BY NATHAN DOLE
Friday night lights blaze on Eaglehawk’s turf
FRIDAY night lights will be blazing at Eaglehawk’s Canterbury Park when round two of the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s footy competition kicks off.
The Hawks mark consecutive home games when they tackle Golden Square from 7.15pm.
In round one the Molly Metcalf and Geoff West-coached Eaglehawk dominated play to score a 99-9 win against Bendigo Thunder.
As the Hawks made a flying start to the ’24 campaign the Nathan Manuel-coached Golden Square had the bye.
Sienna Hobbs kicked eight goals for the Two Blues against Thunder, but was not named in the team for this contest.
Key players for Eaglehawk include Kelly Mensforth at centre half-back, rover Taylah Nicholson, Taylah Petrusma and Krystal Robinson in attack.
An extended interchange includes Freyja Pearce, Jasmine Burzacott and Grace Murley.
Crucial inclusion for Golden Square is key forward Isabella Ayre.
Despite plenty of time on the sidelines because of injury, Ayre kicked 15 goals in five games for Thunder last season.
Ayre also brings the experience from an AFLW stint with Essendon.
Liz Watkins will again captain Golden Square and play a crucial role in the midfield.
Players to watch in the blue and gold include ruck-rover Claire Picone, Tayla Morre and Terina Pickering in defence, and Molly Forde and Gemma Roberts in attack.
It’s the rematch of last season’s grand finalists when Castlemaine hosts Woorinen at Camp Reserve on Sunday.
The clash of the Magpies and Tigers starts at 1pm.
Both teams marked winning starts to the season.
The Jordan Cochrane-coached Castlemaine scored a 117-point victory against Sandhurst at Bendigo’s Ewing Park.
Magpies’ skipper Tiahna Cochrane kicked seven goals and looms as a major threat to the Tigers chances of breaking the Maine’s unbeaten run.
Another key target in attack is Eloise Gretgrix who kicked six against Sandhurst.
Castlemaine’s run, skill and teamwork is superb.
Those to the fore in the win against the Dragons included Abbey Bertram, Aisling and Maeve Tupper.
A talented team also has Jessica Blake, Jemma Finning and Beppina Marshall capable of winning plenty of the footy.
Woorinen will be determined to build on the momentum of a 110-point win on North Bendigo’s turf at The Bendigo Club Oval in Atkins Street in round one.
A highlight was a seven-goal haul by Brydi Lewis.
Pressure from the Magpies will be much greater and for longer.
Players to watch for Woorinen include Tenay Fellows, Sheridan Gallagher, coach Katelyn Hazlett, Emma Peacock, Casy Unger and Freda Wosomo.
North Bendigo or Bendigo Thunder will mark their first win when they play on the Bulldogs’ ground in Atkins Street from 1pm.
Best for North Bendigo in the clash with Woorinen were Maddison Hargreaves-Hale, Laura Douglas, Ajay Turner and Nicole Woodman.
The Ross Egleton-coached North Bendigo team for this round includes captain Aisha Mansfield, Cassandra Coughlan, Maddie Jelbart and Tanika Thomson.
Bendigo Thunder will be fired up after being held to a single digit score at Eaglehawk.
The bounce back by the Mick McInnes-coached Thunder is likely to be led by Shae-Lee Murphy-Burke and Jaime Sawers.
Other players to watch are Hannah Perry at full-forward, Emily Button in the ruck, Nikeah Anderson on a wing, and Marguerita Murphy in attack.
It will be Marong or Sandhurst who celebrate their first win.
Two of the league’s newcomers will play in the Panthers den at Marong’s Malone Park from 1.30pm.
Both line-ups will have learnt a lot from their first-round matches against White Hills and Castlemaine respectively.
Best for the David Blume and Jimmy Evenden-coached Marong in its league debut were Caitlin Shaw, Hannah Cue, Regeena Torney and Dani Jeffery.
Sandhurst was up against a rampant Castlemaine.
Despite the margin, Dragons’ coach Andrew Saladino said there a lot of positives to take from the contest.
Sandhurst’s team to take on Marong includes Annie and Ruby Campbell, Amanda Carrod, Imogen and Liv Douglass, Piper Dunlop and Maddy White.
White Hills has the bye.
The Phil Murley-coached Demons play Sandhurst on April 21 at Ewing Park.
CVFL senior women’s footy ladder:
White Hills 1542 per cent, 4 points; Eaglehawk 1100, 4; Castlemaine 788, 4; Woorinen 650, 4; North Bendigo 15, 0; Sandhurst 12, 0; Bendigo Thunder 9, 0; Marong 6, 0; Golden Square 0, 0.
Leading goalkickers:
7 Tiahna Cochrane, Castlemaine.
9 Samantha Johnston, Woorinen.
8 Sienna Hobbs, Eaglehawk.
7 Brydi Lewis, Woorinen.
6 Eloise Gretgrix, Castlemaine.
6 Sasha Pearce, White Hills.
4 Tiffany Bradley, Castlemaine.
3 Daisy Gee, White Hills.
3 Oakley Turner, White Hills.
Round two in the under-18 girls competition starts with Friday’s match between Eaglehawk and Golden Square from 5.30pm at Canterbury Park in Simpsons Road.
All other matches are on Sunday.
Strathfieldsaye and Sandhurst meet in the clash of first and second on Storm’s ground at Triple M Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane at 10.30am.
Castlemaine and Woorinen clash at Camp Reserve in Castlemaine from 11.15am.
White Hills has the bye.