By Nick Creely
VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE – WOMEN’S
REVIEW – ROUND 13
From start to finish, Cranbourne were never truly in the contest on Sunday against Diamond Creek, as the Eagles count down the days until the end of the season.
With very little going right in what has been an underwhelming 2017 season, the Eagles had one last chance to enjoy a home clash this season.
In the 2.4(16) to 11.4(70) loss, the Eagles stood no chance once the finals-bound Creekers kicked five unanswered goals to skip out to a 32-point quarter time lead.
With perennial goal-kicking machine Chloe Molloy (three goals) running amok, and a host of other players such as Ashleigh Riddell, Alison Downie and Amelia Barden all outworking the Eagles, danger signs loomed when the lead extended out to 50 courtesy of three more unanswered goals in the second term.
With more fight the only saving grace in another lowly performance, the Eagles enjoyed a more fruitful third quarter, kicking 1.2 to 2.0 to almost win the term.
Although a win was impossible, the Eagles then equalised the final term with another goal while keeping the Creekers to just 1.1 for the quarter.
In the end, 54-points flattered the Eagles, but there were several positives.
The Eagles managed to get more games into the likes of AFL-bound Darcy Guttridge, Courtney Clarkson, Holly Whitford, Sophie Phillips and Kim Cunico, and their leaders in Kirsten McLeod, Jasmine Grierson and Romy Timmins have continued to battle hard in trying circumstances.
There is just one more round left to play for the Eagles who sit with a 3-10 record, and it doesn’t get any easier when they travel down the Nepean to face St Kilda at Peanut Farm Reserve on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier last week, AFL Victoria announced that the Eagles will align with the Casey Demons and Melbourne Football Club, further strengthening their ties with the two clubs, and helping push the club off the bottom of the table in 2018.
