April 26th, with the Easter weekend bye coming up. There are some mouth-watering clashes as season 2025 starts to heat up. Two undefeated sides in Old Geelong and Caulfield Grammarians face off, West Brunswick travel to Kew to face the Bears, Old Yarra Cobras and Williamstown CYMS go head-to-head in a bid to notch their first win of the season, Fitzroy battle with St Kevin’s and in a standalone game on Sunday afternoon the Cardinals, travel to Melbourne Uni to face MUWFC.