BY NATHAN DOLE
CASTLEMAINE’S unbeaten run is at six after last Sunday’s match against Bendigo Thunder in the Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s football competition.
The Magpies were on home turf at Camp Reserve to face Thunder as the league marked Indigenous Round.
Castlemaine and Thunder played out one of the best matches of the 2023 campaign.
It had been an incredibly difficult lead-up for Castlemaine’s players, coaches, officials and supporters following the death of under-18s player Dallas Keogh-Frankling the previous Saturday.
The Magpies started well and led 19-10 by quarter-time.
Accuracy in the opening half was outstanding as Castlemaine scored 5.1 to hold a nine-point buffer at the long break.
A closely-fought third term went Maine’s way, 9-6.
Led by the play of Emma Pedretti, Jemma Finning and Tiana Cochrane, the Jordan Cochrane-coached Magpies went on to win 49-30.
Tiffany Bradley and co-captain Eloise Gretgrix kicked three goals each as Lily den Houting chipped in with the other.
Thunder’s attack was led by vice-captain Jaime Sawers on four.
Castlemaine’s best included Lily den Houting, Chelsea Cole and Eillish Cumming.
Best for the Terry Burt-coached Thunder were Shasta Martion, assistant coach Hannah Perry, Brit Jackson, Jaime Sawers, Louise Bibby and Jessica Kennedy.
Indigenous Round kicked off Saturday when Eaglehawk faced Strathfieldsaye under the Canterbury Park lights in Eaglehawk.
The Hawks scored 6.4 to nil in the first quarter and added 3.2 to a point in the second.
Grace Edlin, Rhian Hobbs and Pearl Sullivan were outstanding as the Two Blues went on to record a 103-1 victory.
Edlin kicked five goals in a best afield performance as Molly Metcalf added three and Sienna Hobbs and Freyja Pearce chipped in with two.
Best for the Geoff West and Molly Metcalf-coached Eaglehawk included Chloe Green, Freyja Pearce and Cass Coleman.
Katrina Alford, Hannah Cue, Tracey Anderson, Jessica Jackson, Caitlin Shaw and Alex Campbell-Smith worked hard for the Tim McCormick-coached Strathfieldsaye.
On Sunday, Woorinen dominated its match on home turf against North Bendigo.
The Tigers scored 6.3 to nil in the first term and then added three, four and four goals across the next three quarters to mark a 120-0 victory.
Natasha Kelly kicked five goals as Carlee Hazlett added three and Rachael Booth two.
Best for Woorinen were Carlee Hazlett, Freda Wosomo, Natasha Kelly, Tenay Fellows, Kerri-Ann Zeunert and Rachael Booth.
Maddison Hargreaves-Hale, Tallulah Duffy, Ashlyne McInnes and Kira Gibbsons were best for the Jie Thomson-coached North Bendigo.
Quetta Holloway-Jinks and Matilda Henley-Johnstone also worked hard for the red, white and blue.
Golden Square had the bye.
Champions IGA-backed CVFL senior women’s footy ladder:
Castlemaine 873 per cent, 24 points; Eaglehawk 241.9, 12; Woorinen 241.8, 12; Golden Square 66, 12; Bendigo Thunder 230, 8; North Bendigo 5, 4; Strathfieldsaye 5, 0.
Leaders in the goalkicking race:
25 Eloise Gretgrix, Castlemaine.
12 Aisling Tupper, Castlemaine.
9 Natasha Kelly, Woorinen.
8 Charlotte Beavan, Castlemaine.
8 Sienna Hobbs, Eaglehawk.
8 Paynton Jolliffe, Golden Square.
7 Grace Edlin, Eaglehawk.
7 Keely Fullerton, Eaglehawk.
7 Britney Mueck, Bendigo Thunder.
7 Jaime Sawers, Bendigo Thunder.
Teams take a break for a general bye for the King’s Birthday holiday weekend of June 10-12.
The season resumes under the Canterbury Park lights in Eaglehawk on Friday, June 16 when the Borough plays Bendigo Thunder from 7pm.
North Bendigo will be back on home turf at Hibo Hotel Oval in Atkins Street on Sunday, June 18 to play Golden Square from 1pm.
Strathfieldsaye Storm faces the Tigers from Woorinen the same day from 1pm at Triple P Park in Strathfieldsaye’s Tannery Lane.
Unbeaten and on top of the ladder, Castlemaine has the bye.