Senior Women
In eerily similar circumstances to last weeks loss against ladder leaders Healesville, Olinda Women’s team went down to reigning Premiers Upwey 2.10.22 to 0.0.0 at Upwey Saturday morning.
As per last week Olinda won the contested possession tally, and was only let down by continually turning the ball over by hand and foot. Olinda’s pressure, tackling and contested ball work was first rate, and it was a shame that their hard work was undone by skill execution and decision making.
Both teams had been decimated during the week by illness and other commitments, and both teams played the game with 17, 15 on the field. While the game was played in bright sunshine, the ground was sodden from heavy rain and ball handling was tricky at best. Olinda, missing seven of their top 10 players, will take some solace in holding the reigning premiers to only two goals, one scored very late in the game. The debut of another Young Blood Maeve Higgins, was encouraging and Maeve acquitted herself very well in her first Senior hit out.
Another positive was a group of Olinda players who played their best game for the year so far, and this can only bode well for the second half of the season. Lily (Laser) Carlin is contemplating getting her mail sent to the Dome, so at home she feels playing at Upwey. This was the third straight game Lily has received best on ground honours at the venue, Saturday probably being the standout. Lily attacked each contest with a frightening ferocity, and her tackling was relentless and brutal. Her pinpoint accuracy by hand and foot was also a standout for the team.
Kyah (Missile) Barry is an accomplished junior representative player, but at the start of the year didn’t have a left foot, kicking check-sides on her right foot when hemmed in on her left side. The diligence Kyah has shown to correct this shortfall came to fruition in the first quarter when she delivered a bullet-like wormburner on her left straight onto the chest of her teammate. It was an amazing spectacle. Kyah’s work-rate all around the ground was outstanding all game.
15-year-old Paige Robinson has an immeasurable quality, assuredness. Paige is one of the best trainers in the team, and this transferred to gameday on Saturday. Paige never seems to panic, and her willingness to leave her opponent to attack an oncoming ball shows a courage that belies her age. Paige’s ball use, decision making and overhead marking of a greasy ball was superb.
Anja (Onions) Hulston had a birthday shadowing Upwey gun Corinne White. Anja received the biggest compliment of her career after the game when Corinna told her she was the hardest opponent she’d ever played on.
Issy Dennis also played her best game for the year, fighting hard at every contest and breaking into space with the ball.
(DJ) Ness Curnow (nee Bateman) was 50 per cent health coming into the game, and copped a whack to the nose in the second quarter. To Ness’s immense credit, she was one of Olinda’s toughest players all game, and although playing full forward, continually popped up all over the ground to present and impact contests.
Bedrock of the team Casey Seymour had another staunch game at full back. Casey’s leadership continues to grow by the week, and her marshalling of the backline into defensive positions was very impressive.
Chloe (The smiling assassin) Kanally is a tenacious footballer. A highlight of the game came in the second quarter when Chloe lined up an Upwey player with the ball 20 metres away, zeroed in and delivered a bone-crunching tackle causing a stoppage.
Jaqui (The Giant-Slayer) Ring picked up where she left off from her best on ground performance last week, regularly winning ruck contests and battling bravely for contested ball, bettering her opponent for the second week in a row.
Leah (The Lion) Cody was a welcome inclusion back into the side. Leah’s brute strength at every contest and long kicking is invaluable.
Olinda has the unenviable task of meeting ladder leader Healesville away next Saturday in the last game before the King’s Birthday break. Win or lose, Healesville will be in for a fierce tussle.
Juniors
U9
With the Sir Douglas Nicholls Round being celebrated in the AFL and Reconciliation Week, we started the U9 Waylays round with an Acknowledgement to Country with all four teams being involved. A great moment to reflect on the impact Indigenous culture has had on our game and to acknowledge the ground on which we play. The Young Bloods took this energy in pretty dour conditions and played with heart across both games. With a social night on after the games, they had a big crowd to perform to and they entertained with flair, skill and tenacity. Great to see two U9s celebrate 50 games too.
U11 v Yarra Glen
It was rain from start to finish for our U11’s who made the trip out to Yarra Glen for our round seven clash of the titans.
Olinda’s boys revelled in the conditions. The defensive pressure and tackling was relentless all day. With footy in hand there was quality ball use and teamwork, finishing around goal, and consistent scoring throughout the day, opening up a 21 point lead at half time and 47 points ahead when the final siren blew.
The saturated troops then finished the day with a much improved performance of the club song in the rooms.
Final score
Olinda 7.6.48 – Yarra Glen 0.1.1
U12 Girls v Healesville
Healesville welcomed the Olinda team with a classic winter ground, wet and muddy.
Although the ground was slow the girls started well with Olinda’s mids performing strongly to try and keep the ball in our half of the ground.
Healesville had bought their A team today with players returning since the team’s last meet with a classic tousle for the win fought out on the wet ground. At times the ball just plonked in the water, so the teams had to readjust for the slow-moving ball. Olinda was up in the last quarter, but a final goal at the six-minute mark saw Healsville take the win by four points.
It was a real fight by Olinda. and even though the team didn’t get the points, there was some excellent footy on display and Olinda looks forward to meeting Healesville once again for a showdown.
U13 Whites
With the Reds having a bye, the whites were looking forward to a full team to really put pressure on the Healesville unit but a week of illness which hit the whole club saw low numbers unfortunately. Nevertheless, the team fought hard in pretty tough conditions and put pressure on the opposition around the ground. A couple of great goals to club stalwarts Taj Robinson and Ben Gowan were highlights.
U13 Reds – Bye
U14 Girls v Wesburn
In pretty cool and drizzly conditions, we headed out to Emerald to play Wesburn with a full side, which shows how far this team has come this year.
Unfortunately, a few late outs meant the magnets had to be shuffled, but it still gave us opportunities to work on some structures. The girls also showed great intent around the contest and after quarter time, they really slowed Wesburn’s scoring and avenues to goal, whilst generating forward movement themselves. Despite losing another two players to injury, the team rallied in the third quarter, probably playing their best footy of the season to outscore the bigger Wesburn unit.
The girls are improving every week as the side starts to develop as a unit, with a few girls really standing out for their work rate, marking and kicking.
U15 Boys v Upwey Tecoma
Round seven saw Olinda’s boys take on Upwey at a wet Talaskia oval and while it was great to see some improvement, the result was similar.
Upwey jumped Olinda early off the back of hard running and deserved every bit of their 17-point quarter time lead. The second quarter saw Olinda take some control in the midfield kicking 3.2 to 2.1 to go into half time down by 10 points.
Once again, Olinda’s third quarter let them down, with Upwey extending their lead to 21 points at three quarter time.
As the club has come to expect, the young warriors showed what they’re made of in the final quarter, kicking 2.4 to Upweys 0.3 but falling 8 pts short at the final siren. Aden Bates(3 goals),Tom Ford(1 goal),LennyBarry and Rio Neish worked tirelessly all day while River Bellemo(1goal) and Jesse Desta were dangerous up forward.
Olinda’s defence held up well under pressure, with young Spencer Garratt and Mitch Hirst standing out with their courage and desperation.
Final scores
Upwey 7.11.53 – Olinda 6.9.45
U17 Boys vs Woori Yallock
A tough, physical clash against reigning premiers Woori Yallock awaited Olinda, and that is exactly what they got. Not taking any chances in the opening 10 minutes of game gave Woori Yallock a chance to hit the scoreboard and take a lead in to quarter time and were never headed from there winning every quarter to run out comfortable winners. It was Olinda’s first loss for the season, with the team expected to bounce back next week.
