James Murphy
NORTH GAMBIER 8.5 (53) d PENOLA 6.4 (40)
NORTH Gambier held off a quick-finishing Penola to claim the Round 7 honours in Limestone Coast women’s football on Sunday.
The round had three of the four games played at Kongorong and the Tigers and Eagles opened proceedings at the venue with an entertaining clash.
North started well with three goals in the first term, while Penola put one through the big sticks to trail by 15 points at the change.
A closer second quarter had the Tigers extend their lead to 21 at the main break, but the Eagles geared up for a strong second half.
They went on to outscore their rival in the next two quarters, but they were ultimately beaten by the siren and fell short by 13 points.
Penola doubled its score with two goals and two behinds in the third term, while another two majors came late in the fourth to narrow the margin.
However, the Tigers remained in front, thanks to some strong performances by the likes of Tess Andrews, Laura Chester and Georgia Gentile.
It was a good confidence boost after flailing against Mundulla the week before and now North has reclaimed second spot on the ladder, delegating Penola to third.
Chester top scored for the match with four goals, while Angela Broad was the main culprit in the Eagles’ forward line with three majors.
Andrews earned the best-on-ground honours for the Tigers, with Gentile and Penny Coleman also impressive.
Alice Tentye worked hard all game and popped up with two goals, while Maddy Bonanno and Grace Altschwager also made the best players’ list for their solid efforts.
Penola looked to captain Caroline McGrath, not for the first time this season, with her topping the Eagles’ best.
Heidi Berkin was also prolific and played a key role in those last two quarters, while Amanda Wurst, Ellise Berkin, Riley Mitchell and Alice Rainsford rounded out the top performances.
MUNDULLA 3.3 (21) d KYBYBOLITE 0.5 (5)
Over at Naracoorte, Mundulla and Kybybolite locked horns for Round 7.
It was a low-scoring affair and although it went as expected, Kyby would take confidence from restricting Mundulla to just three goals.
A goal in each of the first three quarters had Mundulla out to a 17-point lead at the final change.
Kyby managed to score in every term, but the big sticks eluded the Tigers as they returned just five behinds for the day.
They did manage to hold the ladder leaders scoreless in the fourth term, which was an impressive feat.
However, Kyby added just one point during that time so there was little chance of a comeback.
Natasha Horne was the standout for Mundulla, with her performance earning her the best-on-ground honours.
She was followed by Tega Milligan, Kelly Dunn and Kate Maddern, with Natalie Twigden and Nikki McElroy completing the list.
Goals were shared around, with Brooke Ballinger, Melody Maddern and Kellsie Turner bagging one each.
Kybybolite looked to Dellie Brown on the day and she topped the best players, while the likes of Sophie Owen, Chelsea Woodard and Jamie Wachtel also played solid games.
The result has Mundulla retain its undefeated status and it currently sits comfortably on top of the premiership table.
SOUTH GAMBIER 4.14 (38) d MILLICENT 2.3 (15)
Despite some inaccuracies in front of goal, South Gambier claimed its second win of the 2024 Limestone Coast Women’s Football League season.
The Demons matched up with Millicent on Sunday, with both teams having notched up only one win each.
That was always going to change on Sunday and after a good arm wrestle in the opening term, South held a five-point buffer at the change.
The Demons managed to find a foothold in the second term and added one-goal-five to Millicent’s single behind.
That gave them a 15-point advantage at half time, before another even quarter followed.
South struggled to find the big sticks and added four behinds in the third term, while the Saints booted one goal and one behind to narrow the margin to 12 heading into the final stanza.
Millicent had plenty of highlights throughout the match and made the Demons work for their forward entries.
However, South seized control in the fourth and with a goal and another five behinds it pushed out to a 23-point win.
The Saints were held scoreless in the final quarter.
Sophie Wight was a highlight for South and her efforts in moving the ball forward had her named best on ground.
Kristina Simmonds was also solid, while Jarrah Altschwager found herself on the list thanks to a three-goal performance.
Tara Bonney also hit the scoreboard with a goal and was named among the best players, with Ella Guest rounding out the list.
Macy Burns was the best player for Millicent, joined by the likes of Lana Shepherd and Chloe Gronn.
Captain Lauren Potter scored the first goal of the game and Isabelle Wilson kicked the Saints’ second major for the match.
KONGORONG 19.19 (133) d NANGWARRY 0.0 (0)
Kongorong impressed on its home deck on Sunday with a blowout victory over Nangwarry to conclude the round.
At the final siren the margin was 133 points, with the Hawks keeping the foot down consistently throughout each quarter.
A 4.9 return to open proceedings showed they meant business, with plenty of time spent in the forward line.
The biggest score came in the second term, with six majors coming off Kongorong boots, along with four behinds.
That gave the hosts a 73-point lead at the main break.
Things did not slow down in the third quarter with another five-goals-four to push the Hawks past the 100-point barrier.
Finishing off just as strongly, Kongorong piled on four goals to finished up with 133 points to secure its second win and biggest score for the season.
Evie Sealey put in an impressive performance and in a game where a long list of players had moments in the spotlight, she received the best-on-ground honours.
She also joined a long list of multiple goal scorers, putting through two majors for the day.
Zara Dirk was also impressive and she topped the scoresheets with five goals.
Tilah Buckingham had three, while Sealey was joined by Sophie Longbottom, Jasmin McKinnon, Eadie Mustart, and Rach Perry on two each.
Also among the best were Riley Buckingham, Katelyn bowering, Mustart and Sarah Lucas.
Nangwarry looked to Jasmine Rohrlach on the day, who was joined by Ebony Wurst, Jade Brennan and Skye Virtanen as the top players for the Saints.
However, in the end there was little that could be done to resist the overpowering performance from the Hawks.
